New Spec Ops: The Line Info on November 22?
A few days ago, I posted a short article about a new trailer, screenshots, and info for the long-awaited Spec Ops: The Line. Apparently, I was slightly mistaken.
Today was the day for the release of that trailer and information, but after hours of sifting through these new articles and watching the trailer and a video interview conducted with the game’s lead designer Cory Davis, I have found that the “info” is really little more than reflections and reviews on the portions of the game that were made available for play to several individuals from other video-game news sources.
That’s not to say that these reviews aren’t exciting; on the contrary, they describe a game that has been almost completely revamped in the past 18 months, and one whose story is a refreshing departure from many, if not most, of today’s military shooters. But as far as details on the gameplay itself, or even tidbits about the plot (which has been described in this post), there really isn’t that much actual “news.”
The trailer and articles released today focus entirely on the single-player campaign, though 2K has assured us that information on the game’s multiplayer component will be coming soon. Among the more-commonly used words in these articles are “narrative” and “morality.” By all accounts, the game’s campaign will indeed force the player to make decisions that reflect their own ethics, and that are neither right nor wrong, per se. It also appears to be well on its way to delivering the story-driven ”personal inner struggle” conflict that Yager has been focused on, which is certainly intriguing, especially in a game of this particular genre.
One of the above-mentioned decisions has been described in almost every article you’ll find by following the link above, and so I’ll refrain from re-writing what has already been written over and over again. I will say, though, that it involves an apparently black-or-white choice regarding the immediate future of the lives of two captured men (you’ll recognize this scenario if you read any of those linked articles, except maybe one or two). If The Line can continuously deliver such morally impactful decisions without starting to feel repetitive, it will definitely be a title whose single-player campaign may be as entertaining and replayable as other games’ multiplayer offerings.
There are a few new mentions, however, such as the names of main character Captain Martin Walker’s teammates (he’ll be accompanied by Lt. Alphonso Adams, a support gunner, and Sgt. John Lugo, a long-range marksman), as well as the name of the unit commanded by antagonist John Konrad (the Damned 33rd). In terms of gameplay, the news is similarly gaunt, though not entirely disappointing: in keeping with the consistent and pervasive effect sand is said to have within the game, players will be able to temporarily blind and disorient enemies by throwing grenades into the sand and kicking up clouds of the stuff with the explosions. Another interesting gameplay facet will come from the way your teammates’ attitudes and responses progressively change based on the decisions the player makes (examples include choosing to brutally execute downed enemies as opposed to “mercifully” shooting them or simply leaving them to die, as well as the above-mentioned “two-men-which-one-lives” scenario), and the effect these changes will have on how your men react to orders or combat.
In any case, the information released today points to the fact that Spec Ops: The Line is still very much alive and on point to bring a new type of experience to the shooter genre in general. We’ll be on the lookout for details on the multiplayer portion of this game, and will bring them to you as soon as they’re available.