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. UndeadSoldier11
    Mar 4, 2014
    8
    8.2/10
    + Interesting Story
    + Amazing writing/script + Great Characters and Nice Character Development + Engaging story that makes you feel emotionally involved + You make decisions that affect outcomes + Great Twist at the end + Nice use of environments in play + Different locations throughout Dubai that all are interesting - Some "choices" seem like you actually have no control    8.2/10
    + Interesting Story
    + Amazing writing/script
    + Great Characters and Nice Character Development
    + Engaging story that makes you feel emotionally involved
    + You make decisions that affect outcomes
    + Great Twist at the end
    + Nice use of environments in play
    + Different locations throughout Dubai that all are interesting

    - Some "choices" seem like you actually have no control
    - Nothing new with gameplay (Generic Third Person Shooter Gameplay)
    - Some controls were frustrating (ex. X [Gamepad] was used to get to cover AND to run)

    Overall Spec Ops: The Line was an interesting and engaging interactive cinematic experience. Spec Ops had the story of a big budget Hollywood action movie, but also had the familiar third person shooter in it. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what happens next. At some parts Specs Ops was just another grindfest, but then again what shooter today isn't? Spec Ops did not have a huge selection of guns, which did not hurt the game at all. Instead of looking for the coolest weapon, you were looking for weapons to help you clear the level so you could find out what happens next.

    In conclusion Spec Ops: The Line is a great game that should not be missed out on due to the new emotional and mental take on war. The game will rank up there with my favorite games that would make me want to play again, to play the many different ending.

    P.S. The graphics for this game was pretty okay, nothing fancy, but nothing terrible. I put this at the end of my review as to not get this confused with pluses and minuses. I would NEVER include graphics as a means of judging a game.    … Expand
  2. RodionMalkov
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    Пожалуй самый лучший шутер в который я играл. Прошёл игру за 7 часов с 2 подходов.

    + Графика
    + Геймплей
    + СЮЖЕТ!
    + Дубай
    + Нет минусов за который можно зацепится

    Советую всем поиграть, не пожалеете
    Ставлю: 10/10
  3. riikcarvalho
    Jan 24, 2014
    9
    Story: 10 (or more)
    Gameplay: 9,5
    Graphics: 9,5.

    It's a general FPS gameplay, but the story it is the best that I've seen. Deserves a higher score.
  4. Resplendent
    Jan 5, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Do not play this expecting anything great. Repetitive, tedious gameplay is a series of tightly enclosed shooting arenas strung together by a story that at least tries to be different from your average COD-BF-War-Campaign. That said, inconsistencies in how it is presented gave me a headache. Do my choices matter? Do I actually even have choices? The answer to both of those questions is unfortunately- No. Giving players the illusion of choice is frankly annoying, especially when the character I play is then berated for going through with what the writers forced him to do anyway. The main character/anti-hero seems to be completely incompetent at his job, and his lack of imagination is constantly demonstrated by his rationalizing at his supposed lack of options, which are rigidly enforced as we, the players, sit through as he bumbles his way through massacring what seems to be the majority of Dubai. I really have a hard time understanding why this is a story one would want to tell. There are plenty of situations where people are forced to make terrible choices, and war is an obvious way to highlight that. Unfortunately, the way that is presented here is both incredibly contrived, and frankly a bit silly. You're also left in the dark as to what exactly is happening here. What's going on with all of the sand? Why did the 33rd go crazy? Why is there no backup? Why is there suddenly tons of water at the end when we were told we'd destroyed the last of it in that long truck escape? Maybe I missed some explanation somewhere, but there's a bit too much mystery left here.

    tl;dr If you like sand, this is your game.    … Expand
  5. rohithzr
    Dec 28, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was a great experience, the story is great, i am not a hardcore gamer but i can say it is a good game.
    Spoilers: all the 4 endings are good, my first ending was to go home after epilogue, and the next was freedom to do anything. these were awesome.    … Expand
  6. kreig9
    Dec 26, 2013
    10
    Just finished playing this game. I must say, it is one of the best games I have ever played. Graphics wise, can't complain. I have seen better as well as worse.

    The storyline is just, it touching. Having family members that have gone through PTSD, and having played this game after I was done with it gave it the high praise for "hitting home" to the player. With some scenes being really    Just finished playing this game. I must say, it is one of the best games I have ever played. Graphics wise, can't complain. I have seen better as well as worse.

