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. malexe
    Jan 3, 2013
    8
    Pretty good short Single Player experience. I had one or two laughs but this game is mostly very dark, people die and cry, and mostly it's because of your actions. That's also why I liked this game, you are no hero just a soldier in war.
  2. frast
    Oct 6, 2012
    8
    It is rare that the game sucked so plot, atmosphere. It is rare that a choice in the game a long time and then we wonder so regret your choice. Really great atmosphere and feelings that accompany the game. It is true that the gameplay itself is not a medal, and the game could be made ​​better, then it is a good fun game that is worth playing. My Rating - 7.5 / 10
  3. Soturi
    Nov 6, 2012
    8
    The Line isn't for the most fanatic arcade shooters, but it is not meant to be. It has little bit better tha average 3rd person cover shooter mechanics and makes up it weaknesses with superb story telling (even though loading screen "motivation" texts little bit kills the mood. Game looks nice and isn't too shiny which supports the story. Enemy AI works well enough but your own companionsThe Line isn't for the most fanatic arcade shooters, but it is not meant to be. It has little bit better tha average 3rd person cover shooter mechanics and makes up it weaknesses with superb story telling (even though loading screen "motivation" texts little bit kills the mood. Game looks nice and isn't too shiny which supports the story. Enemy AI works well enough but your own companions are suicidal if ordered to do anything else than snipe or take out enemy's strongpoint.… Expand
  4. PlayerReview
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    Mature single player game with fantastic smooth graphics and unique shooter gameplay. We need more shooters like this and less of the same old formula other companies are churning out. For a shooter with a story, albeit a dark one, look no further than Spec Ops:The Line.
  5. Predatorium
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    This is a game that once you've finished it the first time, you will not want to play again because you won't feel good about the killing anymore. So zero replay value due to the emotional effect it has on you. But, that first time through, damn what an experience. It's like a really good, horrifying war movie. If it was a movie you could watch it over and over because you are not the oneThis is a game that once you've finished it the first time, you will not want to play again because you won't feel good about the killing anymore. So zero replay value due to the emotional effect it has on you. But, that first time through, damn what an experience. It's like a really good, horrifying war movie. If it was a movie you could watch it over and over because you are not the one pulling the trigger. However in the game it is you and the game forces you to make your character do things you don't want him to do. You want to tell your character, "don't do this".… Expand
  6. skulltac
    Aug 30, 2012
    8
    I found this game to be very good. The story was incredible and the gunplay was decent. The game is pretty short though which is pretty unfortunate. I believe that the game should've been released for like 40 or 30 dollars with no multiplayer and it would be much better.
  7. nexxuno
    Jul 15, 2012
    8
    Nice atmosphere adn plot. Shootouts are somewhat fresh and fun. Characters are good. Graphically is more than decent with some great spots. It made me think about heart of darkness in modern times... Overall a solid quality game. 8.
  8. Undersky
    May 6, 2013
    8
    Very fun game, great history, keeps you entertained, you want to keep playing to find what's coming next.

    I have no issues with gameplay, its pretty fun to me.

    Only reason I don't give a 9 or 10 is because of the miserable console port....
  9. Silverian
    Dec 28, 2012
    8
    Spec ops: The Line is a really great game if you are looking for a deep and well-told story. As a shooter it is mostly average: the controls work in most situations, there is a reasonable amount of different locations the graphics are nice although sound is a bit lacking.

    So if you are looking for a shooter and don't care about the story you will get a few hours of decent entertainment    Spec ops: The Line is a really great game if you are looking for a deep and well-told story. As a shooter it is mostly average: the controls work in most situations, there is a reasonable amount of different locations the graphics are nice although sound is a bit lacking.

