Spec Ops: The Line

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1737 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,318 out of 1737
  2. Mixed: 343 out of 1737
  3. Negative: 76 out of 1737
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  1. Brumbek
    Aug 10, 2012
    4
    **** GAMEPLAY **** As far as gameplay, the cover-based shooting is below average. The aiming is imprecise and you often get stuck sticking to cover or flailing about out of cover. The squad commands are nice, but more often than not you have to sit behind cover waiting to heal due to stupid AI and faulty cover. It just isn
  2. puxili
    Aug 31, 2012
    3
    The main selling point of this game seems to be the story, especially how mature it is. Well...its not. But first a few words about the gameplay: The mechanics are extremely generic and weak, the shooting feels flimsy and gets tedious extremely fast. The weapon sounds support the weak feel of the guns and there is nothing fun or exciting about it. But most critics will tell you the storyThe main selling point of this game seems to be the story, especially how mature it is. Well...its not. But first a few words about the gameplay: The mechanics are extremely generic and weak, the shooting feels flimsy and gets tedious extremely fast. The weapon sounds support the weak feel of the guns and there is nothing fun or exciting about it. But most critics will tell you the story saves the horrible gameplay, but honestly, its just crap. It might be mature, but that doesn't make it any good, for the first 14 chapters the story just drags on and on without resolve anything or keeping you engaged, and the last mission is supposed to resolve anything, which makes the first 3 hours and 50 minutes even more pointless. It blatantly rips off Heart of Darkness and any generic psycho-thriller movie. Its just a generic boring shooter with chest-high walls that hides its crappy gameplay mechanics under a story that most critics find "mature" and "interesting".… Expand
  3. wolverine67
    Aug 12, 2012
    1
    I've played the demo from steam and, rage quit because how bad the controls and console port it felt. Well after waiting after release to see if things would get better and people raved about how great story the game was decided to buy the game at lower price on Amazon. Well my first impressions of demo still stands bad controls and bad port to pc, and the MP is one of the worst i'veI've played the demo from steam and, rage quit because how bad the controls and console port it felt. Well after waiting after release to see if things would get better and people raved about how great story the game was decided to buy the game at lower price on Amazon. Well my first impressions of demo still stands bad controls and bad port to pc, and the MP is one of the worst i've ever played heavy lag disconnects and finding a game good luck. I have a high speed cable connection 50mb a sec. I hate to be the one to be so harsh but that's how i feel. I usually try and be fair to alot of games but this game just is overhyped. Dont waist your money there are better games out there.… Expand
  4. El_Barto
    Jan 5, 2013
    3
    This game is a console based game and although keys are functioning the entire game is made for game-pad.
    This game has a refreshing storyline and environment, what went wrong?
    - 1 : because third person view (f.ex the game Hitman let you switch between first to third-person which is a missed opportunity in this game) - 2 : bad aiming, this is just terrible and let not even talk about    This game is a console based game and although keys are functioning the entire game is made for game-pad.
    This game has a refreshing storyline and environment, what went wrong?

    - 1 : because third person view (f.ex the game Hitman let you switch between first to third-person which is a missed opportunity in this game)
    - 2 : bad aiming, this is just terrible and let not even talk about the sniper rifle
    - 2 : save points, I am an adult, I decide where I want to save, some pieces of fights take up to 8 min, you die you can start all over again and let's not even talk about the 'skip movie', enter is not working so when you die you can watch over and over the 2 min movie before you can start playing instead of doing savepoints after the movie.
    -1 : cover/vault seems to have a mind of it's own, sometimes you are stuck to a wall in cover mode which you can not get out of.
    - 1 : Squad has a mind of it's own, move forward and decides to get shot, you have limited time to heal them or they just stand do nothing while you fight and die.    … Expand
  5. lefiath
    Oct 16, 2012
    1
    Horrible, from beginning to the end. Awful controls, abysmal story (whoever things this is a good storyline should go check a doctor, because this is hardly D movie material), mess from beginning to the end, worthless and pathetic characters (I believe main hero is a terminator), ridiculous on every moment (many situations were written by 6 years old) and it looks like **** as well. Oh andHorrible, from beginning to the end. Awful controls, abysmal story (whoever things this is a good storyline should go check a doctor, because this is hardly D movie material), mess from beginning to the end, worthless and pathetic characters (I believe main hero is a terminator), ridiculous on every moment (many situations were written by 6 years old) and it looks like **** as well. Oh and it's a very limited corridor shooter. There is nothing redeemable on this one - not even worth 10 dollars.… Expand
  6. bdy0003
    Feb 4, 2013
    3
    Positives: Storyline and some of the choices are very good, not excellent. No other positives.

    Negatives: Controls are terrible!!! I've never seen so many buttons to do stupid things. Also, some buttons don't respond when you press them. Programming is shotty as getting the first shot on an enemy does nothing some of the time; absolutely horrible. Achievements or buildups to    Positives: Storyline and some of the choices are very good, not excellent. No other positives.

