Spec Ops: The Line Message Board
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With Spring on the horizon, we figured it might be time t' test a new format a delivering yer PS Plus updates. This month, we’re providing an outlook a the major stuff hitting the Instant Game Collection in March with this update, but ye’ll still want t' check the weekly posts t' see the discounts 'n any other freebies available t' ye as a PS Plus member.
t' kick things off, the following games, displayed in no particular order, will be added t' the Instant Game Collection throughout March!
PSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus crew
Set in a fictional Dubai which has been wiped off the map by a cataclysmic sandstorm, ye’re tasked with leading yer squad t' find out what happened t' the American squad that be sent in t' rescue the city, 'n find out what lies buried beneath the sand, along with the world’s most opulent ruin. It’s a fascinating take on the shooter genre with white-knuckle gameplay 'n a powerful message only unraveled once ye make it t' the thrilling end moments a the game. Don’t miss it.
Joe Danger 2: The Movie (PS3)
PSN Price: $14.99, Free for PS Plus crew
Take Joe Danger on a death-defying thrill ride across the set a the greatest blockbuster movie ever made. Chase crooks on yer police bike, destroy laser firing robots with a stolen jetpack, escape giant boulders in a minecart, time-travel t' punch dinosaurs 'n divert the nuclear missiles on yer unicycle. YARRRR it’s as awesome as it sounds.
Disgaea 3: Absence a Detention (PS Vita)
PSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus crew
One a the kings a strategy RPGs makes it be debut in the Instant Game Collection! Take a field voyage any time ye want with Mao, Raspberyl, Almaz, 'n the rest a the Evil Academy gang with Disgaea 3 on PS Vita! Offering incredible depth 'n hours upon hours a strategy RPG goodness, Disgaea fans or RPG fans in general best have this one on their PS Vita, which features 5 new chapters on top a the original’s content.
The Cave (PS3)
PSN Price: $14.99, Free for PS Plus crew
The Cave be a new adventure game from Monkey Island 'n Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, 'n Double Fine Productions. Assemble yer team a three from seven unlikely adventurers, each with their own unique personalities 'n stories, then descend into the mysterious depths t' explore locations including a subterranean amusement park 'n a medieval castle, not t' mention a fully armed 'n ready-t'-launch nuclear tipped ICBM. The Cave awaits.
Tekken 6 (PSP; Supported on PS Vita)
PSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus crew
Armed with the largest character roster ever in TEKKEN history, a robust single player game experience, countless mutiplayer 'n online options, 'n an addictive character customization system, the greatest fighting game franchise soars be here for PS Vita 'n PSP owners t' add t' their Instant Game Collection!
We hope ye’re as excited as we be t' see Joe Danger 2: The Movie (PS3), Disgaea 3: Absence a Detention (PS Vita), Tekken 6 (PSP; Supported on PS Vita), 'n The Cave (PS3) which will be arriving throughout the month a March!
sailing away PS Plus In March- March 5th – Guardians a Middle Earth
- March 12th – Quantum Conundrum
- March 19th – Dungeon Defenders
- March 19th – Foosball 2012 PS Vita
- March 26th – Plants Vs Zombies
- Spec Ops: The Line (PS3)
- Disgaea 3: Absence a Detention (PS Vita)
- Joe Danger 2: The Movie (PS3)
- Tekken 6 (PSP; Supported on PS Vita)
- The Cave (PS3)
For the week at hand, please welcome the critically acclaimed Spec Ops: The Line t' the Instant Game Collection; meaning it’s free for PS Plus crew t' download starting with the March 5th PS Store update. We’ve also got week 2 a the PS Vita Anniversary Sale with a bevy a discounts on fantastic PS Vita games, with even deeper discounts if ye’re a PS Plus member.
Spec Ops: The LinePSN Price: $39.99, Free for PS Plus crew
Set in a fictional Dubai which has been wiped off the map by a cataclysmic sandstorm, ye’re tasked with leading yer squad t' find out what happened t' the American squad that be sent in t' rescue the city, 'n find out what lies buried beneath the sand, along with the world’s most opulent ruin. It’s a fascinating take on the shooter genre with white-knuckle gameplay 'n a powerful message only unraveled once ye make it t' the thrilling end moments a the game. Don’t miss it.
