Spec ops - The Line & journey into darkness

[fraczek 4]

Hi. I am pretty much interested whether anyone here played this game. While a seemingly generic third person shooter on the surface, it has much bigger ambitions. Without delving into much spoilers for those who have not tried it but would like to, just suffice to say the game makes use of gameish mechanics to let loose a story closely inspired by Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, and delves the player deeply into it. Perhaps too deeply for some.

In a sense, it reminded me of some of the sense I had from original OFP resistance, or in some ArmaII missions or early days of DayZ, athough it did this in an opposite way - this is a shooter that is mostly much linear. But uses the linearity to a great effect. It shows, I think, that interactive fiction is still possible in both ways, stories created by players in Arma sandbox world, as well as linear stories that make use of the gameplay in a way that would not be possible in film. Of course it could be better, but that it even got released is a bit surprising in hindsight.

As it came out this summer, I just thought another both console and pc port, not interested. But after some pretty interesting reviews and a tweet by one of Arma devs, I thought I will read more. Which was bad, because even the reviews that tried to be non spoilery revealed too much. So even after watching some scenes I bought and played it, to the end, or whatever ending you choose.

I am pretty much interested what the others here who played it thought about the experience, without spoiling too much to others who could be interested about the game or the story it tells.

TL;DR:

A mind-blowing-in-some-ways-weak-in-others game that I think deserves discussion, how did you "like" it who you played?

Fraczek

P.S. there was an old thread from 2010 about it but nothing after release, which I thought better to start a new one in the appropriate section of forums after consultation, as I haven't seen anything newer.

[jakerod 254]

I haven't played it. However, someone OnlyRazor (had to give him credit) posted a link to a certain scene from it in the "Rather unethical warfare" thread in the ArmA 3 forum so I watched that. That got me interested and so I read the synopsis of it on wikipedia and I now regret that I didn't just buy it and play it. I also watched a few other scenes from it on youtube. It really isn't my type of game but story wise I think it is amazing! It rivals the story of Bioshock for me and that is quite possibly my favorite video game story. I also read some articles about what the developers said and how others felt about it and I kept being more and more impressed. I liked how the developers were pissed at the producers for putting in a multiplayer mode that they felt was completely against everything they wanted to accomplish. Well I can't say I liked that I guess but I had a lot of respect that they said that and that they loved the project so much and truly believed in what they were making. I especially liked the developer saying that he considered one of the possible endings to be:

turning off the game and never playing it again.

I might have to go buy it and not play it for 20 years. Maybe by then I will have forgotten about how and why it ends.

Major Spoiler:

I also enjoyed (this is your last chance to turn back) how the "vision of the bad guy" told both the character and the PLAYER this is all because of you. You were trying to be something you weren't. You were trying to be a hero and this is why all this shit happened. If you would've just stopped [playing] none of these terrible things would've happened.

That was genius.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Jakerod

[fraczek 4]

Yeah, spoiling it with wiki or an article like this

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/8/28/3269504/her-full-story-behind-spec-ops-the-line-williams-davis-pearsey-2kgames

is a bit bad for the "enjoyment" of the game... But I "enjoyed" it even though I read that (big warning, your mileage may vary). After all that's a beauty of a game - unless its really bad even though you know the plot the gamishness will draw you in, and it works pretty well with The Line. Even though the gameplay is modelled along the basic TPS lines

and it seems that might even be deliberate on the part of developers, deconstructing the genre a tiny but still important bit

, it's at least not so forgiving at higher difficulties and the action can be pretty intense. Almost too much at times...

Still, I think it was not perfect by a wide margin, but nevertheless, along with its opposite (like players make the stories in the sandbox DayZ or strong community Arma), it makes them IMHO the two most important games or mods to come out in 2012 (please note I wrote DayZ AND community Arma, no place for discussing diff between DZ and AII tactical here please)

Edited November 5, 2012 by fraczek

[krycek 349]

I bought it some time ago,at first I thought I got screwed again by getting an average third person(Spec Ops series aren't known to be exactly good games),but this game is good.Don't let the third person action fool you,it's a true gem,especially if you're a fan of Apocalypse Now.

By the end I was already having a bitter taste to the whole affair,funny a wargame that made me feel bad about war even if they were a bunch of pixels.

[NeMeSiS 11]

I would advice everyone who enjoys decent stories in games to just get it and stop reading about it, you will only ruin it for yourself. The gameplay itself is very standard cover based third person shooting, but it fits.

Those loading screen messages breaking the 4th wall? Damn, a grittier A2 campaign would have been awesome with stuff like that

[onlyrazor 11]

I have been quite obsessed with the game as of lately. Interesting, seeing as how I haven't even bought it (yet) :p The deconstruction of the modern escapist story of being a hero shooting featureless Anonystanis was quite masterfully pulled off, I must say.

[onlyrazor 11]

Anyway, during my daily PC Gamer binge, I stumbled onto this.