    Negatives: Controls are terrible!!! I've never seen so many buttons to do stupid things. Also, some buttons don't respond when you press them. Programming is shotty as getting the first shot on an enemy does nothing some of the time; absolutely horrible. Achievements or buildups to achievements are just given at random.

    I am very disappointed with this game. I want my money and my time back.    … Expand
  7. ShinRyoma
    Sep 10, 2017
    0
    One of the worst shooters I've played in recent memory. Uninspired designed by committee military shooter with few redeeming features. Level design is boring. Weapons are not fun to use. The Dubai setting is used for shock value more than anything else. I've been to Dubai multiple times, whoever made the game designed it based on second gossip. And the twist, if you can call it that, wasOne of the worst shooters I've played in recent memory. Uninspired designed by committee military shooter with few redeeming features. Level design is boring. Weapons are not fun to use. The Dubai setting is used for shock value more than anything else. I've been to Dubai multiple times, whoever made the game designed it based on second gossip. And the twist, if you can call it that, was telegraphed miles away.

    Even at 5 hours all I could think while playing it was when the game will end so I can see what the fuss is all about.    … Expand
  8. awdrifter
    Jan 26, 2013
    1
    The game mechanics in this game is severely flawed! I don't care how good the story is, the moment to moment gameplay is a torture. Who the f though binding the sprint, cover, and action button to the same key is a good idea?! I died countless times snapping into cover when trying to run away (and you get shot in cover too!). This game is a broken pos hiding behind it's story. AVOID!
  9. orthas
    Jul 23, 2013
    1
    Well made shooter, but the story is not entertaining, it's disgusting in the most negative sense of the word. I stopped playing it and uninstalled it after a certain horrible scene. This is not how I want to spend my free time, however realistic it might be, if I wanted this I could turn on the news.

    If you want to be forced to feel like crap for playing a FPS, get this. Otherwise get    Well made shooter, but the story is not entertaining, it's disgusting in the most negative sense of the word. I stopped playing it and uninstalled it after a certain horrible scene. This is not how I want to spend my free time, however realistic it might be, if I wanted this I could turn on the news.

    If you want to be forced to feel like crap for playing a FPS, get this. Otherwise get something else.    … Expand
  10. evild4ve
    Jan 30, 2013
    3
    I played the first few levels of this, up to a point where a civilian dressed in a burqa ran into my line of fire and I accidentally shot her. The game had been heavy-handedly building up the civilian tragedy aspect and the justifications for this sort of thing happening - but it seemed completely out of character for the morally ambiguous protagonist to yak on and on in the cut scenesI played the first few levels of this, up to a point where a civilian dressed in a burqa ran into my line of fire and I accidentally shot her. The game had been heavy-handedly building up the civilian tragedy aspect and the justifications for this sort of thing happening - but it seemed completely out of character for the morally ambiguous protagonist to yak on and on in the cut scenes about stuff like how "it's okay not to follow orders if we can save an American life" and then not have anything at all to say for himself after mowing down an innocent woman with a machine gun. And I was left thinking "oh well, I guess that probably happens all the time in Iraq" - and decided I had probably felt guiltier the first time I ran over a pedestrian in Grand Theft Auto.

    The gameplay mechanics are atrocious - there are no consequences for getting shot so long as you can hide behind a conveniently placed rock for a few seconds until the bloodstains clear from the side of the screen. Red Steel on the Wii (!!!) had a similar depth of realism and tactics. It's completely linear - the guns all feel and sound the same - which is a complete mistake in the case of the AK47 and M14.

    A rail-shooter is pretty much the last sort of game that should take on moral questions.    … Expand
  11. wizegamer
    Jul 9, 2012
    1
    could have been a great game but the lack of strategy , story ideas , and my ability to play it in 7 hours. leaves me wishing i had waited for it to drop in cost.
  12. BigRieg
    Jul 18, 2012
    0
    All cutscenes and no play. Just as it starts to get fun and you get into it, you guessed it, another cutscene comes up that you're not allowed to skip. Not worth even 10 dollars. I got about a dime's worth of play out of it. Wish you could sell PC games like you can console games.
  13. Shartrais
    Nov 14, 2014
    3
    El juego es aburrido, injugable, en varias ocasiones quise desinstalarlo, pero normalmente si empiezo un juego lo termino. Algunos dicen que solo por el final merece la pena las 8-10 horas de tortura, que hagan una película si quieren, pero como juego es basura.

    Si le doy un 3 es porque en el apartado gráfico tiene buenas texturas y la arena está muy conseguida (que menos en un juego de    El juego es aburrido, injugable, en varias ocasiones quise desinstalarlo, pero normalmente si empiezo un juego lo termino. Algunos dicen que solo por el final merece la pena las 8-10 horas de tortura, que hagan una película si quieren, pero como juego es basura.

    Si le doy un 3 es porque en el apartado gráfico tiene buenas texturas y la arena está muy conseguida (que menos en un juego de arena), además hay algo de interactividad con el terreno, pero cuando el juego quiere, no cuando tu lo decidas.