    The storyline is just, it touching. Having family members that have gone through PTSD, and having played this game after I was done with it gave it the high praise for "hitting home" to the player. With some scenes being really graphic, tied in with the intense firefights, makes this game, in my books, one of the best games of the year.

    The cover mechanics are a little wonky, and takes some getting used to but once you have been broken in, they will come second hand to you.

    Spec Ops: The Line is a game I would definitely recommend to my friends/family.    … Expand
  7. Renwicke
    Dec 21, 2013
    9
    This game was a pleasant surprise. The story, gameplay, character development, graphics, and decision making are great. Another hit from 2K. Highly recommend.
  8. birdman3
    Dec 11, 2013
    7
    Spec Ops is simultaneously a breath of fresh air into the 3rd person shooter genre and a exposition of what's wrong with the genre. The heavy, mental story is very appropriate and well delivered. There were a few times in the middle that I wasn't sure about what was going on, but once I got to the end, I felt satisfied by the characters and their performance. The gameplay was fairly solid,Spec Ops is simultaneously a breath of fresh air into the 3rd person shooter genre and a exposition of what's wrong with the genre. The heavy, mental story is very appropriate and well delivered. There were a few times in the middle that I wasn't sure about what was going on, but once I got to the end, I felt satisfied by the characters and their performance. The gameplay was fairly solid, although the AI was sometimes outright stupid and the controls weren't perfect. There are plenty of other reviews that can emphasize these points as well. I never played the multiplayer, so I can't comment on that. I would suggest that this game try to include more customization of characters so that the redundant levels are more fun to navigate. As it is, there's really no reason to replay the game at all, considering that the entire story is available on a Wiki.… Expand
  9. Plutarco
    Dec 6, 2013
    10
    This game shows perfectly all the brutality of war. The action is well designed and the combat parts are excellent. maybe there are too many cinematic but the game is so well developed that the player enjoys every minute of it. Nice game, I personally don't recommended for kids under 16, but for the rest it worth the purchase
  10. JePPeL
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    If you only care about gameplay, this game isn't for you. Otherwise, it's incredible, it probably has the best story I have ever seen in a game, but the gameplay can be quite frustrating to get past, as I said before, if you care about story, you should definately play this game.
    P.S. The multi-player should not be considered a part of the game, it was added by the publishers and is to    If you only care about gameplay, this game isn't for you. Otherwise, it's incredible, it probably has the best story I have ever seen in a game, but the gameplay can be quite frustrating to get past, as I said before, if you care about story, you should definately play this game.
    P.S. The multi-player should not be considered a part of the game, it was added by the publishers and is to quote one of the devs: "A cancerous growth"    … Expand
  11. Assassinreviews
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    This is a great game that many people I have talked to have loved after playing. Beware that this game has very sad moments and very emotional parts. The game has great graphics that really shows the environment around the player. This the type of game that integrates the third person with run and cover type game. Without cover you are at a disadvantage when in combat. The feature that iThis is a great game that many people I have talked to have loved after playing. Beware that this game has very sad moments and very emotional parts. The game has great graphics that really shows the environment around the player. This the type of game that integrates the third person with run and cover type game. Without cover you are at a disadvantage when in combat. The feature that i love about it is the menu, it changes the further along the game you are. The combat features are well executed.
    There are quite a lot of twists.
    I recommend this to anyone that loves shooter games.

