Spec Ops: The Line

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1814 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,370 out of 1814
  2. Mixed: 363 out of 1814
  3. Negative: 81 out of 1814
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  1. SilverOrlov
    Sep 26, 2019
    10
    I did not expect much from such a corridor shooter as this one, but surprisingly the game turned out to be very enjoyable in game-play, very interesting in it's history/plot, very beautiful in its surroundings of a sandy abandoned city... and very exciting and "deep" in that the few decisions made by the hero in the game, had very important sense, especially in the ending.
  2. Legitplayer
    Aug 2, 2019
    9
    First minutes I started playing this game I thought It was an obvious american propoganda game typical 2 humans and an african going to an impossible suicide mission.
    but I was wrong game is more complicated than that I feel like devs wanted to admit the crimes,holocaust made by USA in afghanistan but they were afraid so they created the classic idea that one Villain [who is the commander    First minutes I started playing this game I thought It was an obvious american propoganda game typical 2 humans and an african going to an impossible suicide mission.
    but I was wrong game is more complicated than that I feel like devs wanted to admit the crimes,holocaust made by USA in afghanistan but they were afraid so they created the classic idea that one Villain [who is the commander of 33rd regiment in afghanistan] went insane in dubai probably because of the amount of blood shed my him and his regiment so he became a terrorist leader with all army weapons helicopters,tanks,armors,army uniforms etc.
    Storyline goes even more complicated later..    … Expand
  3. ROBERT-
    Jul 24, 2019
    10
    one of the best game I've played all my life with the best story . I'd definitely recommend you to experience this game
  4. dek33-jericho
    Jun 14, 2019
    10
    Лучший шутер ! От третьего лица в который я играл !
  5. Give_em_hell
    May 5, 2019
    8
    It's a good full action shooter. Until the half it seems like an uninteresting story but after that it gets darker and darker, the artistic creativity gets better rand better, sometimes nearing a masterpiece. The apocalyptic desert setting is quite original actually. The gameplay is easy to learn but some fights are very difficult, there are lots of weapons.
  6. PrincessRose
    Apr 29, 2019
    7
    I enjoyed this game a lot, good, gripping story that doesn't sugar coat anything, wont say anything else as don't want to spoil it for others.
    It's very exciting and action packed, I never feel bored playing this game. It's quite a challenging game.

