Such an awesome shooter that it inspired me to join the military to protect my country
They draw you in with the "This is your fault", they hook you with the "How many Americans have you killed today?", and they reel you in with the "If Lugo were still alive, he would likely suffer from PTSD. So, really, he's the lucky one."
Shows immeasurable guts and measured sincerity in critiquing American's most respected and well-regarded foundation: The Troops. No one has ever, or will ever, have the guts to say "War Bad" again.
Shows immeasurable guts and measured sincerity in critiquing American's most respected and well-regarded foundation: The Troops. No one has ever, or will ever, have the guts to say "War Bad" again.
Sorry Spec Ops: The Line, you're no Metal Gear Solid.
Bog standard average cover shooter released in the sea of mediocre dull grey shooters of the seventh generation of consoles. It slaps you in the face with anti-war messaging so on the nose that it actively made the game worse for me.
When much better shooters exist and way more games convey the same anti-war messaging in a more profound way, there's really little reason to play this game for the first time in 2023.
Bog standard average cover shooter released in the sea of mediocre dull grey shooters of the seventh generation of consoles. It slaps you in the face with anti-war messaging so on the nose that it actively made the game worse for me.
When much better shooters exist and way more games convey the same anti-war messaging in a more profound way, there's really little reason to play this game for the first time in 2023.
sabe, é interessante pegar esse jogo aqui depois de todo o papo ao redor dele ter dado uma reacendida após ele ter sido delistado pela 2k. The Line é bem único, e gosto muito de falar sobre ele. eu gosto até de ouvir outras pessoa falarem sobre ele! olha só q maluquice.
esse jogo n merece ser apagado da existência. n tem muito o q eu possa falar dele q n tenha sido dito um milhão de vezes, por bem ou por mal. talvez esse jogo tente me fazer sentir culpada por matar soldados americanos um tanto q demais as vezes, o q é meio cringe. talvez o gameplay dele seja formulaico demais, e não case muito bem com o tipo de história contada aqui ou com a crítica q ele quer fazer dos seus contemporâneos.
mas acho q o q mais me suprendeu nele, após recentemente ter aguentado algumas horas de alguns outros third person shooters da época, é como esse jogo é meio q bem escrito. os diálogos tem uma vibe até q um tanto q naturalista, q funcionam muito bem com o ótimo trabalho do cast. acho q esse é um dos pontos mais fortes desse jogo, e foi uma das principais coisas q me fizeram continuar jogando The Line.
a historinha aqui realmente tenta ser o Heart of Darkness dos videogames. e talvez até consiga. em partes. um pouquinho. pra época do seu lançamento, sem dúvidas foi. uma pena q algumas das cenas mais ousadas e visualmente interessantes fiquem mais relegadas a reta final do jogo, mas eu defendo q The Line faz um bom trabalho em contar sua história de uma maneira visualmente engajante. videogames hj em dia tentam tanto imitar cinema, mas na maioria das vezes fazem isso de uma maneira bem medíocre. é bom ver um pouquinho mais de esforço e ousadia aqui.
esse jogo genuinamente n merece ser apagado da existência. todo o discurso ao redor dele n merece morrer pq uma distribuidora n quer renovar um contrato imbecil. o trabalho e a arte de mais de 600 pessoas n merece sumir do mapa da noite pro dia. se vc tiver interesse, n é lá muito difícil encontrar ele por aí. talvez vc encontre algo pra apreciar nele, e mantenha a chama dele viva por mais um tempinho.
esse jogo n merece ser apagado da existência. n tem muito o q eu possa falar dele q n tenha sido dito um milhão de vezes, por bem ou por mal. talvez esse jogo tente me fazer sentir culpada por matar soldados americanos um tanto q demais as vezes, o q é meio cringe. talvez o gameplay dele seja formulaico demais, e não case muito bem com o tipo de história contada aqui ou com a crítica q ele quer fazer dos seus contemporâneos.
mas acho q o q mais me suprendeu nele, após recentemente ter aguentado algumas horas de alguns outros third person shooters da época, é como esse jogo é meio q bem escrito. os diálogos tem uma vibe até q um tanto q naturalista, q funcionam muito bem com o ótimo trabalho do cast. acho q esse é um dos pontos mais fortes desse jogo, e foi uma das principais coisas q me fizeram continuar jogando The Line.
a historinha aqui realmente tenta ser o Heart of Darkness dos videogames. e talvez até consiga. em partes. um pouquinho. pra época do seu lançamento, sem dúvidas foi. uma pena q algumas das cenas mais ousadas e visualmente interessantes fiquem mais relegadas a reta final do jogo, mas eu defendo q The Line faz um bom trabalho em contar sua história de uma maneira visualmente engajante. videogames hj em dia tentam tanto imitar cinema, mas na maioria das vezes fazem isso de uma maneira bem medíocre. é bom ver um pouquinho mais de esforço e ousadia aqui.
esse jogo genuinamente n merece ser apagado da existência. todo o discurso ao redor dele n merece morrer pq uma distribuidora n quer renovar um contrato imbecil. o trabalho e a arte de mais de 600 pessoas n merece sumir do mapa da noite pro dia. se vc tiver interesse, n é lá muito difícil encontrar ele por aí. talvez vc encontre algo pra apreciar nele, e mantenha a chama dele viva por mais um tempinho.
Minor story spoilers
For a basic 3rd person shooter this has one of the most brutal stories I have ever played through.
The fact that this game has multiple areas in which a choice has to be made however each and every one of them has the same outcome may seem like bad storytelling but in this case it is the absolute opposite, none of you choices matter, that's the whole point. Nolan North gives a very underrated performance as Captain Walker, through his performance you can see Walker slowly loose his mind. Ill try and stay away from major spoilers but some of the scenes throughout this game are brutal and unfortunately mirror real tragedy's of war, something in which most military games don't do anymore, the white phosphorus scene in particular. An eye opening experience about how even if you think you are a hero, you cant always be one
Gameplay wise its your standard 3rd person shooter. Gun combat is simple but fun and the small bits of directing your squad members around is a nice way to immerse yourself more. Visually it holds up very well for a 2012 game, soundtrack is also very good.
A fun 3rd person shooter with a fantastic story that really delivers. Highly recommend.