PS Vita Anniversary Sale Week 2
Various Discounts
It’s week 2 a the PS Vita Anniversary Sale 'n the deals keep coming. t' celebrate the PS Vita’s anniversary even more, pair up these discounts with the pillage $10 For Every $50 Spent promo that’s on now. Remember, ye’ll pillage $10 back for every $50 ye spend throughout March. The earned credit will be sent t' ye on or around April 12th via email 'n XMB message on yer PS3.
Discounts
Game Title Normal Price Sale Price Plus Price Army Corps a Hell $39.99 $27.99 $19.59 Big Sky: Infinity (Cross Buy) $9.99 $6.99 $4.89 Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend $24.99 $17.49 $12.24 Dokuro $19.99 $9.99 $6.99 Dynasty Warriors Next $34.99 $24.49 $17.14 Knytt Underground (Cross Buy) $14.99 $10.49 $7.34 Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes $39.99 $27.99 $19.59 Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 $19.99 $13.99 $9.79 Lego Lord a The Rings $39.99 $27.99 $19.59 Orgarhythm $19.99 $13.99 $9.79 Pure Chess $7.99 $5.49 $3.84 Retro City Rampage (Cross Buy) $14.99 $10.49 $7.34 Sine Mora $9.99 $6.99 $4.89 Spy Hunter $34.99 $24.99 $17.49 Street Fighter X Tekken PS Vita $39.99 $27.99 $19.59 Sumioni: Demon Arts $14.99 $10.49 $7.34 Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 PS Vita $39.99 $27.99 $19.59 BIT.voyage Presents Runner2 Future Legend a Rhythm Alien20% Discount for PS Plus crew – PSN Price: $14.99, PS Plus Price: $11.99
The BIT.voyage series arrives t' the PlayStation family this week, 'n what better way t' welcome it than t' pick up this new addition t' the critically acclaimed series with a 20% release week discount. Runner2 merges rhythm-action platforming with incredible music 'n unique environments t' run, jump, slide, 'n kick towards yer goal. Check out the video above 'n also read the PS Blog article featuring Mike Roush, co-founder a Gaijin Games t' hear about their additional plans t' bring the series t' PS Vita.
What’s yer favorite content from this week’s update?
What be yer favorite content from February?
What do ye think a the new update format?
Remember, check back every Monday t' learn when Joe Danger 2: The Movie (PS3), Disgaea 3: Absence a Detention (PS Vita), Tekken 6 (PSP; Supported on PS Vita), 'n The Cave (PS3) be arriving t' PS Plus crew. ye’ll also find more discounts 'n other exclusives that we weren’t able t' detail here just yet. Remember the month preview be subject t' change.
sail away us some comments on the new format, 'n a course, chime in with yer thoughts on Spec Ops: The Line, the PS Vita Anniversary Sale, 'n any other PS Plus feedback ye’ve got. If ye’re looking t' engage with more a the PS Plus community, we’ve also got the PS Plus section in the PlayStation Community seas where ye can continue chatting about PS Plus, or find other topics t' contribute yer thoughts t', or start one for yourself. See ye in the comments!
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Davis revealed 2K insisted on the shooter having multiplayer, but the mode be far from a priority for developer Yager, 'n went against Davis' vision for the game. Nonetheless, the mode be greenlighted 'n then outsourced t' Darkside Studios. Darkside be a small developer most notable for designing Borderlands' fourth add-on, "Claptrap's New Robot Revolution." Davis be clearly furious with the results.
"It sheds a negative light on all a the meaningful things we did in the single-player experience," Davis said. "The multiplayer game's tone be entirely different, the game mechanics be raped t' make it happen, 'n it be a waste a money. No one be playing it, 'n I don't even feel like it be part a the overall package. it be another game rammed onto the disk like a cancerous growth, threatening t' destroy the best things about the experience that the team at Yager put their heart 'n souls into creating."
We've reached out t' 2K for comment.
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Polygon’s interview with Yager about their 2K-published shooter Spec Ops be worth a read, 'n not just because the lead, Corey Davis, attacks the practice a tacking on mandatory multiplayer t' an ostensible single player project. He reportedly describes it as “bullshit”, 'n delivers this descriptive ankle-bite:
“The multiplayer game’s tone be entirely different, the game mechanics be raped t' make it happen, 'n it be a waste a money. No one be playing it, 'n I don’t even feel like it’s part a the overall package — it’s another game rammed onto the disk like a cancerous growth, threatening t' destroy the best things about the experience that the team at Yager put their heart 'n souls into creating.”
