A Silent Masterpiece [OPINION]

Shooters are in a tough place. They’re fun and thrilling, but fleeting and forgettable. In a market with thousands of action video games, it’s hard to stand out from the rest. A greater challenge is making the player think beyond the videogame. Having the player question their own motives can be difficult but rewarding if done right. That’s what makes Spec Ops: The Line the most discussed yet least played game of our time. The question is, what did Spec Ops: The Line do to generate such a community even if it financially flopped?

There are a few reasons for why Spec Ops: The Line suffered in sales upon release. The game generated a good amount of steam from its teaser trailers, but with the game being delayed three times, people lost interest in it. There was also the problem of consumers not entirely knowing what made the game stand out. On the outside, it looked like just another third-person shooter game on the market. The developers had a difficult time trying to market the game without revealing any crucial plot points. The most developers were able to say about the game was that was a “third-person shooter with a mature theme to it.” This doesn’t give the consumer much to go off of especially in an over saturated market.

The biggest reason why Spec Ops: The Line was financially unsuccessful was its mediocre multiplayer. 2K Games was the publisher behind Spec Ops: The Line and they didn’t ask too much of the developers behind the game. They allowed them to release the game when the team believed to it be finished and also allowed them to go in whatever direction they wished. The only thing that publisher 2K Games asked of the developers was to include a multiplayer feature. After playing the multiplayer for the sake of this review, I can confidently say that the multiplayer was an afterthought to the developers. From broken lobbies, to a perk system that created an incredible unfair advantage, to clunky mechanics that made actual gameplay a chore to manage. Any casual gamer would play one round of the multiplayer and immediately want a refund and I can’t disagree with that. But you won’t find the meat and bones in the multiplayer. You’ll find it in the campaign, and that’s where the game really shines.

There is a lot to say about the campaign but for the sake of this review, I’ll cover the main points. Gameplay wise, the game plays fairly smoothly and the mechanics of it are similar to most shooters on the market. From the outside, the gameplay is cookie cutter and dull, but I don’t necessarily agree with that. While it has the basic format of a shooter, there is a lot to look at in the finer details. An example would be how the player is able to interact with the terrain. Players can throw a grenade in the sand, causing it to stun or blind enemies in its proximity. The problem is that the player is only given so many lethal grenades, so the player is forced to choose the appropriate time.

The setting is set in the ruins of Dubai where a rebellion is taking place against occupied American forces while a catastrophic sandstorm is cutting out communication from the outside world. The player is put in the shoes of a soldier who is assigned a search and rescue of a neighboring squad. The game slowly shifts from finding your fellow soldiers to uncovering the mysteries behind Dubai. During the game, players are given choices which later impact the game. The choices however are moved beyond good or evil but are rather morally grey, forcing the player to think more critically. This is what the game excels at; giving the player a scenario where the outcome isn’t a clear positive or negative. From navigating sandstorms, seeing the destruction of your actions, being in conflict with the innocent and yourself is what puts Spec Ops: The Line ahead of its time.

To conclude, Spec Ops: The Line is a game that while financially was unsuccessful, won the hearts of many fans. From its thrilling action and emotional storytelling, to breaking the fourth wall to gamers. I had a blast playing this game again especially finding the subtle marks the game gave that hinted the dark tone it was heading. I enjoy and appreciate a game that goes beyond a mindless shooting gallery and paint a picture that the player helped contribute to. Spec Ops: The Line may never get the praise it deserves, but it will forever be a game that will win the hearts of people like me.