    I'd recommend as it has good game play as well as story.
  7. sitebender
    Apr 21, 2019
    9
    Barring intense moments of terrible gameplay like sticking to the wrong cover in a parking lot, Spec Ops was a great third person shooter with a memorable story.
  8. EddieMaiden
    Mar 2, 2019
    9
    I know I'm late after 7 years, but GOD DAAMN this is a good game.
    I'm giving it a 9 because gameplay wise is nothing special.
    Story wise on the other hand is amazing.
    This is a hidden gem, go play it.
  9. RazorSamurai
    Jan 10, 2019
    7
    хай кста
    вообщем не буду сильно вытягивать свой обзор и вкратце расскажу что со мной происходило за 5-6 часов геймплея
    прошел игру на самой сложной сложности которая была доступна в начале потому что я не еб.учий казуальщик меня бесило управление потому что видно что она сделана для консолей, топорное управление, вечно персонаж идет не туда, прячется не там, зае.бало честно говоря,    хай кста
    вообщем не буду сильно вытягивать свой обзор и вкратце расскажу что со мной происходило за 5-6 часов геймплея
    прошел игру на самой сложной сложности которая была доступна в начале потому что я не еб.учий казуальщик
    меня бесило управление потому что видно что она сделана для консолей, топорное управление, вечно персонаж идет не туда, прячется не там, зае.бало
    честно говоря, сюжет не плохой но и не гениальный, скорее всего в игре есть еще другие концовки или ньюансы сюжета но я же не фанат файв найтс ат фреди чтобы всех их искать или находить, че я еб.у дал что ли
    стрельба в принципе несложная но иногда заставляет попотеть, радуют разные виды типов врагов но враг с ножом меня дико расмешил. представьте вы на войне и на вас челик на поле боя бежит с ножиком
    а еще баги с сенсой, оно то прибавляется то убавляется
    графика не плохоая но и не хорошая, иногда прям по глазам бьет эти ребристые текстурки
    вообщем 7/10    … Expand
  10. aralath
    Aug 7, 2018
    9
    Underrated as hell. Very cool game with mechanics, story, endings and all...
  11. jemmy916
    Aug 2, 2018
    9
    this game is a definition of "underrated". the story is a masterpiece . the gameplay is not that bad. its playable.
  12. Fault-boy
    Jul 18, 2018
    8
    Amazing story, a gameplay that almost ruins it.
    Spec Ops: The Line falls short in it's gameplay, although not entirely unoriginal (sand mechanics and fake grenades were interesting at least) feels generic and rough to play.
    The plot is completely apart of the gameplay in terms of quality, although not perfect as many say, is an engaging and involving military tale, which is presented    Amazing story, a gameplay that almost ruins it.
    Spec Ops: The Line falls short in it's gameplay, although not entirely unoriginal (sand mechanics and fake grenades were interesting at least) feels generic and rough to play.
    The plot is completely apart of the gameplay in terms of quality, although not perfect as many say, is an engaging and involving military tale, which is presented with a rare maturity seen in games.    … Expand
  13. abidincavus
    Jul 14, 2018
    9
    bir TPS oyuna göre aşırı iyi bir senaryosu var. hem oynanış olarak hem senaryo olarak çok iyi.
  14. Gugul
    Jul 12, 2018
    10
    At first, this game may seem like a generic TPS-Gears of War-like
    But its main point is based on a campaign unlike all the other indistinguishible shooters in the market.
    -You will have to trust me in this one because i dont want to tell any spoilers of the story- but its absolutely amazing, personally is the best of a modern combat ambientation, the only problem is that it is WAY too    At first, this game may seem like a generic TPS-Gears of War-like
    But its main point is based on a campaign unlike all the other indistinguishible shooters in the market.
    -You will have to trust me in this one because i dont want to tell any spoilers of the story- but its absolutely amazing, personally is the best of a modern combat ambientation, the only problem is that it is WAY too short, i completed the story in 7 hours and that kinda dissapointed me, but thats the only trouble with this game
    Many people complain about the gameplay, that its generic and doesnt bring something else to the genre, but its absolutelly justificated to kill everyone in the stage because this game is about the repercussions of war and making the player feel like they are criminals and thats enough reason to let pass the lack of innovation.
    This game can seem a little expensive for a 7 hours experience and a multiplayer which no one is playing because is absolute trash, but i find myself repeating this game over and over again just for the story at the point that i have 50 hours of gameplay.
    If you think games should be respected and manufactured as art, this game is for you
    If not, you can still buy it because its fun to play and -at least on PC- has pretty good graphics and performance    … Expand
  15. Diegochocho
    Jul 5, 2018
    8
    Al principio me aburría este juego, pero a medida que ibas pasando la historia se volvía mucho mejor, y ese final POR DIOOOOOS!!!
  16. LoletinAlexis
    Jun 3, 2018
    8
    A story that hurts, that transmits, that makes you feel what the real and horrible war is. It's that story that you'll rarely see in a video game, because it's a story that stabs you.
  17. davekinf
    May 20, 2018
    8
    I am able to say it is one of the shooters that i enjoy playing the campaing more than the multiplayer.
  18. Interpol_kun
    May 14, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The end of this game blew up my mind, the story is the most bright example that you shouldn't justify yourself. A very good story, exotic setting, but not so good gameplay. Anyway, the story is so original for such a mass genre as a shooter that I will give it a fair 10.… Expand
  19. KARF4GEN
    May 11, 2018
    9
    Если пережить коробочное управление и не терять нити повествования, можно понять - это восхитительный шутер с глубочайшим сюжетом.
    Война меняет людей, но еще сильнее меняет людей желания остаться на ней не убийцей, а героем.
    Поиграете поймете, о чем я говорю..    Если пережить коробочное управление и не терять нити повествования, можно понять - это восхитительный шутер с глубочайшим сюжетом.
    Война меняет людей, но еще сильнее меняет людей желания остаться на ней не убийцей, а героем.
    Поиграете поймете, о чем я говорю..
  20. moistcake123
    May 2, 2018
    10
    Very few games have achieved the level of mind **** that Spec Ops: The Line has.