    This is AssassinReviews,
    Thanks for reading :D    … Expand
  12. kharnevil
    Nov 18, 2013
    3
    While it's mediocre third person action fest albeit with some gorgeous set pieces with a soundtrack of Alice in Chains. Björk The Black Angels, Black Mountain, Deep Purple, Inner Circle's, Jimi Hendrix, Martha and the Vandellas Mogwai, Nine Inch Nails and Giuseppe Verdi helps a lot to compensate
  13. 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.
  14. SanS
    Nov 11, 2013
    9
    10/10 for story,here your actions doesn't always result in saving the world, actually it may end up the other way .Very minimal characters but deep. Game-play is like many other shooters you have played.THE IMPORTANT thing is, don't judge it after first few minutes of game-play. The real proclaimed depth of story begins afterwards, it become darker and darker with progression.Play it for10/10 for story,here your actions doesn't always result in saving the world, actually it may end up the other way .Very minimal characters but deep. Game-play is like many other shooters you have played.THE IMPORTANT thing is, don't judge it after first few minutes of game-play. The real proclaimed depth of story begins afterwards, it become darker and darker with progression.Play it for the story( it questions your conscience many times).Highly recommended.… Expand
  15. HazeSpire
    Nov 2, 2013
    10
    Great graphics with attention to detail (debris, dust, particles, fire, dirt, light), changing appearance of the PCs. Great voice over all voices are spot on, dialogs are very good, soldier chatter and yelling fits the action on the screen. Shooting is very satisfactory. Very interesting plot, grim mood. Awesome music (shooting to the disco music FTW) the music itself makes me want toGreat graphics with attention to detail (debris, dust, particles, fire, dirt, light), changing appearance of the PCs. Great voice over all voices are spot on, dialogs are very good, soldier chatter and yelling fits the action on the screen. Shooting is very satisfactory. Very interesting plot, grim mood. Awesome music (shooting to the disco music FTW) the music itself makes me want to play it again. I don't know where the opinion of a mediocre game comes from Spec Ops should have a place among the best games of this generation, not be pushed aside. I strongly recommend you to play this game if you like TPP shooters and/or games with good plot.… Expand
  16. JohnHeatz
    Oct 26, 2013
    8
    Spec Ops: The Line takes you to a war zone in Dubai, where you take the place of Captain Martin Walker, who is accompanied by his Delta team: Lieutenant Alphonso Adams and Sargent John Lugo, team that goes to Dubai in order to bring Colonel John Konrad back to the U.S.

    During this story, you'll face a lot of difficult decisions, which will put your morals in play, "should I kill a    Spec Ops: The Line takes you to a war zone in Dubai, where you take the place of Captain Martin Walker, who is accompanied by his Delta team: Lieutenant Alphonso Adams and Sargent John Lugo, team that goes to Dubai in order to bring Colonel John Konrad back to the U.S.

    During this story, you'll face a lot of difficult decisions, which will put your morals in play, "should I kill a civilian over a colleague from the army?" "Should I take revenge?" and it is all up to you, and your choices will decide how each "level" of the game goes, not significantly, but it'll change depending on your decisions.

    If you like to get completely into a masterly crafted storyline, you definitely must play this game.    … Expand
  17. Stefanfr15
    Oct 20, 2013
    8
    This game... this game...

    If you want to know what really happens during a war, play this game. Don't play the latest Call of Duty and think that is what happens during a war, this game shows you exactly what happens... and the consequences of war. As for game play, it's pretty difficult, even on Normal difficulty, you can die in about 5 or 6 shots, especially late-game where the    This game... this game...

    If you want to know what really happens during a war, play this game.
    Don't play the latest Call of Duty and think that is what happens during a war, this game shows you exactly what happens... and the consequences of war.

    As for game play, it's pretty difficult, even on Normal difficulty, you can die in about 5 or 6 shots, especially late-game where the enemies have extremely powerful weapons.    … Expand
  18. mckw
    Oct 10, 2013
    7
    A brilliant story and a visual treat, only to be hampered by linear not very great gallery shooting riddled with clunky mechanics such as cover system and problematic AI. Could be a greater experience if it was slightly more diverse and flexible and smoother overall features. None the less a decent experience.
  19. 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..
  20. 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.
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. daskind
    Sep 19, 2013
    10
    what a great storyline in a game. intersting concept somehow completely unfun but extremely brutal and exciting i hope jager will make a sequel. or something like it. great work.
  24. 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
  25. Wilf_Tarquin
    Sep 7, 2013
    5
    I played the PC version. Standard third person 100% shooter where you're led by the nose between set pieces. You've seen it a hundred times before: you can take dozens of hits, the world consists of rows of waist-high cover, your health regenerates in seconds, the enemy respawns endlessly, yada yada yada. The graphics are par for the course, controls are awful, the story ridiculous.

    If    I played the PC version. Standard third person 100% shooter where you're led by the nose between set pieces. You've seen it a hundred times before: you can take dozens of hits, the world consists of rows of waist-high cover, your health regenerates in seconds, the enemy respawns endlessly, yada yada yada. The graphics are par for the course, controls are awful, the story ridiculous.

    If you like this type of game... well, shame on you, you're the reason PC games suck so badly nowadays.    … Expand
  26. Malefic
    Aug 28, 2013
    4
    What can I say about this game. The gameplay was ok, though nothing we haven't seen in countless other shooters. What is super annoying however is the "America vs. the world" garbage found in so many games and movies nowadays. Right down to the guitar solo playing during the main menu I mean seriously, how cliché is that.