For a basic 3rd person shooter this has one of the most brutal stories I have ever played through.
The fact that this game has multiple areas in which a choice has to be made however each and every one of them has the same outcome may seem like bad storytelling but in this case it is the absolute opposite, none of you choices matter, that's the whole point. Nolan North gives a very underrated performance as Captain Walker, through his performance you can see Walker slowly loose his mind. Ill try and stay away from major spoilers but some of the scenes throughout this game are brutal and unfortunately mirror real tragedy's of war, something in which most military games don't do anymore, the white phosphorus scene in particular. An eye opening experience about how even if you think you are a hero, you cant always be one
Gameplay wise its your standard 3rd person shooter. Gun combat is simple but fun and the small bits of directing your squad members around is a nice way to immerse yourself more. Visually it holds up very well for a 2012 game, soundtrack is also very good.
A fun 3rd person shooter with a fantastic story that really delivers. Highly recommend.
Spec Ops: the Line talks about war games without actually wanting to be one. It talks about how underneath that facade of heroes where they always come out victorious, where there is always someone harmed in the assault whether you want them to or not but it doesn't show or show.
The story and narrative of this game are the biggest strength of this game. It's a journey into the abyss where you keep going down both literally and figuratively. Horrible things happen that are just out of your reach. It's basically a linear story, where bad decisions and mishaps are the order of the day.
Play it if you like subversive stories, that try to do something out of the ordinary. The gameplay is the least of it, but it's serviceable.
The story and narrative of this game are the biggest strength of this game. It's a journey into the abyss where you keep going down both literally and figuratively. Horrible things happen that are just out of your reach. It's basically a linear story, where bad decisions and mishaps are the order of the day.
Play it if you like subversive stories, that try to do something out of the ordinary. The gameplay is the least of it, but it's serviceable.
Revolutionary for its time, but playing it 12 years later…it just preaching to the choir. And playing it now, the gunplay is actually horrible.
Not to diminish its importance to gaming and anti-war media in general though. It’s eye opening when compared to current events (ie, what’s happening to the Palestinians), and I’d argue its importance can help people understand what goes on in war conflicts. I hope it can be relisted soon, the accessibility of this game is needed now more than ever.
Not to diminish its importance to gaming and anti-war media in general though. It’s eye opening when compared to current events (ie, what’s happening to the Palestinians), and I’d argue its importance can help people understand what goes on in war conflicts. I hope it can be relisted soon, the accessibility of this game is needed now more than ever.
A gripping and thought-provoking game that ingeniously parallels the themes of moral degradation and the psychological toll of war, echoing the essence of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now". It delves into the grim realities of conflict and the moral dilemmas faced, providing a deep exploration of choices made in the chaos of battle.
It's a competent third person shooter that still looks pretty good for its age and has an excellent rock soundtrack. I love psychological horror and descent into madness stories and this game has both of those in spades. It's a huge shame the game has been delisted.
The gameplay is nothing to write home about, but it's not terrible and I even found nailing good shots and shooting out windows to release sand on enemies quite satisfying. The "they made it bad on purpose" narrative is inaccurate and frankly pretentious as hell. The only problem I had with the gameplay was that sprinting and taking cover use the same button, which caused some frustrating moments in the middle of chaotic firefights.
Spec Ops is still worth playing for the story, if you can get your hands on the game, but it can never have the effect it had when it released in 2012. The gaming landscape has evolved, and military shooters like Call of Duty, while still popular, aren't the dominant force they once were. Back in the day Spec Ops initially seemed like a generic military shooter, but then pulled the rug out from under you to make a statement. But now that everyone and their dog knows that the game throws a twist at you, the surprise impact of this game remains firmly in the past. It can still be enjoyed for its story, of course, but it's no longer subversive now that everyone knows it is. Not the game's fault, though. It's just the inevitable result of time and a million video essays about the game. Now that everyone playing it for the first time knows to expect a twist, it won't be experienced the same way.
The gameplay is nothing to write home about, but it's not terrible and I even found nailing good shots and shooting out windows to release sand on enemies quite satisfying. The "they made it bad on purpose" narrative is inaccurate and frankly pretentious as hell. The only problem I had with the gameplay was that sprinting and taking cover use the same button, which caused some frustrating moments in the middle of chaotic firefights.
Spec Ops is still worth playing for the story, if you can get your hands on the game, but it can never have the effect it had when it released in 2012. The gaming landscape has evolved, and military shooters like Call of Duty, while still popular, aren't the dominant force they once were. Back in the day Spec Ops initially seemed like a generic military shooter, but then pulled the rug out from under you to make a statement. But now that everyone and their dog knows that the game throws a twist at you, the surprise impact of this game remains firmly in the past. It can still be enjoyed for its story, of course, but it's no longer subversive now that everyone knows it is. Not the game's fault, though. It's just the inevitable result of time and a million video essays about the game. Now that everyone playing it for the first time knows to expect a twist, it won't be experienced the same way.
Reeeeally? Was "War is... Le bad!!!" really passed off as riveting political commentary back in 2012? Did FPS Dudebro gamers really need "Here comes the airplane!" levels of spoonfeeding through the most mid, scripted, generic ass gray military cover shooter on this side of Gears of War with execution animations that feel right out of a rekt thread to even consider pondering the fact that just maybe the U.S military does plenty of fucked up shit to soldiers and civillians alike to the point of creating their own enemies?
Don't answer that actually, of course they do. Maybe the United Emirates had a point for banning this game over there, cause frankly they ain't missing out on much. Hard to criticise power fantasies when you're being one through and through.
Don't answer that actually, of course they do. Maybe the United Emirates had a point for banning this game over there, cause frankly they ain't missing out on much. Hard to criticise power fantasies when you're being one through and through.
Many smart people think Spec Ops: The Line is a stupid fake-deep game, and viewed without its cultural context that's really all it is. What makes the game reasonably cool is that it was originally essentially a trap- masquerading as a generic modern military shooter, as far as I can tell its intention was to make people that love call of duty actually think a little bit about call of duty. It does a good job of that at times, but if you've already thought about call of duty you're not really the target audience, and anyone that plays the game today probably isn't the target audience.
