Review: Spec Ops: The Line (360/PS3)

Aside from the week I spent without power due to the storm that hit the east coast recently, I’ve been playing a lot of Spec Ops: The Line. Developed by Yager and published by 2K Games, Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter that brings a new story to the Spec Ops games. After playing the demo, I wasn’t sure if this would be one of the top games of its genre. I felt like I was playing something early in development that needed a lot of fixing, but when I played the final retail release, Spec Ops: The Line absolutely shocked me at how it turned out. I was happily proved wrong in my earlier judgments on the title.

When I first booted up Spec Ops: The Line into the campaign, I enjoyed how the game presented itself. From friends, all I kept hearing were things like, “the game is so outdated,” and more. Frankly, I was amazed at the single player experience. It doesn’t take stunning graphics to make a game great; the story and delivery are just as capable of working wonders. Yager has made a very detailed story that will keep you pulled in and anticipating the next step, wondering what may or may not happen next. As a shooter, though, how is it different from the multiple other shooters on the market? More than anything else, Spec Ops: The Line gives you a story to care about. The pacing and flow of the story are wonderful and seamless, and an absolute delight. A company that focuses on bringing a top-notch plot to a game will always be a huge plus for me. Some of the battles you fight in get so crazy that you may have to try them a few times. Luckily, when playing, the controls are very fluid and easy to grasp, which is a major bonus. The single player portion of this game is definitely worthwhile.

Now the multiplayer…that’s something different. The multiplayer modes included with Spec Ops: The Line include Chaos (free for all battle), Rally Point (hold key locations to gain points), Buried (destroy a post, which will allow you to see your target – kill to win), Mutiny (death match), Attrition (team based games where each player only has one life to live), and Uplink (team combat that focuses on capturing key points and destroying enemy bases). I enjoyed playing multiplayer against both friends and randoms on XBL, but I felt that more could have been done with it. More maps and modes, perhaps. Maybe even a co-op multiplayer experience. The online modes were very enjoyable, but hopefully we will see improvements to the multiplayer package through DLC later on.

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While the graphics were not where they should have been, the audio for the game was very well done. The music always matches up with what’s going on in the game, from popular hits to simple compositions. The music especially kicks ass and gets you hyped up during the many fun gun battles in the main campaign. The acting is also spot on (how could it not be with Nolan North taking the lead role), and you can tell that the team at Yager has put a lot of work in making sure that the campaign is a well presented experience.

Overall, I’d say Yager did a great job with the story-line, music and acting throughout the game. As for the multiplayer it was fun when playing with friends and such but just felt like not enough of it was polished. I would love to see DLC in the form of new maps and maybe other features, but for now it’s decent. Is Spec Ops: The Line worth your money? I’d say yes if you enjoy a solid story and something to play with friends online.

Spec Ops: The Line was provided by 2K Games for review purposes. For more information on this game, please visit www.specopstheline.com.