Is Spec Ops: The Line still worth playing if the story has been spoiled for you?

[V8 Ninja]

Let me give some context;

In my infinite wisdom while barely staying awake in the middle of the night, I decided to watch a video analysis of Spec Ops: The Line. Assuming that I would dislike the gameplay as I'm not entirely into modern military shooters, I had come to the hazy conclusion that I would not care if the story was spoiled and that the story/twists probably wasn't/weren't as good as everyone said it/they was/were.

I was very, VERY wrong.

So that brings me to the proposed question of this topic; is Spec Ops: The Line still worth playing even thought the big twists have been revealed to me? Granted, I was hazy, so I may not remember everything that the game offers, but I definitely remember the big twists.

For those curios, this is the analysis I watched;

Spoiler: Spec Ops: The Line spoilers ahoy!

Seriously; the video contains Spec Ops: The Line spoilers.

Also, PLEASE AVOID SPOILERS FOR OTHERS. And if the census agrees that the game is worth playing regardless, I would like to not have the spoilers repeated onto me once again.

EDIT: For those wondering what I do remember from that analytical video...

Spoiler: SERIOUSLY: SPEC OPS THE LINE SPOILERS!!!

#1. The player drops a white phosphorus bomb on innocent civilians, thinking he was targeting an enemy.
#2. There are several dream-like sequences where the player kills civilians en-masse and starts hallucinating (specifically hallucinating about mannequins being enemies and his partners' faces being on enemies).
#3. The main character is eventually revealed to be insane.

 

[tippy2k2]

Uh...depends on exactly how much has been spoiler. I'm not going to watch a 20 minute video to give you advice

Throw what you've seen (or what you think you've seen, I won't tell you if you're right or not (unless you want me to) in a spoiler box and I will let you know if I think it's worth it. The gameplay is...alright. The story is easily the driving force behind it and without it, it's a mediocre game at best.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Uh...depends on exactly how much has been spoiler. I'm not going to watch a 20 minute video to give you advice

Throw what you've seen in a spoiler box and I will let you know if I think it's worth it.

Very well, here is what I remember;

Spoiler: SERIOUSLY: SPEC OPS THE LINE SPOILERS!!!

#1. The player drops a white phosphorus bomb on innocent civilians, thinking he was targeting an enemy.
#2. There are several dream-like sequences where the player kills civilians en-masse and starts hallucinating (specifically hallucinating about mannequins being enemies and his partners' faces being on enemies).
#3. The main character is eventually revealed to be insane.

...And that's all I can remember.

 

[tippy2k2]

snip

Ouch...Well...there are still a lot of interesting moments you don't have but....

How much are you paying for the game? $15 or less? Go for it. Higher and I'd wait.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Ouch...Well...there are still a lot of interesting moments you don't have but....

How much are you paying for the game? $15 or less? Go for it. Higher and I'd wait.

I was just wondering if playing the game for the extra bits was worth anything. I am considering springing for it during the Steam holiday sale.

 

[tippy2k2]

snip

You've hit all the BIG BIG stuff. What you have described are the big payoffs of the story and when you lose those, the game goes from a Game of the Year contender to an OK shooter. My jaw was hitting the floor during this game and I legitimately felt bad for my actions while playing but I went in only knowing it was a dark war game like "Apocalypse Now" or "Full Metal Jacket". Losing that...

God, hopefully some others will round out my opinion but I personally think it's not worth it unless you get it at a steal. I'll be quiet now and hope that another perspective will walk into the thread to help.

*Also, if it helps, I am very much a "the story matters and I feel that games/movies are pretty much ruined when spoilers are heard". I have skipped some pretty big names (namely Red Dead Redemption) because of spoilers. Hope that helps

Double Edit: I guess I'm a moron (see below) because I sure as shit didn't see these plot twists coming...

 

[Triforceformer]

Not really no. The gameplay is intentionally repetitive and stressful to enhance all those spoilers, but not much else.

 

[hazabaza1]

snip

You've hit all the BIG BIG stuff. What you have described are the big payoffs of the story and when you lose those, the game goes from a Game of the Year contender to an OK shooter. My jaw was hitting the floor during this game and I legitimately felt bad for my actions while playing but I went in only knowing it was a dark war game like "Apocalypse Now" or "Full Metal Jacket". Losing that...

God, hopefully some others will round out my opinion but I personally think it's not worth it unless you get it at a steal. I'll be quiet now and hope that another perspective will walk into the thread to help.