While the game certainly feels like a third-person shooter from 2013, the gameplay is not what you purchase Spec Ops: The Line for. The story presents a powerful criticism of other war games released in its time and offers a fresh experience from the age of Iraq and Afghanistan war games.
A narrative wolf hidden in the clothes of a generic modern military shooter. Unassuming, but hiding fangs and claws that, once shown, won't stop until you're ripped to shreds.
iam not as in love with this one as most peeps
but i can understand some of the cult following that grew around it
but i can understand some of the cult following that grew around it
This review contains spoilers
As bad as things are, it could always get worse. Every knife stab could be twisted, driven even deeper. Every bullet wound could be left by it self, slowly draining the life from the host. The game understands this very well.
You cannot understand. Nor do you want to.
As your actions only serves to worsen the situation, everything becomes a sick joke. The stereotypical war anthem rock soundtrack. The visceral explosion after every headshot. The increasingly brutal execution animations, and the HUD pop up informing you that you have been rewarded with a bit more ammo to continue your onslaught. Did you really come here to save people? Or are you just looking for something to make yourself feel better?
Do you feel like a hero yet?
The signs are all there. There is enough records of the past to surmise the horrible mistakes that has happened. But you're going to repeat all of it. No matter what.
If you were a better person, you wouldn't be here.
You cannot understand. Nor do you want to.
As your actions only serves to worsen the situation, everything becomes a sick joke. The stereotypical war anthem rock soundtrack. The visceral explosion after every headshot. The increasingly brutal execution animations, and the HUD pop up informing you that you have been rewarded with a bit more ammo to continue your onslaught. Did you really come here to save people? Or are you just looking for something to make yourself feel better?
Do you feel like a hero yet?
The signs are all there. There is enough records of the past to surmise the horrible mistakes that has happened. But you're going to repeat all of it. No matter what.
If you were a better person, you wouldn't be here.
"The US military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants. But this isn't real, so why should you care?"
I began collecting physical copies of Xbox 360 games almost a year ago, anticipating seventh generation releases might suffer from the same degree of inflation that's plagued earlier console libraries in the aftermarket. This was perhaps a foolish concern as many seventh gen games are still widely available on digital storefronts, but occasionally there's an exception, a game that gets delisted and which sees a hike in value that makes it highly sought after and prohibitively expensive. I picked up Spec Ops: The Line last March, and I'd say the near five times increase in its market value is a damn good ROI. That's why they call me Mr. Money.
Being delisted and thus becoming more relevant also served as a great motivator to finally take the game off my Xbox shelf andfight the good fight, oorah! shoot a bunch of unarmed civilians. My curiosity for it had been mounting for some time anyway, in no small part to the march of retroactive playthroughs and ensuing Hot Takes that have ended up in front of me with increasing frequency. Some of the more disparaging opinions I've seen cast Spec Ops as boorish, weakly imitating the broad strokes of its inspirations, most notably Heart of Darkness. Hell, the main antagonist, John Konrad, shares a name suspiciously similar to author Joseph Conrad -- it doesn't get more on-the-nose than that.
Indeed, when you compare Spec Ops: The Line to the quality of meta-narrative games releasing today, it seems downright quaint, maybe even oafish in how it makes its case against the institution of war and the distressing consequences of "justifiable violence." With a setup that amounts to "respected military leader has gone off the grid and established a cult" that uses borrowed imagery from Jacob's Ladder, and story beats that are undercut by the repeated pop of achievemnts, I can get where people are coming from.
However, Spec Ops is very much a game of its era, and it's easy to take for granted what it's doing when you aren't being mindful of the climate of gaming circa the late-aughts and early 2010s. This released during the height of Call of Duty's popularity, in a time when military shooters played more like propaganda for America's actions in the Middle East. These games frequently cast the player as the hero, whose actions were unassailable or at least justifiable enough that the player was never made to see or consider the consequences of what they'd done. America's Army was allowed to hit the mass market roughly around this time, for chrissake.
Spec Ops is a military shooter about military shooters, and directly addresses the way gaming culture insulated players to the violence of war by glamorizing it. It accomplishes this in ways both subtle and heavy-handed, typically within the same set piece, like the infamous white phosphorus scene which is set up like a typical mortar firing mission that then forces you to slowly walk through the aftermath and survey the horrific results of what you've done. Kid Coolout angrily yelling at Nolan North for having yet another mental break might functionally serve as an awkward statement of intent by the writers, and other games before Spec Ops looked into the camera and stated in no unclear terms that "war bad," but the very specific and pointed way in which Spec Ops attacks its particular brand of shooter makes what it's doing both novel and necessary.
I especially enjoyed some of the ways Spec Ops preys on how players might approach a game of this type during this era, too. The opening sequence has one of your squad members attempting to reason with a group of insurgents by speaking their language, leaving you in the dark as to what is being discussed while another squad member gets in your ear about an interactive piece of the environment. "Hey, that bus is full of sand, if you shoot it you can take them out..." Yeah. Yeah, what's a little war crime in my shooter? This is a video game, I'm doing that all the time. I see a window flashing yellow and a prompt that says "shoot" and I squeeeeze the trigger...
Of course, a lot of these choices - and those that are larger and more narratively driven - are an illusion. "I didn't have a choice," is something Walker repeatedly states to make peace with his actions. It's a video game, you did what was expected of you, so why should you stop and feel bad about it? The more you progress and the more Walker deteriorates physically and mentally, the more you're hit with these excuses. Even the loading screens trade helpful gameplay hints to press you on what you've done or otherwise steep you in Walker's headspace.
"To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless."
None of this is particularly special when viewed strictly through a modern lens, but as a piece of work so heavily characterized by when it came out, I think it's pretty damn great. Less great, however, is its gameplay, which even by 2012 standards was about as dry as a cover-shooter could possibly get. This is partly the result of being hit with delays, one of which was to force a multiplayer mode into the final product, as was the trend at the time. I didn't bother to mess around in that, but having watched a few videos, it does appear very tacked on and lacks the core game's subversive spirit. If only that time were spent elsewhere, like incorporating more dynamic elements to the sand that's blanketed Dubai as was originally intended... oh well.