    What a joke. Even for a free game, I'm still left feeling    What can I say about this game. The gameplay was ok, though nothing we haven't seen in countless other shooters. What is super annoying however is the "America vs. the world" garbage found in so many games and movies nowadays. Right down to the guitar solo playing during the main menu I mean seriously, how cliché is that.

    What a joke. Even for a free game, I'm still left feeling somehow ripped off.    … Expand
  27. 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).
  28. Orctownorc
    Aug 22, 2013
    5
    Mediocre or worse in every department, INCLUDING the story. A so-called 'PC game' that feels so totally like it was made for a Playstation 2. A straightjacket of incredibly narrow spaces and choices. A 'Man's game with all men character's, unending-until-you-puke mach- monologuing by all the characters. Terrible camera. Terrible level design. Terrible shooting mechanics. Terrible cover.Mediocre or worse in every department, INCLUDING the story. A so-called 'PC game' that feels so totally like it was made for a Playstation 2. A straightjacket of incredibly narrow spaces and choices. A 'Man's game with all men character's, unending-until-you-puke mach- monologuing by all the characters. Terrible camera. Terrible level design. Terrible shooting mechanics. Terrible cover. Terrible controls. Terrible 'moral choices'. The story is pumped full of overbearing male testosterone and its pretensions of moral depth are an exercise in vapid nihilism. Games like this are basically a waste of a time. Go for a walk in the park, read a book, see a concert, climb a mountain, drink with friends. Anything is better than this game. Compared to its genre competitiors, like 'Gears of War', 'Halo', 'Call of Duty', 'Battlefield' or Far Cry this game is complete garbage. An FPS game lives or dies according to its combat controls and these are easily the worst in that department in recent memory. 'Oh but you must play to the end, because the end redeems the horrible game' cry many reviewers. They lie. The journey is the destination. One would have to have a huge separation from the real world to find this story interesting. I'd rather play dating games with my gay squad members-Bioware style than endure another playthrough of this. To kill or not to kill? The answer won't be interesting if the question is not real. And its not real!

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  29. KratosITALY
    Aug 21, 2013
    10
    This game is just poetry to me. So much good stuff to talk about here.
    The story and cinematography are the best aspect of the game: never I've been so attacked to a story (well, beside Telltale's Walking Dead) and Captain Walker is my second favourite video game character ever after John Marston: he starts out as a typical action hero, but in the end he changes a lot.
    The gameplay is    This game is just poetry to me. So much good stuff to talk about here.
    The story and cinematography are the best aspect of the game: never I've been so attacked to a story (well, beside Telltale's Walking Dead) and Captain Walker is my second favourite video game character ever after John Marston: he starts out as a typical action hero, but in the end he changes a lot.
    The gameplay is not god-awful as many say: I love me some third-person shooters and I got a lot of enjoyment from this game.
    The replay value is pretty high: you may change some decision in the story, as well as seeing what happens with a different perspective. Plus, there is a co-op mode that is just amazing, with new maps to play with a friend. The multiplayer is okay, too bad not many people play it.    … Expand
  30. magnum314
    Aug 20, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed this game. I'm not usually one for first third person shooters, but solidly enjoyed this. I got it as part of a pre-purchase of XCOM the Bureau, so was effectively free, and was pleasantly surprised. Although the mechanics were sometimes a little rough around the edges (ordering squad mates was not as intuitive or fleshed out as much as I would have liked), the story and dialogue kept me engaged. I really enjoyed the scenario and environment in this game, the sand storms and dunes made things interesting, and the movement between close indoors combat and outdoor combat, as well as lots of vertical movement and engagement, kept things fresh. This was really important to me, as in the end you are mainly fighting the same sort of troop again and again (though knives and shotguns would be pointed out to me by my squad mates they still just needed a few bullets to take down the biggest change in type would be heavies, which required a bit of work). The large range of scenarios for engaging these homogenous enemies made it feel fresh up until the end. The story was top notch, and was very happy with the ending I got (1 of 4 or 5 I think), with enough foreshadowing throughout that the twist seems legitimate and not out of the blue. I don't know if I enjoyed it enough to replay the whole thing through again, but I very much enjoyed the ~5 hours I put into it (again, it was free).… Expand
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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 »