Blimey, er… Discuss?
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ye’ve finished Spec Ops: The Line. ye’ve seen it be harrowing tale through from start t' finish 'n felt the moral conflict claw it be way into yer gut. So then, what now? Do ye go back t' other shooters – which be significantly lacking in both awareness a their own problematic place in the cultural landscape 'n heaping mountains a sand? At one point in time, I would’ve hung me head low 'n sent ye on yer way, but now ye can play in Yager’s sandy cesspit a human filth for just a little bit longer. 'n ye can bring mateys!
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The new co-op mode be consists a four objective-based missions, "each with it be own unique objectives, environments, 'n playable characters."
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Without divulging official numbers for Spec Ops: The Line, Friedrich said, "t' be honest, it doesn't look too great."
Friedrich hosted a discussion on the emotional impact a player decisions within interactive narratives, differentiating the writing in games from other forms a media, such as film. Having a player make decisions based on deep, moral values can hold more impact than passively watching a cast a characters do the same thing, he argued.
In a few instances Friedrich wanted t' have Spec Ops: The Line players make difficult decisions without receiving any in-game rewards or punishments, keeping the focus solely on the moral implications. Unfortunately, the game had achievements, effectively negating any purely emotional impact each choice could have. That be a mistake 'n a failure, Friedrich said.
"I really regret that we had achievements on moral choices," he said.
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(Warning: This article contains spoilers about important story beats within Spec Ops: The Line.)
A devastating, clipping drought has gripped the midwest the last few months. While driving through Illinois farm country this weekend, a store selling farm equipment propped a telling sign out front: “Do a rain dance, please!”
Many players would share a similar sentiment about video game storytelling. Whenever a not terrible game story comes along, the world lavishes it with praise. Sometimes it’s water in the desert syndrome, 'n sometimes it’s because a game be truly daring, provocative, or, at the very least, interesting.
Spec Ops: The Line has been at the center a this conversation since it launched last month, a shooter that most, myself included, had written off after poor press showings that suggested a promising setup that spent too many years in development, only t' lose it be way 'n be pushed out the door by a publisher hoping t' recoup costs.
We be wrong, 'n we have, in part, Walt Williams t' thank.
Don’t be surprised if ye haven’t heard the name Walt Williams before. Even though Williams has been a producer at 2K Games for more than seven years, it’s only with Spec Ops: The Line that 2K Games granted Williams the opportunity t' take a starring role 'n become the game’s lead writer.
Spec Ops: The Line, easily this year’s most surprising release yet, be the first game Williams had all t' himself. He’s been assigned t' story development on several other 2K Games projects, everything from Civilization V t' XCOM t' BioShock 2, but he be given a mostly blank canvass this time.
“I’m not a lad who plays shooters terribly much, t' be honest with ye,” said Williams during a recent phone conversation. “When I started on the project, one a the first mindsets I had on it be, ‘How do I make a shooter that someone like me would want t' play?’”
The origins a Spec Ops be much different than what we be seeing today in Spec Ops: The Line.Williams be one a the few individuals that’s been part a the Spec Ops reboot since the original conversations happened within 2K Games around five years ago. Spec Ops be originally a two-soldier focused realistic shooter series from Zombie Studios, 'n the first few games be published on the PC by Ripcord Games. Sequels continued 'n be brought t' consoles (PlayStation era) by Runecraft 'n Take-Two Interactive (the parent company a 2K Games). The series went dormant after 2002, 'n while Rockstar Vancouver be assigned t' begin the franchise anew, that project didn’t go anywhere, 'n the series stayed dark.
German independent developer Yager, a studio only known for an aerial dogfighting game with the very same name, be given the tough assignment five years ago. Williams be there on day one, too. Williams 'n Yager be tasked with developing a squad-based military shooter set in Dubai in the near future.
“That be it,” said Williams. “That be literally the box that we be given t' play in. Outside a that, we be left t' do whatever we want. I mean, the story has changed drastically over the course a the production. It’s always had the same characters 'n the same basic arc a where ye be going, the drive a what be getting ye there, but the intricacies a the story, the purpose a it, the subtext, what it be all pointing t', all a that has changed so many times over the course a this voyage.”