I think there's a lot of fair criticisms out there about Spec Ops: The Line, but I also think some of them are perhaps too colored by what is expected of a game today rather than appreciating the atmosphere of the time. There's enough of value here that I think it's worth playing even outside its notoriety as a delisted game, and as my pal Larry Davis pointed out to me in private, it's also crazy that this is where a series of 10$ PlayStation 1 games eventually ended up.
"You are still a good person."
(Sad "oorahs")
I began collecting physical copies of Xbox 360 games almost a year ago, anticipating seventh generation releases might suffer from the same degree of inflation that's plagued earlier console libraries in the aftermarket. This was perhaps a foolish concern as many seventh gen games are still widely available on digital storefronts, but occasionally there's an exception, a game that gets delisted and which sees a hike in value that makes it highly sought after and prohibitively expensive. I picked up Spec Ops: The Line last March, and I'd say the near five times increase in its market value is a damn good ROI. That's why they call me Mr. Money.
Being delisted and thus becoming more relevant also served as a great motivator to finally take the game off my Xbox shelf and
Indeed, when you compare Spec Ops: The Line to the quality of meta-narrative games releasing today, it seems downright quaint, maybe even oafish in how it makes its case against the institution of war and the distressing consequences of "justifiable violence." With a setup that amounts to "respected military leader has gone off the grid and established a cult" that uses borrowed imagery from Jacob's Ladder, and story beats that are undercut by the repeated pop of achievemnts, I can get where people are coming from.
However, Spec Ops is very much a game of its era, and it's easy to take for granted what it's doing when you aren't being mindful of the climate of gaming circa the late-aughts and early 2010s. This released during the height of Call of Duty's popularity, in a time when military shooters played more like propaganda for America's actions in the Middle East. These games frequently cast the player as the hero, whose actions were unassailable or at least justifiable enough that the player was never made to see or consider the consequences of what they'd done. America's Army was allowed to hit the mass market roughly around this time, for chrissake.
Spec Ops is a military shooter about military shooters, and directly addresses the way gaming culture insulated players to the violence of war by glamorizing it. It accomplishes this in ways both subtle and heavy-handed, typically within the same set piece, like the infamous white phosphorus scene which is set up like a typical mortar firing mission that then forces you to slowly walk through the aftermath and survey the horrific results of what you've done. Kid Coolout angrily yelling at Nolan North for having yet another mental break might functionally serve as an awkward statement of intent by the writers, and other games before Spec Ops looked into the camera and stated in no unclear terms that "war bad," but the very specific and pointed way in which Spec Ops attacks its particular brand of shooter makes what it's doing both novel and necessary.
I especially enjoyed some of the ways Spec Ops preys on how players might approach a game of this type during this era, too. The opening sequence has one of your squad members attempting to reason with a group of insurgents by speaking their language, leaving you in the dark as to what is being discussed while another squad member gets in your ear about an interactive piece of the environment. "Hey, that bus is full of sand, if you shoot it you can take them out..." Yeah. Yeah, what's a little war crime in my shooter? This is a video game, I'm doing that all the time. I see a window flashing yellow and a prompt that says "shoot" and I squeeeeze the trigger...
Of course, a lot of these choices - and those that are larger and more narratively driven - are an illusion. "I didn't have a choice," is something Walker repeatedly states to make peace with his actions. It's a video game, you did what was expected of you, so why should you stop and feel bad about it? The more you progress and the more Walker deteriorates physically and mentally, the more you're hit with these excuses. Even the loading screens trade helpful gameplay hints to press you on what you've done or otherwise steep you in Walker's headspace.
"To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless."
None of this is particularly special when viewed strictly through a modern lens, but as a piece of work so heavily characterized by when it came out, I think it's pretty damn great. Less great, however, is its gameplay, which even by 2012 standards was about as dry as a cover-shooter could possibly get. This is partly the result of being hit with delays, one of which was to force a multiplayer mode into the final product, as was the trend at the time. I didn't bother to mess around in that, but having watched a few videos, it does appear very tacked on and lacks the core game's subversive spirit. If only that time were spent elsewhere, like incorporating more dynamic elements to the sand that's blanketed Dubai as was originally intended... oh well.
I think there's a lot of fair criticisms out there about Spec Ops: The Line, but I also think some of them are perhaps too colored by what is expected of a game today rather than appreciating the atmosphere of the time. There's enough of value here that I think it's worth playing even outside its notoriety as a delisted game, and as my pal Larry Davis pointed out to me in private, it's also crazy that this is where a series of 10$ PlayStation 1 games eventually ended up.
"You are still a good person."
(Sad "oorahs")
This review contains spoilers
you know what? fuck it. spec ops: the line is worth five stars and then some. for a long time i sat on the fence about it, and had it collecting dust, uncommentated, at 4.5 stars - no more.
the fact this game was shuffled out-of-sight by 2k games, that an attempt is being made to erase its existence from the public under dubious pretenses at worst, or that it's been dropped in a double-whammy of corporate greed and convenient timing at best, shows us that this game is just as sorely needed now as it was 12 years ago.
many like to do a little joking about its "look what i made you do"-narrative, but those people are unaware that this precise portrayal of leadership at the hands of a vague authority is part of the point. this is taking down not merely the modern military shooter alone, but the entirety of the military industrial complex and its implications. the game design here is a direct analogue of the military chain of command, and the way it attempts to dissuade individuals and society as a whole from seeking blame in the hands of the actor.
on february 25th 2024, united states airforce member aaron bushnell self-immolated rather than continuing to maintain part in the u.s. military's support of yet another genocide - a genocide funded and fueled by this global force for despicable violence, a genocide committed, in part, with white phosphorous used against a civilian population.
the timing is just a bit TOO on-the-nose. we are supposed to forget that the same thing fuels this propaganda as fuels the systematic dehumanisation and killing of several peoples in asia and africa. spec ops, unlike every single other "modern military shooter", didnt flinch, and didnt lie. and for that, it had to disappear.
this is the only game that had the guts to give the player a gun, and let them shoot at a peaceful civilian population - then stand there with the implications of their actions. no fade-out. no game over. only you and the simulacrum of a dead body.
from the river to the sea, palestine will be free.
the fact this game was shuffled out-of-sight by 2k games, that an attempt is being made to erase its existence from the public under dubious pretenses at worst, or that it's been dropped in a double-whammy of corporate greed and convenient timing at best, shows us that this game is just as sorely needed now as it was 12 years ago.