*Also, if it helps, I am very much a "the story matters and I feel that games/movies are pretty much ruined when spoilers are heard". I have skipped some pretty big names (namely Red Dead Redemption) because of spoilers. Hope that helps

Agreed, in general.
While games like Red Dead have a strong enough focus on gameplay to keep them entertaining, Spec Ops relies pretty much entirely on the shock factor of the story to be a good game. Even then, a lot of the impact comes only if you're used to modern military shooter conventions.
Can't suggest it at anything other than bargain bin price if you know the big story happenings.

 

[GloatingSwine]

The "big twists" are wholly predictable in advance if you are not a moron.

However, the atmosphere and design in detail of how the story is executed demands your attention if you claim at all to care about quality narrative in videogames.

If you ignore a game like Spec Ops because you vaguely know what happens on the surface of the story, ignoring any deeper themes and meanings that may be conveyed by that story and which are conveyed by how the story is presented and the details of design therein, you are a fool.

 

[XMark]

The presentation of the story is its strong point, so simply knowing the key points of the story won't detract from the experience. In fact, you may get more out of it. Like watching the Sixth Sense for the second time and going "oh yeah! Why didn't I see that?"

 

[Mikejames]

I think it's still worth looking into if you're interested in the story and atmosphere as a whole.
The pacing of the downward spiral it puts you on is a big part of it.

 

[shrekfan246]

See, this is why I don't understand people who get upset about spoilers. Of course it's still worth experiencing, because even if you know what it is, you still haven't experienced it, you've just heard about it, which is nowhere near the same.

It loses some shock value, sure, but it's no less enjoyable to actually see for yourself. At least, that's how I feel. If you're the type of person who suddenly loses all enjoyment you get out of something when you know what's coming, then I guess it won't still be worth playing.

 

[Zhukov]

Yeah, it's still worth checking out.

You'll be able to snap it up for cheap now anyway.

 

[In Search of Username]

Not really. It's not a game you play for the gameplay, you play it for the storyline.

That said it's more fun to actually experience the storyline than just to hear about it. So it depends how interesting you think the story sounds to you.

Just don't expect the actual gameplay to be worthwhile.

 

[Christopher Fisher]

Eh. If you already know the story, then it's simply a matter of wanting to see it play out to its fullest. Otherwise, you're really not missing much. The gameplay is about as generic as third person shooting can be, with nothing unique thrown in there at all (ie like the powers you can use in Mass Effect). Pick it up during the steam winter sale if you're unsure.

 

[Boggelz]

I'd say it's still worth it because I found it was more about the delivery of the plot points rather than the plot points themselves. Its one thing to experience the "you-know-what" than to hear about it. My two cents anyway.

When I played it I already knew the
White Phosphorus scene
And still loved it

 

[Professor Lupin Madblood]

Definitely worth picking up and playing, or at least watching through on YouTube (that was my only experience to it, and it's still a hell of a ride). I mean, if you can pick it up for $15, then go for it - not to play the guilt trip card, but devs that make these things need support.

Even if you know the big twists, there are still a lot of little nuances and subtle details that you either only get from gameplay or that you don't remember. The sandstorms and intel items are a great example of this - they add a lot to the setting and the narrative.

Like, the enemy types: there's an enemy type (I don't think it counts a spoiler) who fits into the "run at player and attack in melee" category. Remember, this is still in modern times, and pretty much everyone you encounter in the game has assault rifles, handguns, grenades, or other ranged weapons.

And the guy's strategy is to run at you with a knife, screaming as he does so. That alone provides a huge insight into the kind of conditions Dubai has fallen into.

Also, it has a freakin' great soundtrack.

EDIT: All these people claiming to have seen all the twists coming a mile away are hilarious. Sure, Escapist User #3897983473, you're definitely capable of seeing through literally every trick the game throws at you to see plot turns that fly completely in the face of the genre. I totally believe you.

 

[Rack]

The presentation of the story is its strong point, so simply knowing the key points of the story won't detract from the experience. In fact, you may get more out of it. Like watching the Sixth Sense for the second time and going "oh yeah! Why didn't I see that?"

While I'm sure you won't get more out of it the big deal about Spec Ops is the way all of this is presented as opposed to actual spoilers. Only point 1 will really genuinely lessen your enjoyment because if you've been playing it as a shooter that will completely blind side you. If you're attentive it's actually quite well sign posted which is interesting but not even close to as powerful.

Ultimately though the story is good but it's the presentation which is phenominal. The gameplay is very poor but worth it to see how its done.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Yes. Just because you know how a story ends doesn't mean you can't enjoy the journey. Hell, you've already heard every story that can ever be told. That doesn't mean it isn't worth seeing one of them unfold from time to time.