Spec Ops: The Line-Third-Person Shooter Action With A Locational Twist

The third-person shooter paradigm isn't exactly new, but Spec Ops: The Line shows that there is still some potential in the massively popular gaming format. While there is little in the basic gameplay that will surprise longtime gamers, the placement of the action in a Dubai city setting during an ongoing sandstorm is definitely a novel touch.

First ambush
The game begins six months after the sandstorm first hit, and your mission is to lead a squad of three soldiers into the city in search of other soldiers left behind in the chaos. Things take a sudden turn for the worse when the city's myriad refugees mistake your team for the bad guys and set up an ambush. From this point on, the action gets pretty intense, and you have to fight your way through the storm and various other obstacles in your path to hopefully rescue the other soldiers, who may or may not even be alive!

Right from the start of the action, Spec Ops: The Line exhibits a familiar feel. Players have the ability to duck, gain more health points, and even command other soldiers to shoot at different enemies. Even the button layout is a lot like the controls in other shooting games.

The novel desert setting
What really sets Spec Ops: The Line apart from all the other shooters is the uniqueness of the setting. The initial ambush take place on a highway littered with broken cars and dead bodies, with sand dunes and the scorching sun overhead giving the game a startlingly vivid look, which stands in marked contrast to the often grimy and dark environments of the typical shooters. Players will also occasionally have to shoot it out atop towering skyscrapers, and this again gives an interesting and unique twist to the familiar shootout action. When the sandstorm starts acting up again, the game becomes even more challenging, with visibility severely impaired by the billowing clouds of sand.

Unfortunately, the action in the other settings is pretty typical, and there isn't a lot that separates Spec Ops: The Line from all the other shooters when you aren't battling it out on a skyscraper or in the midst of a sandstorm. In these settings, Spec Ops: The Line is pretty much like any other shooing styled game, although it does have enough features to make it one of the better representatives of the gaming category.

True to life gaming action
Thankfully, there are a few other details that give the game a more unique feel. One interesting aspect in particular is the inclusion of stages wherein you will be given the choice between the standard weapons or a weapon that will brutally wipe out your opponents. Choosing the latter will reveal to you the consequences of your decision and subsequent action, giving the game a more true-to-life feel. With this aspect of the game, you will have to weight the merits of a quick finish to the battle versus the cost in human life. Pretty heavy stuff for a shooter, but it is touches such as these that make Spec Ops: The Line stand out from the pack.

One other detail that adds to the realism is the fact that players start out with just as much firepower and capability as the other players. This gives even new players the chance to rack up a few kills instead of mercilessly being wiped out before they are able to earn weapons.

Spec Ops: The Line is a familiar but enjoyable enough take on the classic shoot' em up. With all the added touches and the striking setting, this should be enjoyable to new players and veteran gamers alike.