many like to do a little joking about its "look what i made you do"-narrative, but those people are unaware that this precise portrayal of leadership at the hands of a vague authority is part of the point. this is taking down not merely the modern military shooter alone, but the entirety of the military industrial complex and its implications. the game design here is a direct analogue of the military chain of command, and the way it attempts to dissuade individuals and society as a whole from seeking blame in the hands of the actor.
on february 25th 2024, united states airforce member aaron bushnell self-immolated rather than continuing to maintain part in the u.s. military's support of yet another genocide - a genocide funded and fueled by this global force for despicable violence, a genocide committed, in part, with white phosphorous used against a civilian population.
the timing is just a bit TOO on-the-nose. we are supposed to forget that the same thing fuels this propaganda as fuels the systematic dehumanisation and killing of several peoples in asia and africa. spec ops, unlike every single other "modern military shooter", didnt flinch, and didnt lie. and for that, it had to disappear.
this is the only game that had the guts to give the player a gun, and let them shoot at a peaceful civilian population - then stand there with the implications of their actions. no fade-out. no game over. only you and the simulacrum of a dead body.
from the river to the sea, palestine will be free.
Quando falamos sobre jogos de guerra existem dois caminhos a serem seguidos: choque e heroísmo. O método mais comum se refere ao último, que busca destacar o jogador como um soldado experiente, aquela arma escondida do exército buscando salvar a humanidade, o contrário acontece com aqueles que tentam transmitir a realidade de uma guerra através do choque, sendo muitas vezes um ato de rebeldia e sensibilidade.
Não vou exatamente dizer qual deles Spec Ops decidiu seguir, mas posso afirmar que os desenvolvedores escolheram o mais interessante, mas não menos problemático. Enquanto jogava comecei a pensar em, como meu professor gosta de dizer, problemáticas básicas: o que é ser um herói e um vilão? Como posso dizer que uma pessoa é um herói se ela deixa um rastro de sangue enquanto caminha pela areia?
O que consequentemente me levou a uma frase que resume perfeitamente o jogo: “você acha que um soldado termina uma guerra sem ser um criminoso?” Esse é um dilema universal, pois se pararmos para pensar, até a própria palavra guerra perdeu sentido em certas partes do mundo, sendo equiparada com algo muito mais simples e sem poder, praticamente um sinônimo de dia.
De fato, o recurso mais importante de The Line é sua narrativa, mas ao não criar um personagem marcante ocorre talvez o maior problema do jogo, a falta de identidade. Olhar para Walker é como olhar para qualquer protagonista de algum jogo militar lançado entre 2010 e 2013 e isso é extremamente frustrante, pois ele é um personagem interessante.
Sua gameplay apesar de extremamente repetitiva tem seus pontos positivos, mas em geral é o clássico sistema de esconde e atira. Já a ambientação e soundtrack me surpreenderam de uma maneira extremamente satisfatória, as cenas dos prédios, ruas e casas dominadas pela natureza faz qualquer pessoa imaginar o próprio futuro e as músicas durante as partes de combate causam um ânimo elevado.
Retratar a guerra de uma maneira agregadora é algo bem raro e apesar dos tropeços gigantes, Spec Ops: The Line consegue cumprir o que promete, uma pena a péssima otimização e o combate não permitirem usufruir de tudo o que deveríamos, mas continua sendo uma ótima recomendação para quem quer sair do básico.
Não vou exatamente dizer qual deles Spec Ops decidiu seguir, mas posso afirmar que os desenvolvedores escolheram o mais interessante, mas não menos problemático. Enquanto jogava comecei a pensar em, como meu professor gosta de dizer, problemáticas básicas: o que é ser um herói e um vilão? Como posso dizer que uma pessoa é um herói se ela deixa um rastro de sangue enquanto caminha pela areia?
O que consequentemente me levou a uma frase que resume perfeitamente o jogo: “você acha que um soldado termina uma guerra sem ser um criminoso?” Esse é um dilema universal, pois se pararmos para pensar, até a própria palavra guerra perdeu sentido em certas partes do mundo, sendo equiparada com algo muito mais simples e sem poder, praticamente um sinônimo de dia.
De fato, o recurso mais importante de The Line é sua narrativa, mas ao não criar um personagem marcante ocorre talvez o maior problema do jogo, a falta de identidade. Olhar para Walker é como olhar para qualquer protagonista de algum jogo militar lançado entre 2010 e 2013 e isso é extremamente frustrante, pois ele é um personagem interessante.
Sua gameplay apesar de extremamente repetitiva tem seus pontos positivos, mas em geral é o clássico sistema de esconde e atira. Já a ambientação e soundtrack me surpreenderam de uma maneira extremamente satisfatória, as cenas dos prédios, ruas e casas dominadas pela natureza faz qualquer pessoa imaginar o próprio futuro e as músicas durante as partes de combate causam um ânimo elevado.
Retratar a guerra de uma maneira agregadora é algo bem raro e apesar dos tropeços gigantes, Spec Ops: The Line consegue cumprir o que promete, uma pena a péssima otimização e o combate não permitirem usufruir de tudo o que deveríamos, mas continua sendo uma ótima recomendação para quem quer sair do básico.
Another stereotypical run-and-gun military story about a hero saving the day is what I expected going into this, but that is far from what you get from this game. Instead, you are dealt with an emotionally gripping story that shows you the true horror of war, a realistic adaption that doesn't shy away from being dark.
The narrative of the game is beautifully written and the twist at the end of the game is unexpected and really opens the player's eyes up. I won't spoil what it is, but when it hits, it hits hard. It is honestly in my opinion one of the best I have ever experienced. It left a lasting impression on me long after, and if a game does that, best believe I am holding it in high regard.
So why isn't the game a 10/10? Well purely because of the gameplay. It's very mediocre and there is nothing special about it. But that's not the selling point of this game, the outstanding story is. If you want a game to make you think, then play this underrated masterpiece immediately.
The narrative of the game is beautifully written and the twist at the end of the game is unexpected and really opens the player's eyes up. I won't spoil what it is, but when it hits, it hits hard. It is honestly in my opinion one of the best I have ever experienced. It left a lasting impression on me long after, and if a game does that, best believe I am holding it in high regard.