    From a gameplay perspective, it's a very basic cover based 3rd-person shooter. The gameplay is purposely boring, almost even a chore at times, but it's all to convey the fantastic story and themes. Spec Ops wants you to think about why you enjoy killing virtual people, it wants you to consider if your    Very few games have achieved the level of mind **** that Spec Ops: The Line has.

    From a gameplay perspective, it's a very basic cover based 3rd-person shooter. The gameplay is purposely boring, almost even a chore at times, but it's all to convey the fantastic story and themes. Spec Ops wants you to think about why you enjoy killing virtual people, it wants you to consider if your actions are forced by the gameplay or out of your own choice. It does these things better than any other game I've seen.

    Length wise: it is pretty short. Playing on the normal difficulty I was able to beat it in 4 hours. Though it has some good replay value, with 4 different endings and plenty of choice driven sections. Additionally there are a small amount of collectibles that are worth searching for that add to the extremely interesting world Spec Ops has built.

    I would highly recommend picking this game up if you're even the slightest bit interested. A must buy if it's on sale. You are doing yourself a disservice by not playing this game.    … Expand
  21. Jucarock
    Apr 28, 2018
    8
    When i was playing this game, it was just a normal game. But I kept observing the things written on the walls, the images and I knew there was something wrong there, but I did not know what it was. The gameplay is normal, is a good shooter. Graphics is good too, but the story... You MUST to play by the story, my friends.
  22. Lionhearted
    Mar 31, 2018
    6
    I wanted this game since release in 2012, since I had heard rave reviews from Extra credits. And honestly it wasn't bad after finally receiving a free version from Humble Bundle. The controls really weren't that bad, the gameplay was fair, if not redundant for the most part. My contention however is the story being a load of contrived garbage. at first I was all in with the sotry and II wanted this game since release in 2012, since I had heard rave reviews from Extra credits. And honestly it wasn't bad after finally receiving a free version from Humble Bundle. The controls really weren't that bad, the gameplay was fair, if not redundant for the most part. My contention however is the story being a load of contrived garbage. at first I was all in with the sotry and I knew there would be a twist having heard a little about the outline/plot. But what was supposed to make this game exceptional was it's self examination, not just about 'war is bad' but also you as a player feeling uncomfortable actually playing the game.

    But I didn't feel that at all, I felt nothing post the unfortunate accident because the choices were entirely forced. that works for movies sure, but not for games which need agency, no matter good the story is it destroys the the interplay to force such contrivances on the player.
    So, guilt free I felt cheated of my time. In fact the only point that game me pause at all wa sa portion the openly asked me if I was having a good time murdering Americans>>
    that in an of itself was an interesting thought to ponder for juxtaposition, but the central theme of the game I feel failed to deliver an adult conversation. It honestly felt like a childish attempt to 'catch' me enjoying murder and then going 'Aha! don't you feel ackwardly ashamed... but I don't and when confront by this idea of murdering for fun, I came to the identical conclusion as the main character except with less autonomy (there were zero options to continue watching the game story unfold than to plod along in a another narrowly focused game design) than the game personality I was pigeonholed into an inescapable narrative, that had nothing to do with me. E for effort I guess. How about a 6 out of 10 for bang up game design other than story.    … Expand
  23. iddqd4
    Mar 19, 2018
    8
    Фактически игровая версия кинофильма Апокалипсис сегодня, Копполы. Сюжет на высоте, стрельба стандартная. Декорации отличные.
  24. RustyCoin
    Feb 25, 2018
    10
    This game is masterpiece. Absolutely one of the best stories that PC game have ever offered. It's so immersive, it's so damn good. Yes, there is some downsides - one of them is the gameplay, which personally for me isn't a problem actually, but for some people are, cause it's call of duty-ish (only in third person) gameplay, where your group of three people goes into the warzone, stands upThis game is masterpiece. Absolutely one of the best stories that PC game have ever offered. It's so immersive, it's so damn good. Yes, there is some downsides - one of them is the gameplay, which personally for me isn't a problem actually, but for some people are, cause it's call of duty-ish (only in third person) gameplay, where your group of three people goes into the warzone, stands up against the whole army and kills all of 'em, but I find it pretty fun and quite challenging on fubar difficulty. Other minus is that there is no Anti-aliasing option in-game, but that's not a big problem too cause it can be solved quickly with Nvidia Inspector. In conclusion, this product is definitely worth buying, even in 2018, only for the storyline itself, because I'm telling you, the plot twist in this game is outstanding. One of the best PC games I have ever played.… Expand
  25. SuperBoi22
    Feb 15, 2018
    10
    To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless.
  26. TheBabyBuster
    Feb 5, 2018
    8
    It's been nearly six entire years since the release of this game, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, I don't blame myself or anyone for looking past this game, this game came out when there was a flood of modern shooters with generic story lines.