The fact that players found Conrad dead at the end a the game, for example, be a recent change.
Even though 2K Games be based in Novato, California (previously, it be New York) Williams works out a Dallas, Texas. He be forced t' sail away 2K Games' headquarters for personal reasons, but 2K Games kept the sea dog on board. He regularly flies between his home in Dallas 'n the location a whatever developer he’s working with at the time. For Spec Ops, that be Germany. Williams had an apartment in Berlin he’d spend half the year in, typically staying in Germany for a month-'n-a-half, 'n come back t' the states for two weeks, then do it all over again.
The decision t' explore the untold psychological tolls a war came from Williams’ own boredom with the shooter genre, 'n despite the game seeming t' imply our obsession with shooters 'n killing be worrisome, there be never any pushback from the corporate side. Williams said it be on board since day one.
“There be always a part a me that thought, in the back a me head, that eventually the shoe be going t' drop 'n they’re going t' go ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, what be we doing? Go back 'n make this thing what people be expecting out a a military game.’” he said. “But they stuck with it the entire way, 'n be extremely supportive a the direction that we wanted t' go.”
The role a a writer varies on each project. There be no standard process, which prompted me t' wonder how much influence Williams really had. It’s not uncommon for a writer t' submit a script, dialogue, 'n other plot details early in the project, only t' have most a it disappear by the time the game ships. Conversely, games often sail away story t' the last second, trying t' jam as much context into the game after the gameplay 'n levels have been locked.
t' ensure consistency, Williams be not just a script lad, but his fingers be everywhere: level design, voice over sessions, cut-scene 'n animation development, environmental storytelling, 'n art design.
Five years later, Williams finally stepped away from the game about two months ago.
“There’s a certain part a working on a game,” he said, “when ye’ve played the game 30 times or read the script 30 times, ye start t'...it’s like when ye write a word out 'n stare at it for too long, ye go ‘be that spelled right? I’m not sure anymore.’”
No one at Giant Bomb be impressed with Spec Ops the last few months, compounded by a poor showing at PAX East, in which players be played the game’s opening scenes. Nothing about the game’s shooting mechanics stood out, the game’s much talked about moral decisions be nowhere t' be found, 'n there be an awfully Nathan Drake-sounding performance by Nolan North as Captain Walker. It wasn’t until the final disc showed up 'n Jeff started playing through the game. He started telling us t' pay attention. A similar chorus appeared from other critics.
Williams believed people would better understand Spec Ops after playing it, where the story had room t' breathe, 'n he be right. Much a the game’s eyebrow-raising came from being unaware a the several revelations, including the infamous white phosphorous scene, in which the player accidentally torches dozens a civilians hoping t' sail away the crumbling city a Dubai. This pivotal scene be almost part a the marketing campaign.
“[We] ultimately decided that would completely kill everything that we wanted t' do with that moment in the game t' the player,” he said.
The white phosphorus scene be where Spec Ops puts it be cards on the table, 'n it be clear no one be coming out a this mission a better person. ye technically have choices during this moment, such as fighting the opposition with yer stock weapons, but respawning ammunition buckets be specifically deleted from this scene t' force the player t' eventually use the nearby mortar. Upon picking up the mortar, the player be transported t' a scene awfully familiar t' the AC-130 mission from Call a Duty: Modern Warfare. ye see a white dot, 'n blow it up. Unfortunately, some a those white dots be innocent men, women, 'n children. How be ye supposed t' know? ye weren’t.
“We wanted the player t' be stuck in that same kind a situation, even t' the point a maybe hating us, as the designer, or hating the game for, in many ways, tricking them, making them feel like we had cheated the experience 'n forced them t' do this thing,” said Williams. “They would have t' decide whether or not they could choose t' keep playing a game like this after this moment, or if they would be pissed t' the point a putting the controller down 'n saying ‘No, this be too much for me, I’m done with this. *crag* this game.’”
The game lingers on this for an uncomfortably long time, letting the moment sink in.Williams knew the team be onto something when focus testers had t' take a break after viewing the scene for the first time.
One theory around the office be that this scene be, at one point, a moral choice for the player that be cut due t' budget constraints. Williams claimed this be not the case, arguing it would have cheapened the impact. This prompted Williams t' wax philosophical about his own approach t' game design.