So why isn't the game a 10/10? Well purely because of the gameplay. It's very mediocre and there is nothing special about it. But that's not the selling point of this game, the outstanding story is. If you want a game to make you think, then play this underrated masterpiece immediately.
"Do you feel like a sigma yet?"
This review contains spoilers
ENG:
Not bad, if a bit toothless.
Spec Ops: The Line has to be one of the most divisive games in recent years. There are those who praise it as an Underrated Subversive Masterpiece™, and there are those who hate it pointing towards its pretentiousness. All of this comes from the supposed implied message that tries to blame the player for… something, but I still don’t know what. What both its defenders and detractors normally point out is that Spec Ops: The Line criticizes the player for how it enjoys murdering. This is an idea I have had to listen tons of mediocre video-essayists say with pseudo-reflexive intentions in a (falsely) transcendental way, but if you come to think of the implications, you’ll find out that, apart from meaning absolutely nothing, it’s an extremely hypocritical message. For some reason, this absurd narrative has permeated in everyone that tries to get popular on the internet while saying stuff they very clearly don’t even try to understand, and sadly it has gone beyond The Line so now I have to put up with the same but for games like, for example, Hotline Miami. And I’m tired. I’m tired because it doesn’t mean anything. Saying that the player is a monster for enjoying killing in video games is both a lie and hypocritical when a game is designed for the player to enjoy the very same thing it's criticizing. People always talk about limited freedom in games, but never point out games that use it to convey straight up lies like, supposedly, this case.
And I say "supposedly" because Spec Ops: The Line isn’t about that. Or at least I want to look at it that way. If you get rid of the ridiculous meta discourse about violence, what you’re left with is a rather conservative shooter with good ideas that mainly reside on the narrative, ‘cause the gameplay aspect doesn’t have much going on. It plays and feels as identical (if not worse) as the vast majority of Third Person Cover Shooters at the time. What Spec Ops: The Line is actually about, is the false heroism that the United States has been pushing, and still is, as militaristic propaganda. As to how subversive it is in respect to its genre and contemporaries, it’s not that great. It’s a war story where the main character, believing to do the right thing, ends up doing more bad than good while trying to save everyone. This culminates in the white phosphorus sequence, where Walker’s face is reflected over the screen through which he shoots the enemy camp, while watching all the havoc he’s causing, an image that will very surely get burnt into his mind for all of his life, if he even makes it out in one piece. The game has some moments like these, where you can see some sparks of greatness. Nevertheless, what you’re gonna be doing during most of the game is running from cover to cover while trying to not die in the way.
At the end of the game, the path Walker has chosen is meaningless, if anything, he doomed all of Dubai’s people, and there’s where the greatness of Spec Ops: The Line is located. In its critique on American interventionism on foreign territory and the farce of heroism, how the main character tries to validate his actions (not ours, but his, I would like to make clear) by making up his own reality where he’s the good guy that needs to stop the bad guys. It’s thanks to this that I consider it to be one of the few 7th Gen shooters that is worth going back to. As a retelling of Apocalypse Now, it doesn’t reach such levels of greatness, but for its own merits, it’s interesting enough and well put together enough to call it a good game. It’s true that the forced multiplayer component right next to the marketing campaign centered around telling everyone how deep of a game it is doesn’t help, but what there is, is somewhat solid.
ESP:
No está mal, pero le faltan dientes.
Spec Ops: The Line tiene que ser de los juegos más divisivos en años recientes. Por una parte están los que lo alaban como una Infravalorada Obra Maestra Subversiva™, y por otra está la gente que lo detesta indicando su pretenciosidad. Todo esto suele venir dado por el tan acusado mensaje supuestamente implícito que trata de culpabilizar al jugador… de algo, aunque todavía no sé bien de qué. A lo que tanto sus defensores como detractores apuntan es que The Line crítica al jugador por disfrutar matando. Esta es una idea que he tenido que escuchar a montones de video-ensayistas mediocres de YouTube decir con intenciones pseudo-reflexivas y de toque pretendidamente trascendental, pero la realidad es que si te paras a pensar en sus implicaciones, te das cuenta de que, aparte de no significar absolutamente nada, resulta extremadamente hipócrita. Por algún motivo esta narrativa absurda que no tiene ni pies ni cabeza es una que ha calado hondo en gente que quiere hacerse un nombre en internet a base de decir cosas que no parece ni entender, y tristemente es algo que ha traspasado a The Line, ya que ahora toca aguantar lo mismo pero con juegos como, por ejemplo, Hotline Miami. Y me cansa. Me cansa, porque esto no significa nada. Decir que el jugador es un monstruo por disfrutar de matar en videojuegos es mentira e hipócrita cuando el juego está diseñado para que el jugador disfrute de eso mismo. Mucho se habla de la libertad controlada en videojuegos pero luego no se señala a los juegos que la utilizan para transmitir ideas que son directamente mentira como, supuestamente, es este caso.
Y digo “supuestamente” ya que en realidad, Spec Ops: The Line no va de nada de eso. O bueno, al menos así lo quiero interpretar. Si decides deshacerte del ridículo discurso meta sobre la violencia, lo que te queda es un shooter tirando a conservador pero con buenas ideas, ideas que principalmente residen en la narrativa, ya que en el ámbito jugable poco hay. Se juega y se siente igual (si no, peor) que la inmensa cantidad de shooters en tercera persona de su tiempo. Spec Ops: The Line, de lo que va realmente, es sobre la mentira de la heroicidad que Estados Unidos tanto ha vendido, y sigue vendiendo, como propaganda militar. En cuanto a lo subversivo que es respecto de su género y juegos contemporáneos, tampoco es una locura. Es una historia de guerra donde el protagonista, creyendo hacer lo correcto, acaba causando más mal que bien mientras intenta salvar a todo el mundo. Todo esto culmina en la escena del fósforo blanco, donde se ve la cara de Walker en el reflejo del monitor a través del que dispara al campamento enemigo mientras ve toda la destrucción que está causando, imagen que está más que claro que se le va a quedar grabada a fuego en la mente durante toda su vida, si es que logra salir de esta. El juego tiene algunos momentos así, donde se ven algunos destellos de brillantez. Pese a todo, lo que haces la mayoría del juego es ir de cobertura a cobertura intentando no palmarla en el camino.
