Spec Ops : The Line

[Bells]

If you don't have this game, pick it up, Seriously. You can get Demos on Xbox and PC (and i think the PSN too) so, check it out.

And "The Line" is a pretty damn accurate title, cause this game makes you cross a few... i for one always thought that a game can bypass gameplay flaws and even storytelling flaws if the presentation if good enough, and let me tell you this... as far as military squad shooters go, this one get any passes it needs from me. And the flaws it has, not only they are not all that great, but easily things you can get around with a bit of getting used to it.

The game really does present itself really well, and i'm not just talking about "looking pretty", the Amosphere, the art, if you think a city covered in sand will look repetitive, think again...

The gameplay is simple enough, cover based shooter. But there ARE a few highlights... the enemies share a Dumb/Smart AI... where they will try to flank you, they will follow the orders you hear they shouting (and the fact that they use the same tactical language you do is actually quite interesting to hear in the firefight) the writing is sharp, the voice acting and character animation is truly top notch and the music is subtle but energetic which really surprised me... in one moment you're hearing pop rock blasting over the speakers around you... and on the very next some rock rifts are making the battlefield look more intense. It's powerful but never too loud, which is really pleasant to hear.

And you also have your squadmates, and i have a full on Mass Effect vibe out of this. It feels really like ME3 combat, but just without magical powers... the Enemy Ai sometimes does get a bit suicidal (although there was ONE guy who trully was suicidal rushing at my team with a Knife, and the banter about that guy coming from my squad right after it, was really interesting to hear.) and the friendly Ai sometimes does position itself badly on the field, but more often than not they are sharp, with you, responsive and competent. Quite often i see myself turning my back on a enemy because i just tagged him and i just know my squadmates have my back while i take out the guys trying to flank us, it's a great feeling.

As for the story itsel, i'll keep it short, first cause the game is short ( haven't beaten it yet, but it seems it clocks on 7 hours) but also cause it's best experienced not told, that's why i recommend you pick the demo and don't go around watching videos of it just yet...

Just to highlight a couple of set pieces i had played (with spoilers, minor, nothing huge, but just in case)

It got me REALLY pumped when you are going down the streets of Dubai at one point and you see the local militia burning up cause the USA Military forces used White Phosphorus on them , the air is filled in this White-Greenish haze and it's quite surreal, then you see this armored dude in protective gear waltzing between the flames towards you and everything is in a semi-slow motion at the momment... it's really, really surreal. The impact if FELT.

Then, just a few parts later you have the option of applying the SAME White Phosphorus on a USA Military Camp that is "most likely" to have gone rogue... it's all about survival at this point, as you are being hunted down, and you can opt not to do it, but it's way harder like that... or you can just shower W.P. on them, and you do so by controlling an overhead camera on a Laptop, and with each blast there is a reflection on your charater's face on the screen... just a small touch that really drives it home when it dawns what you are really doing to these people... and you go around watching your camera, picking the troops off... and then just on the top part of the screen you see that they had a somewhat large group of civilians with them... not sure if they are prisoners or if they were rescued... i just know that i've put them inside my blast radius...

That part honestly made me feel unconfortable.

Here are a couple of screenshots i took, and again, my recomendation.... check this one out. If only to make a point that this game is BETTER than COD or MOH... cause it really is.