Recent reviews by Shyguy

I won't tell you that Spec Ops: The Line is worth getting at full-price. I will say that, if you enjoy story-based games, it might be worth getting on sale.

In a sandstorm-riddled Dubai, you play as the leader of Delta Squad, Captain Martin Walker, who's tasked with performing reconnaissance before being evacuated from the city. However, one horrifying discovery after another leads Delta Squad into an escalating hellscape of their own creation, with no other option other than trudging forward. Gameplay consists of typical third-person cover shooting fare, along with issuing commands to Walker's two companions, Adams and Lugo. The sandstorms that desolated Dubai play an occasional role in changing up combat scenarios, whether you can use mounds of sand to eliminate enemies or how sandstorms block you from giving commands.

The game does a nice job in telling it's story through traditional methods and through subtle visual changes. Walker's appearance changes as the game goes on, reflecting his current mental state. Orders that were given professionally turn to ragged screams laden with curses. If you have a sharp eye, you can even tell when the game is playing tricks on you. A lot of care was put into the single-player campaign, and many would argue that its bare-bones nature serves as a critique of military-themed shooters that were popular at the time of the game's release. While it may not necessarily compare to games released nowadays, I'd say it's worth experiencing at least once if you're into that sort of thing. Supposedly, Nolan North -- who voiced Captain Walker -- has claimed that this is the performance he is most proud of. It shows. Several choices are also available throughout the game beyond just giving you a button to press. Some require a level of out-of-the-box thinking that legitimately caught me off-guard the first time.

The game has a multiplayer mode. Nobody plays it. It's terrible if you do play it.

I had fun. I wouldn't necessarily pay thirty bucks for Spec Ops: The Line nowadays, but if it's on sale, I'd say it's worth at least trying if you're aching for a tragic story. Out of the few games that Yager has successfully released, I'd say this one would probably appeal to most people.