Al final del juego, resulta que el camino que Walker decidió tomar de poco o nada ha servido, si acaso, ha terminado de condenar a la gente de Dubái, y es ahí donde reside lo bueno de Spec Ops: The Line. En su crítica hacia el intervencionismo Norteamericano en terreno extranjero y la farsa de la heroicidad, el como su protagonista intenta justificar sus acciones (no las nuestras, las suyas, cabe recalcar) inventando su propia realidad donde él es el bueno que tiene que parar a los malos. Y es por esto por lo que, a mi forma de verlo, se convierte en uno de los pocos shooters de la 7ª Generación que merece la pena revisitar. Como retelling de Apocalypse Now, no le llega ni a la suela de los zapatos, pero por sí solo, es lo suficientemente interesante y está lo suficientemente bien llevado como para considerarlo un buen juego. Es cierto que cosas como el forzadisimo componente multijugador junto a la campaña de marketing centrada en repetir una y otra vez lo profundo que es no le hace ningún favor, pero lo que hay es sólido.
Not bad, if a bit toothless.
Spec Ops: The Line has to be one of the most divisive games in recent years. There are those who praise it as an Underrated Subversive Masterpiece™, and there are those who hate it pointing towards its pretentiousness. All of this comes from the supposed implied message that tries to blame the player for… something, but I still don’t know what. What both its defenders and detractors normally point out is that Spec Ops: The Line criticizes the player for how it enjoys murdering. This is an idea I have had to listen tons of mediocre video-essayists say with pseudo-reflexive intentions in a (falsely) transcendental way, but if you come to think of the implications, you’ll find out that, apart from meaning absolutely nothing, it’s an extremely hypocritical message. For some reason, this absurd narrative has permeated in everyone that tries to get popular on the internet while saying stuff they very clearly don’t even try to understand, and sadly it has gone beyond The Line so now I have to put up with the same but for games like, for example, Hotline Miami. And I’m tired. I’m tired because it doesn’t mean anything. Saying that the player is a monster for enjoying killing in video games is both a lie and hypocritical when a game is designed for the player to enjoy the very same thing it's criticizing. People always talk about limited freedom in games, but never point out games that use it to convey straight up lies like, supposedly, this case.
And I say "supposedly" because Spec Ops: The Line isn’t about that. Or at least I want to look at it that way. If you get rid of the ridiculous meta discourse about violence, what you’re left with is a rather conservative shooter with good ideas that mainly reside on the narrative, ‘cause the gameplay aspect doesn’t have much going on. It plays and feels as identical (if not worse) as the vast majority of Third Person Cover Shooters at the time. What Spec Ops: The Line is actually about, is the false heroism that the United States has been pushing, and still is, as militaristic propaganda. As to how subversive it is in respect to its genre and contemporaries, it’s not that great. It’s a war story where the main character, believing to do the right thing, ends up doing more bad than good while trying to save everyone. This culminates in the white phosphorus sequence, where Walker’s face is reflected over the screen through which he shoots the enemy camp, while watching all the havoc he’s causing, an image that will very surely get burnt into his mind for all of his life, if he even makes it out in one piece. The game has some moments like these, where you can see some sparks of greatness. Nevertheless, what you’re gonna be doing during most of the game is running from cover to cover while trying to not die in the way.
At the end of the game, the path Walker has chosen is meaningless, if anything, he doomed all of Dubai’s people, and there’s where the greatness of Spec Ops: The Line is located. In its critique on American interventionism on foreign territory and the farce of heroism, how the main character tries to validate his actions (not ours, but his, I would like to make clear) by making up his own reality where he’s the good guy that needs to stop the bad guys. It’s thanks to this that I consider it to be one of the few 7th Gen shooters that is worth going back to. As a retelling of Apocalypse Now, it doesn’t reach such levels of greatness, but for its own merits, it’s interesting enough and well put together enough to call it a good game. It’s true that the forced multiplayer component right next to the marketing campaign centered around telling everyone how deep of a game it is doesn’t help, but what there is, is somewhat solid.
ESP:
No está mal, pero le faltan dientes.
Spec Ops: The Line tiene que ser de los juegos más divisivos en años recientes. Por una parte están los que lo alaban como una Infravalorada Obra Maestra Subversiva™, y por otra está la gente que lo detesta indicando su pretenciosidad. Todo esto suele venir dado por el tan acusado mensaje supuestamente implícito que trata de culpabilizar al jugador… de algo, aunque todavía no sé bien de qué. A lo que tanto sus defensores como detractores apuntan es que The Line crítica al jugador por disfrutar matando. Esta es una idea que he tenido que escuchar a montones de video-ensayistas mediocres de YouTube decir con intenciones pseudo-reflexivas y de toque pretendidamente trascendental, pero la realidad es que si te paras a pensar en sus implicaciones, te das cuenta de que, aparte de no significar absolutamente nada, resulta extremadamente hipócrita. Por algún motivo esta narrativa absurda que no tiene ni pies ni cabeza es una que ha calado hondo en gente que quiere hacerse un nombre en internet a base de decir cosas que no parece ni entender, y tristemente es algo que ha traspasado a The Line, ya que ahora toca aguantar lo mismo pero con juegos como, por ejemplo, Hotline Miami. Y me cansa. Me cansa, porque esto no significa nada. Decir que el jugador es un monstruo por disfrutar de matar en videojuegos es mentira e hipócrita cuando el juego está diseñado para que el jugador disfrute de eso mismo. Mucho se habla de la libertad controlada en videojuegos pero luego no se señala a los juegos que la utilizan para transmitir ideas que son directamente mentira como, supuestamente, es este caso.
