Spec Ops:The Line is Yager Developments' third person shooter from 2012 that has garnered both fame and infamy since its release. If you haven't played it before and want to figure it out for yourself, you can pick it up for free on Humble.
Players that haven't picked Spec Ops: The Line for PC yet can now do so on Humble store, free of charge. The game will put you in the boots of Captain Martin Walker who, along with his teammates, Alphanso Adams and John Lugo, is sent to sandstorm-wrecked Dubai to investigate the rumours of survivors and immediately signal for extraction. In a classic twist of lazy writing, Walker disobeys that order and decides to save the civilians once they have been located.
Spec Ops: The Line has been praised left and right for its dark tone and controversial storyline that shows the atrocities of war. The game features scenes that really shouldn't be allowed to be shown to minors, and if you do decide to go through with it, watch the cutscenes at your own discretion.
Yager Development
The impact it had or could have had is somewhat limited by either lazy writing or development. Spec Ops: The Line is a strictly linear game and you don't get to make a choice even when there is an obviously better or more efficient way to achieve a goal. On top of it, the infamous white phosphorus sequence is scripted which resulted in the burning chemical apparently growing legs and moving on its own when I played through it.
Spec Ops: The Line's gameplay department is not exactly lacking, as the gameplay isn't bad but it's nothing special either. It is a rather standard third person cover shooter that is definitely not on par with Ubisoft's Ghost Recon series. It can feel bland at times but headshots do feel satisfying.
Yager Development
While the game has some issues, its high point is the fact you can lay back and play through it without having to worry about choices. It is a narrative that doesn't glorify war and has a specific grim tone countering the upbeat one that most shooters have these days. The offer to pick it up for free will be available until 18:00 GMT or 11:00 PDT on Saturday, 31 March 2018.
