Game review: Spec Ops: The Line

By Dave Cook
Published on 15/07/2012 14:42

After Dubai is hit by a devastating sandstorm, a US rescue team goes dark, which leads your clean-up squad to the desert city in search of answers.

The game’s tone is the star, delivering an almost modern take on Vietnam epics. Starring a trio of wayward soldiers in a dangerous place, fighting a war they don’t understand, Spec Ops pushes difficult boundaries with a level head, where most games would tackle them with machismo and puerile humour.

Beneath the cracking plot and atmosphere lies a solid third-person shooter mechanic, together with a hard-hitting array of firearms. You can quickly snap to cover to avoid enemy fire and issue flanking and suppressive fire commands with ease, adding a strategic spin to the 
shooter template.

Also, if you shoot out certain windows, you can send torrents of sand tumbling over enemy squads to disorientate or even kill them. The city of Dubai is also recreated well, and has character comparable to Bioshock: Rapture. The blazing heat, ruined skyscrapers and eerie deserted buildings all make for an unsettling, harsh environment.

The growing insanity of your squad under extreme conditions results in a journey to hell and back that you won’t forget in a hurry. This is a bold new series that is hopefully here to stay.

Spec Ops: The Line

£44.99, PC/PS3/Xbox 360