    So if you are looking for a shooter and don't care about the story you will get a few hours of decent entertainment with the campaign but for you it will probably be something 5-ish.
    If you are looking for a good multiplayer experience you might just rage-quit the game and look for a way to rate it below 0.
    But if you play games mostly for their story, like I do, you will love it and for you it may very well be a 9 or 10.    … Expand
  10. dumle
    Oct 12, 2012
    8
    Spec Ops is an interesting game. Its cover-based shoot and duck gameplay works pretty well and the developers have put some interesting ideas involving sand into the game that i really enjoyed. The gameplay do have some of the issues that duck and cover games often have. Regenerated health can get really annoying, a ridiculous amount of enemies at every shoot-out room, the shooting gets aSpec Ops is an interesting game. Its cover-based shoot and duck gameplay works pretty well and the developers have put some interesting ideas involving sand into the game that i really enjoyed. The gameplay do have some of the issues that duck and cover games often have. Regenerated health can get really annoying, a ridiculous amount of enemies at every shoot-out room, the shooting gets a little bit repetitive after a while. Despite this i would say that the gameplay is pretty good, but that is not where the game shines. What makes this game shine is its story and atmosphere and how the game presents them. Spec ops has a very unique story and a very unique way of presenting it. The games story and presentation is just amazing and something that i have never seen in a military shooter before and i wholeheartedly recommend this game for every shooter enthusiast out there simple for the games narrative.… Expand
  11. medical_dom
    Jan 10, 2013
    8
    Bought the game after reviews talked about its involving storyline and controversial nature.
    The gameplay is so, so not as slick as COD or BF titles but adequately playable.
    The strength of this game is in the story and the transition of the mental state of the characters and how involved you feel in the decisions you have to make, It is refreshing for someone to take a more    Bought the game after reviews talked about its involving storyline and controversial nature.
    The gameplay is so, so not as slick as COD or BF titles but adequately playable.

    The strength of this game is in the story and the transition of the mental state of the characters and how involved you feel in the decisions you have to make,

    It is refreshing for someone to take a more realistic look at war and its impact.    … Expand
  12. piccina808
    Aug 4, 2012
    8
    Superb story that develops overtime, characters that you grow to love, one of the rare games I will remember for a long time. You get really committed to the story that on several occasions I was really disturbed and upset. Thing that I didn't like are controls, a bit clunky, and when push comes to shove, they will probably bail on you and you will die, a lot. No worries, story will pushSuperb story that develops overtime, characters that you grow to love, one of the rare games I will remember for a long time. You get really committed to the story that on several occasions I was really disturbed and upset. Thing that I didn't like are controls, a bit clunky, and when push comes to shove, they will probably bail on you and you will die, a lot. No worries, story will push you to keep going. About lack of choices, there are some, not that major, but this isn't rpg, you know what you are getting, and probably will get more.… Expand
  13. Harumpel
    Dec 30, 2012
    8
    The most remarkable thing about this game is its truly dark story and its high level of unnecessary violence. I thought it would be a straight shooter game, but the "Apocalypse Now" - like story added greatly to the gaming experience, although I don't like things that brutal. The setting of post-apocalyptic Dubai is rather unique and interesting. The opponent A.I. is rather bad andThe most remarkable thing about this game is its truly dark story and its high level of unnecessary violence. I thought it would be a straight shooter game, but the "Apocalypse Now" - like story added greatly to the gaming experience, although I don't like things that brutal. The setting of post-apocalyptic Dubai is rather unique and interesting. The opponent A.I. is rather bad and predictable, controls are also bad. Overall I give it an 8 because it was an enjoyable experience and well worth the money.… Expand
  14. Pegula
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    Masterpiece.

    You don't believe me?

    Try it.

    ...and then come back here to talk...

    The story is something you find once in a hundred of today games.

    The gameplay feels nice and it maybe take some time to settle in but when it does you'll be poppin heads.

