Spec Ops: The Line has one of the strongest, bleakest war narratives I've ever seen.
The story in this game is fascinating--I had heard a little about it before playing it but getting to experience it is another thing entirely. Being forced to face the consequences of your actions in this game is often uncomfortable, and by the time the credits rolled I truly had no idea whether I had done the "right" thing at any point in this game.
The story is buoyed by strong character writing and some dope music tracks that really elevate this game above many of its contemporaries. The gameplay was fine--the enemies often shredded me on Normal difficult which was frustrating and the controls could feel a little janky at times, but I can't fault the game too much given it's over a decade old at this point.
I've played many military/war games in my lifetime, but Spec Ops absolutely has the best narrative of any of them, especially given it was released in 2012. War is often glorified in the big hitters like Call of Duty or Battlefield--it's your job to stop the big baddies and save the country/world, but this game excels in its examination of war and the price one has to pay to win it. Do the ends justify the means? How much collateral damage is too much? I'll be thinking about this one for a while, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to play it.
The story in this game is fascinating--I had heard a little about it before playing it but getting to experience it is another thing entirely. Being forced to face the consequences of your actions in this game is often uncomfortable, and by the time the credits rolled I truly had no idea whether I had done the "right" thing at any point in this game.
The story is buoyed by strong character writing and some dope music tracks that really elevate this game above many of its contemporaries. The gameplay was fine--the enemies often shredded me on Normal difficult which was frustrating and the controls could feel a little janky at times, but I can't fault the game too much given it's over a decade old at this point.
I've played many military/war games in my lifetime, but Spec Ops absolutely has the best narrative of any of them, especially given it was released in 2012. War is often glorified in the big hitters like Call of Duty or Battlefield--it's your job to stop the big baddies and save the country/world, but this game excels in its examination of war and the price one has to pay to win it. Do the ends justify the means? How much collateral damage is too much? I'll be thinking about this one for a while, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to play it.