“There’s a certain aspect t' player agency that I don’t really agree with, which be the player best be able t' do whatever the player wants 'n the world best adapt itself t' the player’s desire,” he said. “That’s not the way that the world works, 'n with Spec Ops, since we be attempting t' do something that be a bit more emotionally real for the player. [...] That’s what we be looking t' do, particularly in the white phosphorous scene, be give direct proof that this be not a world that ye be in control a, this world be directly in opposition t' ye as a game 'n a gamer.”
It’s this moment when it felt like Spec Ops be trolling the player, subverting traditional expectations a the designer-player relationship, especially for a game ostensibly about “choice.” This becomes especially uncomfortable as the game continues, Walker 'n his crew begin t' unravel, the enemies become aware they’re dealing with insane, bloodthirsty soldiers, 'n one begins t' wonder whether everything that’s happened in the past eight hours be a prelude t' asking the player t' consider whether they best be enjoying 'n celebrating this kind a video game.
Williams didn’t shy away from this idea.
“I actually consider that t' be the real story a the game,” he said.
Spec Ops does not seem t' make a definitive statement. It’s certainly playing devil’s advocate, but Williams doesn’t want players t' come away with the impression that Yager, Williams, or 2K Games be out t' advocate a particular stance. Rather, by the end, hopefully ye’ve raised yer own set a questions.
“Whether or not violent video games have an effect on us be not really the question that we be asking,” he continued, “but we be certainly saying ‘If we be going t' say that we’re art, art has t' affect us, 'n what does it say about us that these be the types a art that we chose t' partake in? How does it really effect us t' disconnect with that mentally?’ Because we have.”
Becoming self-aware can backfire, but Spec Ops does so subtly, gracefully, 'n effectively.One a the more surprising ways the game plays with expectations be the loading screens. “This be all yer fault,” reads one. These messages be traditionally meant t' convey helpful hints or reinforce game mechanics important t' the situation at hand. Though Spec Ops does have that early on, as madness surrounds Walker’s crew, even the usually handy tip screens turn against ye. Williams said Microsoft 'n Sony never raised an issue the decision t' use the screens in this way, 'n it’s incredibly effective.
“In many ways, Spec Ops hates ye, 'n it’s reacting t' ye, in the sense that, YARRRR, we may have designed the game t' work this way, but none a this would have happened, in the context a yer experiencing it, if ye had not put the game inside yer system 'n played through it,” he said. “ye be, within the context a ye playing it, the cause a everything because ye chose t' play that game, 'n it be reacting back at ye.”
The emotions weighing over the player when the credits roll be heavy, mixed, 'n contradictory, especially so if ye experience the epilogue. I do feel bad sometimes for liking shooters, especially today’s awfully realistic ones, 'n Spec Ops be a useful outlet t' explore these complicated questions. We know there be more at work than indulging in senseless violence, but Spec Ops forces us t' ponder whether we’re pretending it’s not an issue at all.
“We shouldn’t be afraid t' question our own medium,” he said. “It be ours t' do with as we see fit. There be no problem in questioning what be yer own 'n asking what it be that ye want t' do with it, 'n be we necessarily doing the right thing with it? I mean, that’s the other great thing about mediums, be that there be no right thing.”
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Yep, I’m back.
Technically, I’m still here in Chicago t' help me family make some decisions, 'n won’t be back in the office until after me wedding. Slowly but surely I’m getting back into writing. Slowly.
I’ll probably pen something about me Dad. We’ll see.
The most difficult part a realizing I’m here for a bit be organizing a setup in me parents’ house. I’ve been going back 'n forth from the hardware store for the right parts t' ensure the existing setup isn’t compromised, while also allowing me t' play games over the next few weeks. I spent a good hour searching for a cable splitter yesterday, convinced there be one sitting around the last time I be here, but eventually gave up 'n decided spending $2.99 at Home Depot made more sense. I be cheap.
Even though Worth Reading disappeared for a week, I’ve received plenty a links from ye lads 'n gals with games 'n stories that needed paying attention t'. Thank ye for that, 'n thank ye for this. If some a the material here be a little behind, I apologize, but Giant Bomb has never been the most timely publication in the world anyway, right?