    Visually - great. Graphics can stay shoulder to shoulder with the games from 2014 and style and colors are just swesome.
  15. zto101
    May 6, 2013
    9
    Simply an amazing game. Spec Ops: The Line offers high end, fast paced action game play to the player. If you're in it for the story, then this game will give it to you. If you're in it for the game play and mechanics, well...then this is just your average shooter. Overall, I'd say stick to enjoying the story line. It clearly shows that the devs have put a lot of time and effort intoSimply an amazing game. Spec Ops: The Line offers high end, fast paced action game play to the player. If you're in it for the story, then this game will give it to you. If you're in it for the game play and mechanics, well...then this is just your average shooter. Overall, I'd say stick to enjoying the story line. It clearly shows that the devs have put a lot of time and effort into crafting such an intense story. It really hits you in the gut at some points in the game. It is not for the weak hearted because there are a lot of disturbing elements that drive you to the edge of your seat. (I won't give any spoilers however).

    As for the game play mechanics, it may not be the best engine used in the world, giving it's only unreal 3, but it is your average low end 'Gears of War' or Ghost Recon Future Soldier.' Main guns are typically the ones used in every military shooter, but why else must you complain? It's post apocalyptic modern military warfare. All in all, great game for what it is. Definitely worth a shot playing it. It will surely leave you questioning, what you just played.    … Expand
  16. TycoonXD
    Nov 6, 2012
    8
    Although Spec Ops does not recreate the genre it adds some new things to it:
    First of all: The Story! What starts like generic war story in Dubai turns out to be a moving history about the bad and awful sides of war that games like Battlefield and CoD tend to forget. We get to see how the protagonists suffer from the terrible events they go through. And let me tell you this, there are    Although Spec Ops does not recreate the genre it adds some new things to it:
    First of all: The Story! What starts like generic war story in Dubai turns out to be a moving history about the bad and awful sides of war that games like Battlefield and CoD tend to forget. We get to see how the protagonists suffer from the terrible events they go through. And let me tell you this, there are plenty!
    Secondly : The Atmosphere: The game has a very emerging atmoshpere that draggs you right into to the action.
    Thridly: The Sound: The weapons and the screams of your enemies sound all pretty good.
    The generell gameplay is pretty standart solid thirdpersone shooter stuff.

    So as I said at the beginning Spec Ops does not revolutionize the genre BUT it tries to go new ways in storytelling and that is its strengh. At the end of the campain I sat in front of my PC staring at the screen and asking myself what I have done. Because there is no good or bad, it's only bad or worst.
    If you want something new try it...and don't try the demo it's terrible!    … Expand
  17. Dementing
    Dec 5, 2012
    8
    This was a good game, though it could have been a bit better. The story was there, as long as you can draw the line between fantasy and reality. If you can't do that, keep on browsing for a different game. If you can do that, then you will get to the game play. It is a bit sloppy, but all in all if you are careful, it is possible to actually like it. Not the greatest game out there, but itThis was a good game, though it could have been a bit better. The story was there, as long as you can draw the line between fantasy and reality. If you can't do that, keep on browsing for a different game. If you can do that, then you will get to the game play. It is a bit sloppy, but all in all if you are careful, it is possible to actually like it. Not the greatest game out there, but it is solid.… Expand
  18. Eglin
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    I haven't tried the multiplayer or co-op campaigns, but the single-player campaign in Spec Ops: The Line is wonderful. The graphics are quite good, the story is amazing, the sounds are convincing, the controls are solid, and the weapons feel really powerful and are a pleasure to shoot. I understand that Call of Duty and its clones are falling out of fashion, but in terms of single-playerI haven't tried the multiplayer or co-op campaigns, but the single-player campaign in Spec Ops: The Line is wonderful. The graphics are quite good, the story is amazing, the sounds are convincing, the controls are solid, and the weapons feel really powerful and are a pleasure to shoot. I understand that Call of Duty and its clones are falling out of fashion, but in terms of single-player this is a pretty good CoD clone and well worth checking out.… Expand
  19. sayedstafa
    Feb 19, 2013
    8
    This game is worth playing for the story. If you can get this game for a few dollars, play it on easy mode and you can blast through the campaign in about 4 hours. But it's definitely worth experiencing. Gameplay is nothing special but they definitely got a great story in this game.
  20. behastie
    Aug 23, 2013
    10
    I shat bricks. Every developer should take note of this game. It changed the way first person shooters are judged as a whole. Just a heads up, this game is much more violent than the average 3rd person shooter (which is saying something).
  21. Akichi
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    This is not a game you will play to have fun.