    Por el lado contrario está la IA, insufrible, tus aliados se ponen en tu línea de tiro o te sacan de cobertura, y de vez en cuando se les ocurre ponerse en medio de campo abierto a que los fusilen.
    Los comandos de pelotón que tan bonitos quedan son simplemente un adorno, que no funciona, o que para funcionar hace que te maten a ti o a tus compañeros. Los silenciadores son un elemento estético del arma, ya que solo cuando el juego quiere (2 o 3 enemigos en todo el juego) te deja seguir un camino más sigiloso, que rápidamente se acaba.

    En definitiva, el juego es un mata-mata lineal de recreativa al más puro estilo Time Crysis.    … Expand
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. epicfuzz45
    Jul 13, 2014
    4
    I played this game for a few hours and I have no motivation to continue. I have heard that the story is fantastic and really brings up the horrid nature of war and survival, but so far all it did was wimp out of a chance of really making the player feel uncomfortable about what there doing by having all the enemies be terrible evil people rather than just folks trying to survive. When youI played this game for a few hours and I have no motivation to continue. I have heard that the story is fantastic and really brings up the horrid nature of war and survival, but so far all it did was wimp out of a chance of really making the player feel uncomfortable about what there doing by having all the enemies be terrible evil people rather than just folks trying to survive. When you take that away all you have is the gameplay, and this is the most painfully generic third person shooter I have ever played, I mean it, It brings absolutely nothing to the table. I was disappointed. The good parts of it are that the visuals are really cool and there are some amazingly creative and awe striking levels that really show the power of nature and really try and convey the desperation of the dead city, voice acting and characters are enjoyable too. But the GAME part of the game is so painfully generic that Its no fun to play. I quit when the main character fell of a **** building for no reason and survived, I normally would not focus on this s much if the game was not trying to be realistic and gritty.… Expand
  17. Binarygeek
    Sep 1, 2014
    4
    First off the early story of the game is quite interesting, though they never explain what exactly happened with Dubai. Then it goes preachy. This isn't the subtle "war is bad" moral quandary one might expect with a few moral choices, every chance it gets, it beats over the head with the message. Even during loading screens where it asks "do you feel like a hero yet?" or "how manyFirst off the early story of the game is quite interesting, though they never explain what exactly happened with Dubai. Then it goes preachy. This isn't the subtle "war is bad" moral quandary one might expect with a few moral choices, every chance it gets, it beats over the head with the message. Even during loading screens where it asks "do you feel like a hero yet?" or "how many Americans have you killed today?" There are some upsides to the game, plenty of weapons to choose from to kill enemies with (hint: those would be Americans), a great soundtrack featuring some cool classic rock songs. One firefight that was cool was in a tower in Dubai (most of them are actually) and they had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide by Martha And The Vandellas, all while hunting down enemy forces. Now to the truly awful. The mechanics. It seems the designers were sick during that section of development and just phoned it in. I honestly want to know what genius decided to map the sprint, cover and action to the same button. The AI is basic, and that goes for both sides. The collision detection is a joke, I managed to get shot through cover almost constantly. The game had potential, I've played bad games simply for the story. If a story drags me in then I can suffer through mechanics that were designed by a team of four year olds. What I can't suffer is when I pay for a game and the dev team gets preachy and bashes me over the head with the same message for every level for 8+ levels. Eventually I stopped playing because of that simple fact. I would recommend avoiding the game and finding a game worth your money. I cannot fathom who the target market is for this game, unless there's a demographic that likes being told that they're evil and disturbed individuals every time they load the game. Honestly, avoid this one folks, even if you see it in the bargain bin. It's just not worth it.… Expand
  18. RigbyTheMad
    Oct 11, 2020
    0
    I bought it in 2020 for real money and after 3 hours of play time the game crashes due to a critical error. The story doesn't go on. It can never work. I don't get my money back! It's worth nothing! Disgusting!

    Ryzen 2600x
    Gtx 1070ti
    16 gb ddr4
    512 gb kingston ssd
  19. hertzian68
    Sep 4, 2020
    2
    It's alright as an arcade shooter but the rest of the story is just dumb and the language is filthy. If you are Christian please make complaints to these obviously jubisoft etc game makers about using the Lords name as a swear word, it is revolting how these evil people and their paid whores do this over and over while proclaiming to be so tolerant and sensitive out the other side of theirIt's alright as an arcade shooter but the rest of the story is just dumb and the language is filthy. If you are Christian please make complaints to these obviously jubisoft etc game makers about using the Lords name as a swear word, it is revolting how these evil people and their paid whores do this over and over while proclaiming to be so tolerant and sensitive out the other side of their dirty mouths. The very obvious reference to 33 is tied into the 33 deg freemasonry devils who actually serve the antichristian people we see everywhere in entertainment, media, government, academia, banking, etc Dirty all around. Delta Force is nothing but mind controlled multiple personality zombies and outright killers, same goes for all of those type of orgs in the US and in all countries. US examples would be green berets, seals, rangers and others. So this has evil people fighting evil people really. POS.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best PC Game of 2012
23
#23 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 »