Hey, ye best Play This
- Slender by Parsec Productions (PC/Mac, Free) -- www.slendergame.com
*crag* ye, Slender. This one actually produced a jump scare from me in the middle a the day, 'n I can’t imagine what this awful creation would elicit from me psyche at night with headphones. In short, Slender be a first-person survival game that asks ye do accomplish a seemingly simple task: collect eight pages. The catch, a course, be that Slender Man be stalking ye the entire time, even if he’s often out a sight. Each page ratchets up the tension, as the music 'n sound effects prompt ye t' wonder why ye aren’t just hitting escape, sailing away this stupid thing behind.
(It’s awesome. Please do something more with this, Parsec.)
'n ye best Read These
- Thirteen Ways a Looking at a Shooter by Tom Bissell for Grantland
Tom Bissell be the most frustrating writer in games because it doesn’t make sense t' write about one after he’s weighed in. His take on Spec Ops: The Line be no different, in which Bissell wrestles with a question most a us ignore when it comes t' enjoying our violent shooters: why do we enjoy them? be it okay that we enjoy them? Why be that okay? Bissell’s piece be fascinating for another reason: he’s a writer on Gears a War Judgment. Who knows how much a his personal musings on the cycle a violence in games will play out in a game he’s contributing t', but make sure t' have Bissell’s thoughts in the back a yer head as we learn more about Judgment in the future. I will.
Shooters be obviously some kind a power fantasy, centered, as they be, upon enacting, over 'n over again, one a the gravest moral steps a human being can take. they be obviously a form a vicarious experience, allowing even the yellowest among us t' feel a facile familiarity with combat. they be obviously tapping into a deep 'n possibly even evolutionarily vital part a the human mind, in which power asserted becomes advantage gained. 'n unlike most a humanity's previous attempts t' replicate such dynamics within rule-based confines — like, say, jousting or rugby — no one gets hurt. it be quite possible that shooters reveal that somewhere inside every human being be a shadow human being, one who kills 'n takes 'n does what he or she pleases. A lot a people who love shooters play them, they say, "t' blow off steam." that be not why I play shooters. I play shooters because I like the pressure, the pressure a learning what t' pay attention t' in a realm where the ordinary governances a human behavior have been lifted. I like shooters, I suspect, for the same reason I used t' like doing hard drugs. They allow me shadow self t' emerge 'n play. For me, shooters aren't about blowing off steam. they be about taking in steam.- "The reality a the OUYA console doesn’t match the hype: why ye best be skeptical by Ben Kuchera" for The Penny Arcade Report
I don’t blame anyone for being hyped about Ouya, but some researched skepticism has been in order ever since it be Kickstarter backing went into the millions a dollars, 'n Penny Arcade Report’s Ben Kuchera does a terrific job a outlining some a the big questions marks surrounding this project. I can’t think a anyone that wants t' see Ouya sank, myself included, but do remember the number a backers currently pledging t' receive an Ouya wouldn’t make for a very big install base. Kuchera addresses some vast issues that remain unanswered about Ouya, including the one that rubs me the most: why promise Minecraft as a playable game when it be developer be not willing t' do that? It reeks a Ouya being desperate t' have a big name game t' hang it be hat on, 'n it’s merely a wild assumption.
Another problem be the fact the OUYA does little except further fragment the Android market, although I be told that’s not an issue. “There will be only one chipset for OUYA 'n a totally standard one at that,” I be told. “This be the best way t' develop Android for TV. We will work hard t' make it as standard as possible.” I’m going t' be blunt: That’s a ridiculous answer, 'n it’s akin t' claiming the Kindle Fire doesn’t count as market fragmentation as long as ye only develop for the Kindle Fire.If ye Click This, It Will Play
Oh, 'n This Other Stuff, Too
- This article quoting Mark Rein, in which he says passionate developers best be totally cool with crunch, bothers me. There's also some odd assumptions that everyone gets a bonus in the industry, too.
- Have ye seen this email dump from Atari's golden age? Holy crap!
- Eurogamer be running a profile series on AHOY Games, the developers a Joe Danger.
- I love these simple games. they be deceptively evil.
- God bless ye, Matt Leone, for tracking down Johnny Cage.
- Valve has soundly rejected Electronic Arts' theory about vast discounts hurting IP.
- Once again, Rockstar Games reminds us that Bully has not been forgotten. Thank ye.
- I haven't played this game yet, but I be hearing good things.