Y digo “supuestamente” ya que en realidad, Spec Ops: The Line no va de nada de eso. O bueno, al menos así lo quiero interpretar. Si decides deshacerte del ridículo discurso meta sobre la violencia, lo que te queda es un shooter tirando a conservador pero con buenas ideas, ideas que principalmente residen en la narrativa, ya que en el ámbito jugable poco hay. Se juega y se siente igual (si no, peor) que la inmensa cantidad de shooters en tercera persona de su tiempo. Spec Ops: The Line, de lo que va realmente, es sobre la mentira de la heroicidad que Estados Unidos tanto ha vendido, y sigue vendiendo, como propaganda militar. En cuanto a lo subversivo que es respecto de su género y juegos contemporáneos, tampoco es una locura. Es una historia de guerra donde el protagonista, creyendo hacer lo correcto, acaba causando más mal que bien mientras intenta salvar a todo el mundo. Todo esto culmina en la escena del fósforo blanco, donde se ve la cara de Walker en el reflejo del monitor a través del que dispara al campamento enemigo mientras ve toda la destrucción que está causando, imagen que está más que claro que se le va a quedar grabada a fuego en la mente durante toda su vida, si es que logra salir de esta. El juego tiene algunos momentos así, donde se ven algunos destellos de brillantez. Pese a todo, lo que haces la mayoría del juego es ir de cobertura a cobertura intentando no palmarla en el camino.
Al final del juego, resulta que el camino que Walker decidió tomar de poco o nada ha servido, si acaso, ha terminado de condenar a la gente de Dubái, y es ahí donde reside lo bueno de Spec Ops: The Line. En su crítica hacia el intervencionismo Norteamericano en terreno extranjero y la farsa de la heroicidad, el como su protagonista intenta justificar sus acciones (no las nuestras, las suyas, cabe recalcar) inventando su propia realidad donde él es el bueno que tiene que parar a los malos. Y es por esto por lo que, a mi forma de verlo, se convierte en uno de los pocos shooters de la 7ª Generación que merece la pena revisitar. Como retelling de Apocalypse Now, no le llega ni a la suela de los zapatos, pero por sí solo, es lo suficientemente interesante y está lo suficientemente bien llevado como para considerarlo un buen juego. Es cierto que cosas como el forzadisimo componente multijugador junto a la campaña de marketing centrada en repetir una y otra vez lo profundo que es no le hace ningún favor, pero lo que hay es sólido.
This game exists as a five star game at some lost point in time. It makes arguments that have been made better since. It comments on things that are no longer part of the zeitgeist. It evokes a feeling we don't feel anymore. The beauty of the game is not lost on me, and I don't think no one can feel what the game wants you to feel anymore, but I've read too many people mad at the fact that a game wants you to think about what it's telling you. "Ugh, why am I supposed to feel emotions in response to a narrative? Video games are about CHOICES and AUTONOMY! And I CHOOSE not to engage with art on any level that challenges me."
Mais um zerado
a história desse jogo é absurda, te faz questionar muita coisa, suas escolhas pesam, mas nao no jogo, pesam na sua mente mesmo, em todo momento voce se sente mal jogando e avançando na história, você sente que tem algo errado, e quando chega no final, isso desmonta em você de uma forma praticamente chocante
a gameplay é genericona mesmo, mas que se foda, é um jogo que todo mundo precisa jogar, o combate muito das vezes é dificil, ainda mais eu que comecei em uma dificuldade um pouco maior, mas vale a pena todo esforço, uma historia adulta, sombria e um final bem diferente de jogos desse estilo
esse jogo é uma obra prima da oitava geração, simplesmente maravilhoso e full recomendado pra todos que querem jogar um jogo com uma tematica bem dramatica e pesada
8/10, um dos melhores jogos que já joguei em quesito história, valeu demais a pena.
a história desse jogo é absurda, te faz questionar muita coisa, suas escolhas pesam, mas nao no jogo, pesam na sua mente mesmo, em todo momento voce se sente mal jogando e avançando na história, você sente que tem algo errado, e quando chega no final, isso desmonta em você de uma forma praticamente chocante
a gameplay é genericona mesmo, mas que se foda, é um jogo que todo mundo precisa jogar, o combate muito das vezes é dificil, ainda mais eu que comecei em uma dificuldade um pouco maior, mas vale a pena todo esforço, uma historia adulta, sombria e um final bem diferente de jogos desse estilo
esse jogo é uma obra prima da oitava geração, simplesmente maravilhoso e full recomendado pra todos que querem jogar um jogo com uma tematica bem dramatica e pesada
8/10, um dos melhores jogos que já joguei em quesito história, valeu demais a pena.
Majestic, in the sense it's a seemingly whatever third-person bypassing the market only to trojan-horse a shellshock simulator. I would've given anything to have this game surprise me before having to hear about it online, but it's structural choice-making, seemingly mechanical gunplay for TPS cliches and sheer amounts of phantasmagoric curveballs of existential dread still felt amazing to devour. Terrifically rockstar, i wish we could see more of these hard-hitting type of videogame boldness.
Do you feel like a hero yet?
Provavelmente o melhor war shooter que já joguei! A gun play é genéricona da 8° geração, mas tá valendo. A trilha sonora é fantástica, só rockzera das antigas. Me admirei com seus gráficos também, são bem bonitos para época, os cenários em um Emirados Árabes destruído e coberto por areia da aquele imersão de pressão de resgate.
As escolhas desse game são intensas (a parte do fósforo branco me pegou), as revelações surpreendentes e a conclusão intrapessoal fantástica!
Esse game é atemporal!
Provavelmente o melhor war shooter que já joguei! A gun play é genéricona da 8° geração, mas tá valendo. A trilha sonora é fantástica, só rockzera das antigas. Me admirei com seus gráficos também, são bem bonitos para época, os cenários em um Emirados Árabes destruído e coberto por areia da aquele imersão de pressão de resgate.
As escolhas desse game são intensas (a parte do fósforo branco me pegou), as revelações surpreendentes e a conclusão intrapessoal fantástica!
Esse game é atemporal!
Gruesome scenes and the anti war theme are cool, but people give this way more credit than it deserves. It’s not that deep and the gameplay is pretty boring.
"Do you feel like a hero yet?"
"Os militares dos Estados Unidos não toleram a morte de combatentes desarmados. Mas isso aqui não é real, por que você deveria se importar?"
Esse jogo tem ótimas telas de loading kkkk
(já tem um vídeo no canal sobre esse)
Esse jogo tem ótimas telas de loading kkkk
(já tem um vídeo no canal sobre esse)
Blame-shifting: the game
Probably the greatest Warstory of all time!