    This is not a game you will play to feel good.

    This is not a game you will play to be a hero.

    This is a game you will play to see war as the hell it is

    This is a game you will play to see exactly how screwed up modern military games are.

    This is a game you will play for the same reason you would play a horror game.
  22. willza99
    May 4, 2013
    10
    In a field overly saturated how does one shooter stand out against another? In Spec Ops The Line the addictive story is what makes it stand out above the rest. Too long have I been bombarded with over the top cool ads for the latest Call of Duty Zombie Warfare 10 with extra death on the side, it’s all too much. I don’t pretend that CoD 4 didn’t in some way however small or largeIn a field overly saturated how does one shooter stand out against another? In Spec Ops The Line the addictive story is what makes it stand out above the rest. Too long have I been bombarded with over the top cool ads for the latest Call of Duty Zombie Warfare 10 with extra death on the side, it’s all too much. I don’t pretend that CoD 4 didn’t in some way however small or large revolutionise or more rather galvanise the market, I’d be a fool to deny that since CoD 4 I have noticed a large increase in the amount of shooter’s, which isn’t necessarily good for Gaming in general. If we want to be taken as serious people with a love of a hobby we shouldn’t turn to behemoths such as CoD where human beings are ripped up with machine gun fire and dismembered with motor fire. Such games are the Fast Food equivalent of the Games industry, sure it may be nice but it’s not good for you and it lacks sufficient sustenance.
    However as I said Spec Ops The Line manages to keep above the tidal wave of, when you actually think about it, poorly written games or just straight up plain violence for violence sake. For me Spec Ops The Line asked one major question and its one that has been rattling around my brain when it comes to shooter’s: How do you live with the actions you take?
    It’s interesting, think about most of the games that are sold en mass to the general market, not the people who have a love and passion for games who dig deep to find that one indie game that speaks volumes to them. No, I mean the incredibly popular mainstream titles where, if you dare to go online, you get abused by Bro’s or a 12 year old with a surprisingly colourful vocabulary. So with those games in mind, I’ve often thought these are characters that are, I imagine in some cases, loved. These are men that shoot and kill vast amounts of people and overcome incredible odds and they just shrug it off. These are meant to be people with real feelings and emotions, not blank, impersonal drones with a gun in hand.
    Spec Ops The Line follows 3 men as they are sent into Dubai to find an old friend of the protagonist who was originally sent in to evacuate survivors of a terrible storm that ravaged Dubai’s beautiful landscape and skyline. You play Captain Walker a man with a mysterious past in Kabul where he met your target Konrad, a celebrated War Hero. Through some initially confusing story you begin to discover what happened here in Dubai, all is not well as 2 factions’ war it out against each other (and you) and through it all a crazed DJ plays tracks like its Vietnam 2.
    Even in a linear game such as SOTL it offers choices to the player, choices that at the end are reflected upon and for good reason, because of the question it askes. How do these men whose jobs are to kill upon command survive what they encounter, or even do they? The player gets a feel for how maybe the command you’re given isn’t the command that you should carry out, this becomes especially clear as you progress through the game and through the actions you make. It is because of the actions you make and how you’re 2 man squad reacts that give the player a true immersion, on a personal note I had to pause the game at several crucial moments to decide what I should do, is there a right and wrong here? Does the easy way ever meet with the right way of doing things?
    If like me you get swooped up in the story you may find the loading screens become more eerie. It’s one of the many minor things that I love about this game and that is the game itself askes questions of you and prompts you with things like “Can you even remember why you came here?” “You are still a good person” “Do you feel like a hero yet?” and also “This is all your fault”. People have incorrectly called this taunting, but I feel it’s supposed to make you think about not necessarily the genre of games that people just seem to buy into but also the real life actions of people who do this and as a result end up with PTSD.
    Now I’ve love to say more, it’s been a while since I’ve played a game and truly couldn’t get enough of it, and with a story that has many layers and possible choices to take, it’s definitely worthy of more than one play through, but I feel if I write much more I’d give away some major points.
    A little tip though, if you want the most from the game, unlock the FUBAR setting (never has this acronym felt so appropriate) and play through it, sure it’s harder but as I just said, the loading screens can get eerie and give you some sort of insight. Now I’m off to play some more. Cheers for reading.
    Cheers for reading, for more reviews see willza99.wordpress.com    … Expand
  23. Gogoud
    Aug 13, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It has some unique storytelling elements which I have not yet seen in any game so far. Spec Ops: the line does throw some scenarios which really makes the player feel bad about himself.