- This iOS horror text adventure be supposed t' be really neat. Plan t' dig into it this weekend.
- There be worse ways t' spend 15 minutes on than an endless platformer.
- ye simply must read Tim Rogers' writeup on his experience at Grasshopper Interactive.
- What the definition a success even be as an independent developer.
- The lessons learned from releasing a game independently 'n failing. Hard.
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Spec Ops: The Line be one a those rare video games where the story often outshines the gameplay. Even though ye might have tired a pumping bullets into sand-covered foes, it be the story in Spec Ops that will undoubtedly push many players forward.
With a story inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart a Darkness, our film pairing recommendation for the game be obvious: Cap'n Francis Ford Coppola's iconic Apocalypse Now - a film that has also heavily influenced the Yager-developed video game.
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Spec Ops: The Line be a standard cover-based shooter with a modern military theme. ye hide behind stuff, do a little blind-firing, toss a grenade or two, 'n shoot tons a enemy soldiers in their faces. The campaign gameplay be functional, if a bit clunky, 'n it has many a the features ye'd expect a shooter a this type t' have. it be a bit dull t' play, with most a it be differences coming as a result a enemies ('n players) not taking too many hits t' drop. But that be probably not why ye best care about The Line. Because behind it be generic look 'n feel be a storyline that puts ye into some really interesting situations that put the simple act a trudging across the desert 'n gunning down anyone who gets in yer way into a very different context than the average shooter. Add t' that some interesting moral decisions 'n multiple endings 'n ye've got... well, ye've got a collection a really cool things that would be a lot easier t' recommend if the game surrounding those things wasn't so drab.
The setup be that ye're a Delta Force operator named Walker, 'n ye, along with two squadmates, have been dropped into Dubai. Dubai has been cut off for six months due t' extreme sandstorms, 'n a US battalion that went in t' gather up 'n extract survivors has seemingly been swallowed up by the sand. When ye head t' find out what happened, ye discover that a conflict between the seemingly rogue battalion 'n the locals has erupted. Has the 33rd battalion 'n it be commander, John Konrad, gone crazy? Who's inciting the locals t' rise up 'n fight? As yer rescue mission quickly falls apart, ye'll find the answers t' these questions 'n others. What's more, those answers be actually quite interesting, making the back third a the game--which be where most a the moral choices 'n important reveals lie--a collection a fascinating sequences that make the game's displays a abject brutality more meaningful than in something like, say, Homefront. The Line be more about showing ye the horrible things that come about as a result a good-intentioned people going too far.
ye'll start the game as a three-man crew.it be a seemingly minor thing, but the way the game handles player 'n squad dialogue creates one a those headslapping moments where ye wonder why it be taken so long for someone t' do this. As the story escalates, yer soldiers pillage more harried 'n haggard, leading t' shifts in their dialogue. At the outset, they sound like soldiers, calling out targets, kills, 'n reloads like ye'd expect from a modern military game. At a specific point in the game, they switch, getting angrier. The squadmates pillage shorter with each other, 'n the jokes cracked at beginning a the game be replaced with curse-filled tirades as they question each others' actions. Reloading dialogue gets rougher. It happens again even later in the game, 'n by that point things have turned so bad that Walker be just swearing at his gun every time he needs t' reload it. It isn't perfect by any means--the dialogue repeats itself too frequently 'n ye'll occasionally hear one line a "professional soldier" dialogue immediately followed by "completely unraveled" dialogue, but make a note. ye'll probably see games employ this style a adaptive recurring dialogue in more games in the future.
it be a shame that these tactics didn't find their way into a better game. Spec Ops: The Line be a stock third-person shooter with it be share a turret sequences 'n cover-vaulting mechanics. ye can deliver orders t' yer two allies, but this consists a little more than being able t' say "shoot that lad first." There's no cooperative play in there, though that probably benefits the campaign a bit by letting it remove yer squad t' increase tension in a couple a spots. it be also not very long, though a few spots could have used an additional checkpoint or two, as it be easy t' pillage careless during some a the longer battles 'n visit Davey Jone's locker, forcing ye t' replay a bit more than ye'd like.