    Something that keeps Spec Ops fresh is the twists and turns the main character goes through, and the questions he's asking himself and    It's been nearly six entire years since the release of this game, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, I don't blame myself or anyone for looking past this game, this game came out when there was a flood of modern shooters with generic story lines.

    Something that keeps Spec Ops fresh is the twists and turns the main character goes through, and the questions he's asking himself and you inevitably will be asking yourself nearing the twelfth chapter.

    The story is told through the perspective of a captain leading his squad of three on a rescue mission that quickly gets thrown off course and sets the mood for the rest of the game. The banter between the three characters is never really repetitive or annoying, but it gets to the point where you'd just like them to not have to comment on everything.

    The weapon selection isn't the greatest but I never found myself deviating far from the M4, as it was the most reliable (not that it would have really mattered), but if you do find yourself getting tired of using the same gun over and over, there is definitely a replacement just around the next corner, or checkpoint.

    The game play while not the best does a very stand up job keeping you satisfied with every click of the mouse, and every stroke of the keys (the key mapping was kind of terrible), I never once had trouble with the camera looking where I didn't want it, or my character going a way I didn't intend for him to go.

    while this game is short coming in with a whopping fifteen chapters, each being about twenty to forty minutes in length, this game is perfect for the price you'll find on steam during one of the many sales.    … Expand
  27. ave
    Feb 3, 2018
    9
    "You brought this on yourself" - Truth is, I wouldn't have played Spec Ops: The Line if I hadn't heard about what makes it unique in the shooter realm.

    In a nutshell, it's a third-person shooter set in Dubaï that starts as your everday-shooter... and ends up being a political, social and cultural commentary on war, heroism and videogames - and this last one is the strongest achievement    "You brought this on yourself" - Truth is, I wouldn't have played Spec Ops: The Line if I hadn't heard about what makes it unique in the shooter realm.

    In a nutshell, it's a third-person shooter set in Dubaï that starts as your everday-shooter... and ends up being a political, social and cultural commentary on war, heroism and videogames - and this last one is the strongest achievement of Spec Ops: The Line.

    Both the gameplay and the story are in service of the theme of the game, obviously borrowed from Hearts of Darkness.

    Aside of the super-obvious sequences that puts the theme "in your face", I invite you to appreciate the more subtle work on the verticality of level design, the writing of the lines, and also the evolution of certains ingame mechanics.

    Can't really say more without spoiling too much of it.    … Expand
  28. RZ_29
    Feb 2, 2018
    10
    I had to stop gaming for about a week after finishing Spec Ops The Line, just to think about what I had accomplished.
  29. CenkAlp
    Jan 3, 2018
    8
    Hikaye = 9
    Oynanış = 8
    Grafikler = 8
    Sesler = 7
    Keyif = 7
    Atmosfer = 8
    Süre = 7
  30. trikitronix
    Dec 6, 2017
    10
    Great game. I liked it a lot when i played some years ago, and re-discovering it now in 4K.

    This game in 4K as absolutely amazing, is like having a new game for sure.
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Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best PC Game of 2012
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 13, 2012
    80
    Spec Ops: The Line tries new and interesting ground on storytelling, but falls short on the action department. Still, it's worth playing through for the atmosphere and few different endings alone. [Aug 2012]
  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    89
    Were it not for some technical issues and console-related shortcomings (gamepad controls and no anti-aliasing), Spec Ops: The Line would be one of the best games for 2012. But, things being as they are, it remains merely a diamond in the rough, destined for wicked crazy status within the following years. Definitely superior to the related series of Kane & Lynch, it proves that, with a steady vision and soul, a genre so clichéd like military shooters, can not only surprise us pleasantly, but totally overwhelm us. [August 2012]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Aug 10, 2012
    70
    Expectations were greater than game could have achieved. Yet the new Spec Ops game is a good excuse to stay home and play. [Issue#220]
See all critic reviews »