    An example of this scenario was when I was looking down at running soldiers, trying to sprint away from the bullets which I and my companions were haling down onto them. They just ran, for their lives. They did not try to stop me, fight me or otherwise hinder me. They just ran. This left me feeling bad about myself, unethical in a way, to shoot people who just are scared.

    The games way of throwing these scenarios at the player is the strongest point in the game. The game does not stop, it just continues like nothing. If you accidentally shoot a running civilian, fine, the game does not pause, does not give you a "game over" status, it just continues, but it left me feeling bad, almost dirty.

    Dialogue is, meh. It gets to many thrown in the soup sometimes. However the conflict between the players two sidekicks are sometimes interesting.

    Controls are broken. It becomes clear that this is a lousy PC-Port. The developers decided to bind several functions to one button. While this is logical on a controller there is no reason to do this on a pc.
    Clunky is the word to describe it. I got me killed a couple of times.

    The graphics are impressive, which is to be expected from an UE3 game. It is not bad looking at all, but it is neither as good as the very top of some other games like Crysis or Metro: last light.
    Most impressive is the sandstorms who occasionally whips up tons of sand around the player, obscuring his/hers vision.

    If the graphics are good, the gameplay itself is not. Combine weak AI (standard rush to death pattern), uninteresting guns, bad controls and one or two to many office-buildings to traverse, it is monotonous and repetitive.

    What really grinds me is how the developers are using scripted-events a little to often.

    On one scenario I am walking through a huge pile of dead people, and the restrict my movement for no good reason. It is like they are trying to say

    "Look how horrible this is"

    Well, I could find that out myself, thanks.

    Spec ops: the line sure has its great moments, but it is never fun to play it.
    It has interesting ideas, and executes those well, but otherwise, it fails.    … Expand
  24. Aquagrunt
    Oct 5, 2013
    10
    One of the best modern shooters to come out this year, The plot is constantly keeping you guessing and the ending is very mind blowing. I expected this to be a general modern FPS but it completely blew away my expectations. Very well done.
  25. Yakinrossa
    Jun 9, 2013
    8
    Didn't play many TPS games before..so the gameplay and the control of this game seemed OK to me..I don't know whether it was too bad or not comparing to other games..but Gears of War is better than this one..However, the plot of this game is absolutely outstanding..Want to know what will you become in some extreme situations such as in a war? Play this one..
  26. MrJagermeister
    Jul 28, 2013
    6
    When you go into the menu screen of spec ops the line you think that you are going to experience a very typical MMS. Patriotic American music, near post apocolipticish, and shooting brown people. But, you soon find that this is not a typical MMS. It is much darker. The game has a very dark story line about rouge 33rd battalion of US soldiers killing civilians in Dubai after a sand storm.When you go into the menu screen of spec ops the line you think that you are going to experience a very typical MMS. Patriotic American music, near post apocolipticish, and shooting brown people. But, you soon find that this is not a typical MMS. It is much darker. The game has a very dark story line about rouge 33rd battalion of US soldiers killing civilians in Dubai after a sand storm. You are a group of three men trying to rescue the civilians but by doing so you need to kill you own men, and the game makes you feel bad for it. Also, in one mission, you have to use napalm on the 33rd's soldiers because you would die if you didn't. But it turns out they were trying to help civilians and in bombing them you bomb innocent civilians. The game then makes you go and look at their mangled up burn corpses. I won't go any further as I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

