The conversations on reddit and tv tropes are a must read after a play through as they dive much more extensively into literary analysis of the game. There is also a lot to analyze with Spec Ops, similar to a great novel or movie. The music is very cinematic at times which sets the scene quite well, and at other times it very upbeat and consciously makes the player feel uncomfortable (which is a good thing). Yager in the development of title also managed to include many deeper metaphors to convey it, with one example being that the player is always descending in both the physical and emotional sense. The game uses loading screens and music (and just about everything else in its arsenal) to relay its hard hitting messages. Without ruining too much in short, the game manages to make the player feel responsible for their actions by giving them the control necessary to make the game feel like a truly personal experience. In many ways these choices are a way to explore Walker’s (and by extension your own) psyche. This is all done with the purpose of showing us the gravity of our choices and often horrible impact they can have. At one point you are asked to choose who lives between a man who stole water, and a soldier that killed the man’s family attempting to apprehend him. This is done best when the game poses moral choices, which prove to be sadistic and personal but incredibly engaging for this reason. However, this is not solely what makes the game undeniably a classic the way that this story is told is what definitively separates it from the regular title. Spoiling this aspect would be criminal, but I will say the game came out at a critical time in our industry with the influx of modern military shooters we’ve seen over the past few years. It explores the reasons why people love shooters, and does a great job being a well developed antithesis to the ‘Call of Dutys’ and the ‘Medal of Honors’ of our world. The game explores both the character’s and the player’s decisions as both descend into darkness. Spec Ops: The Line draws inspiration from John Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a literary classic. This is what makes Spec Ops one of the most significant games I’ve played, and a must buy title. Rarely are they for the reason, of delivering a deeper, more meaningful message. This is not often seen in our industry, as games often are sold on the pretense of good game-play alone. It puts the player through a truly taxing and dramatic story. Spec Ops is the first title I legitimately can say is designed to deliver a message with a point, and uses the advantages of video games to make the player feel involved in its development. Usually games focus on game-play and all other aspects play a fairly secondary role, but that is not the case in Yager Studios’ first release. Its unique approach to engaging the player is vastly different from every other shooter game. Spec Ops: The Line is one of the most important titles I’ve played this console generation.
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