[mr_centipede 31]

Man... this game has really got into my radar now... need to fork out $30 to get it at gamersgate... May I call this a 'timebomb' marketing? 2K will probably get their ROI and more, years after the game actual release

[Smurf 12]

It's been like that since release: crappy gameplay, great history. Penny Arcade made a 2 part review, one for the game and one just for the history and stuff: http://blip.tv/extracredits/spec-ops-the-line-part-1-6338974

Will rent it for PS3 when times come to see what the fuzz is all about.

[jw custom 56]

I was this [<->] close to pick up this title for ps3 today after reading in this thread but bailed out... is the story really that good?

[Smurf 12]

While lead writer Walt Williams has stated that there are many influences, the premise is inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness.

The game was generally well received by critics. Multiple commentators have observed similarities to Apocalypse Now, a Vietnam War era adaptation of Heart of Darkness, in the game's feel and expression of inglorious war.

You liked the movie? Or the book?

[gabe_ruckus 5]

I liked Apocalypse Now, and really enjoyed Spec Ops: The Line. It ruined military man-shoots for me, in a good way, if that makes sense. Don't read reviews or plot summaries, if you think you might like it risk the forty bucks. You could do a lot worse for that much.

[jakerod 254]

For those of you interested (and this might possibly only apply to people in the US), Spec-Ops: The Line is going to be $15 on Friday November 23rd from 5:10am - 9:10am PST on Amazon. See the deal here.

[thechaos 1]

One of the best and most mature scripts ever.

[krycek 349]

Steam has a -50% sale on Spec Ops The Line until November 27 if anyone is interested.

[fraczek 4]

If anybody already played it and is interested in some critical reading, there is a 50,000 words ebook here. I have yet to read it, but the first chapter looked nice enough (free read at the link). BTW, I am still gathering courage and time to replay it all again to notice some of the finer details :D

From those who played, I am much interested in what your reactions were to that infamous

Willie Pete

moment or other moments you either liked or disliked or remember in some way.

I will start -

The WP scene - even though I watched it on YT before buying the game, still, by the time I got to it, seeing the aftermath, I just left the game for a day. Conveniently dropping few frags at my squad's feet as a more pronounced way of pressing Alt-F4...I did not have a problem with the way it was scripted (the "no choice" argument against it), it made perfect sense in the context of the whole story.

Edited November 25, 2012 by fraczek

[Serclaes 0]

I got this game yesterday from Steam, yay for autumn sale.

I've been watching it since I heard about it and it was finally at an affordable price for me. And damn I wish I had more money to spend on that game.

I just went through that WP stuff and I had to take a break too. I didn't know about it before since I hate watching trailers and reviews revealing the storyline. Well I just went through that and I felt sick. Not just because of the graphic effects but because of that cut scene at the end and the soldiers afterwards shouting "murderer!".

I realize it's just a game and all but I let myself be immersed in the story. Even the decision between Gould and the civilians wasn't easy. And before the situation where the 33rd guys start shooting on Walker and every time from then on. All I keep thinking is "it's a misunderstanding, let me explain god dammit". :(

But as you said, in the situation it made sense. The rpgs, the strykers, the humvees and that the many white blobs: all in our way. I didn't even really think about it, even if there was that "why are they standing around there? damn inaccurate video games". I just ordered the mortar to take out that other humvee. That gets me too.

All in all I think it's good. In my opinion that game tells an awesome and immersive story with believable characters and I would buy something like that again.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Serclaes
Now with spoilertags :)

[Smurf 12]

^Spoilers.

[Serclaes 0]

Wasn't sure if we still do that. But better safe than sorry and edited accordingly :)

[GRS 10]

Just a heads up, you can buy it at Gamefly for half the price of the Steam one ($7.50 vs $15). You have to DL the Gamefly thing but once you do, you can just get the Steam activation code and delete it again, then DL the game from steam.

[Smurf 12]

http://www.amazon.com/Spec-Ops-The-Line-Download/dp/B0085NTITS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1354312307&sr=8-7&keywords=spec+ops

Price: $4.99

[abs 2]

Holy shit. I just finished this game, and the first thing I did was log on to here to see if anyone else was talking about it. I played through all the different endings, and man, it was amazing. I don't care about the sales or anything...this game is worth the full price.

Abs

[GRS 10]

I agree. I honestly don't think I'll ever play it again but I'm VERY glad I played it once.

[onlyrazor 11]

I'll just point out that this game is discounted on Steam today as part of the holiday sale, so if you want it, this is probably the best opportunity. I'll give it a shot and see what it's like.

[fraczek 4]

"give it a shot" :D

Sure, especially with a discount it's well worth giving it a try. Even, as GRS wrote, I am too not looking forward to playing it again anytime soon. And to those interested, I can't recommend enough Brendan Keogh's Killing is harmless, a sort of subjective critical essay about the game and his experience playing it (warning, only after you finish it - it contains all the spoilers).