There's also a competitive multiplayer mode, complete with all a the loadout options 'n perks ye'd expect. It gets a little shifty by offering slight differences between the two factions 'n each class offers different bonuses t' nearby teammates, but beyond that it be the same sort a treadmill ye've gotten on a million times before. Again, this be a case where that treadmill would be a lot more palatable if the action be more satisfying. Despite colorful names like "Chaos" 'n "Mutiny," most a the multiplayer modes be pretty standard. The first on-screen bullet points for those two modes be just "Deathmatch" 'n "Team Deathmatch," which makes ye wonder why they bothered t' name them something different in the first place. In addition t' those combat modes, there be also a few objective-based types, but the action feels really off compared t' other games a this type. It feels like the players skitter around a little too much, even when the network connections appear t' be good. The other twist Spec Ops puts on things be that levels be occasionally hit with a sandstorm, taking out yer radar 'n making visibility poor for a little bit. It doesn't really add much t' the experience.
There be plenty a indoor areas t' explore along with the sandstorm-filled exteriors.On top a all that, the multiplayer looks pretty terrible. The textures 'n objects in the maps look old, like they be originally designed for a different console 'n hastily pumped up t' something more closely resembling today's standards. The multiplayer also shows off some a the worst Unreal Engine texture pop-in I've seen in a long, long time. The single-player looks a bit better than that 'n offers a bit a variety that actually manages t' deliver a few well-put-together areas but the whole game be rife with jumpy animation 'n overall, Dubai never really feels like a place. It feels like a strung-together patch a levels a varying quality.
The story in Spec Ops: The Line isn't amazing, but the way that it be told really stands out 'n, in many ways, saves the entire project from being a complete waste a time. But that doesn't make it easy t' recommend. It delivers some interesting ideas that approach the messed-up things that often happen in war-based video games in ways that actually make sense. It gives proper weight t' the potential horrors a conflict instead a just throwing them in yer face for mere shock value. If that interests ye, The Line be worth seeing.
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Yager/2K’s deceptively dull-named first-person shooter Spec Ops: The Line goes on sale in the UK today, having been out in the US since Tuesday. Alec crept into the heart a it be ravaged Dubai, never t' be heard from again – save for these blood-soaked notes. (more…)
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that be why it be disappointing, 'n often baffling, when Spec Ops underlines it be themes with an orange crayon. The discovery a a strung-up, mutilated corpse be meant t' shock, but the scene feels deflated alongside an Achievement notification that essentially says, "War be terrible. Have 10 points!"
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Spec Ops‘ handsomely bearded writing lead, Walt Williams, talks about the personalities that make up Spec Ops: The Line’s team – both player 'n non-player characters – in a new development diary installment, which ye can see below. Williams claims that the moral choices in the game be “about holding up a mirror t' yourself”, which in me case would reveal a tired-looking man with a serious head-cold 'n a dire need a a haircut. I be not sure what that says about me morals, but I suppose I could do with looking in a mirror once in a while.
Anyway, clickwards for what might be a bit a a spoilery dev diary. Mr Meer be playing Spec Ops: The Line RIGHT NOW for his ultimate verdict.(more…)
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After being seemingly stuck in development for years following it be 2009 announcement, the team at Yager Development has finally shipped the third-person shooter. Taking place in a sandstorm ravaged Dubai, the game centers on a Delta Force team sent into the region t' locate their own missing personnel.
Spec Ops: The Line be available today for the PC, Xbox 360, 'n PlayStation 3.
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'n not just because it seems like a billion a these things have popped up in the past week or so, either. See, a recent developer diary about Spec Ops‘ potentially uncomfortable marriage a meaty, blood-spattered fun 'n the grim truths a war prompted me t' wonder if the whole thing wasn’t like duct-taping a cat 'n dog together. 'n while Hollywood tells us that’d lead t' a heartwarming adventure a self-discovery, reality isn’t generally so kind. So along comes Spec Ops’ launch trailer, 'n yeah, this reeeeally doesn’t look like it’s trying t' downplay the glamorous lifestyle a videogame life-ending. ye know the drill: buildings, vehicles, 'n people pillage shredded into bloody confetti while caught in gooey bubbles a slow-mo. So now I’m confused.
(more…)
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We always thought it'd be interesting t' visit Dubai at some point in the future, what with it be indoor skiing 'n BMW 5 series police cars 'n everything, but if it be anything like the Dubai portrayed in this Spec Ops: The Line launch trailer, we'll probably pass. That haboob looks gross.
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