    Spec Ops: The Line is a game you experience rather than enjoy. If you enjoy this game you are most likely a psychopath and need to go and see a doctor.

    Actual gameplay.

    The gameplay in Spec ops: The Line is typical of any other shooter and lets the game down in many ways. Also the mouse acceleration is infuriating to the extent that I actually had to switch to an Xbox pad.    … Expand
  27. why_go_there
    Aug 11, 2013
    10
    Many games try to capture what it's like for soldiers on the battlefield but most fail utterly, this game does it spectacularly, along with awesome graphics and good game play mechanics this is highly recommended
  28. charmer
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    Spec Ops: the Line really is something else but it mimics the mainstream mechanics so well that many players mistook it for yet another CoD clone and a below-average one at that gameplay-wise.

    My opinion is a little biased because I've never played any Call of Duty, Battlefield, Army of Two, or other war simulators so many rehashed mechanics were quite new to me and I couldn't complain    Spec Ops: the Line really is something else but it mimics the mainstream mechanics so well that many players mistook it for yet another CoD clone and a below-average one at that gameplay-wise.

    My opinion is a little biased because I've never played any Call of Duty, Battlefield, Army of Two, or other war simulators so many rehashed mechanics were quite new to me and I couldn't complain about the graphics either. But the beef of the game is not it's technical side, it's the storyline, the atmosphere, and the narrative.

    I can confirm that SO:tL really is quite engaging but often simply not fun, curiously enough. While you explore the beautifully designed environments, the constant slaughter overlaid by a perfectly-fitting yet weirdly presented (via in-game radio broadcasting) soundtrack leaves you with the feeling that something is very off. For a good portion of the game you battle different people but you don't really know who they are. Then you realize that you don't really know why you're fighting them. Everything goes so weird that you don't really know why you do what you do and start wondering if the choices you make are really there or the game just drags you along to prove a point. Even the loading tips start changing slowly but surely from game hints to... something else.

    The ending is close to flawless. I was not only surprised but also relieved that there really was a good reason for all the weirdness. SO:tL represents an excellent achievement through the combination of its setting, storyline, voice acting, graphics, mechanics, and atmosphere. It will keep you guessing, taking away the fun from the gameplay while holding you until the end. Or at least that happened to me and I fully appreciated it.

    Give this game a shot, it might change your perception of the whole genre more than its technically superior counterparts ever could.    … Expand
  29. jtloug
    Sep 25, 2013
    10
    THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT. If you want a 3rd person shooter with great gameplay, mechanics, and an online experience play Gears of War. This game is all about the story, while GoW has a great story line, it does not leave you floored and questioning life, mortality, and morality quite like Spec Ops does. if you call yourself a gamer of any genre, this is a MUST; if you're an PvP bro,THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT. If you want a 3rd person shooter with great gameplay, mechanics, and an online experience play Gears of War. This game is all about the story, while GoW has a great story line, it does not leave you floored and questioning life, mortality, and morality quite like Spec Ops does. if you call yourself a gamer of any genre, this is a MUST; if you're an PvP bro, leave it alone.… Expand
  30. sallu
    Oct 8, 2013
    10
    suprb .........best gameplay best graphic best story line .........best third person shooter after long time.......max wepon choice .....and gameplay is some what gears of war..
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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 »