Zero Punctuation: Spec Ops: The Line

[Jumplion]

I have become so jaded with this industry that when I heard that the developers were basing the storyline of this game off of Heart of Darkness, with all the PR bullcrap of "deep, mature, character driven story!" (when "deep, mature, character driven" stories in games just means explosions, random introspection, and "edgy" characters), I completely tossed this game off my radar as I didn't want to fall for the bullshit. My thought was that, like Dante's Inferno and many other games before it, this game was just going to be another pile of rubbish that does absolutely no justice to the source material and will completely fail.

But now with this and several other reviews, I realize that that is not entirely fair. While it is entirely reasonable to believe that the story will be utter shit (especially one where they self proclaim that it's so deep n' mature n' stuff (Homefront and Call of Juarez: The Cartel anyone?)), I was taking it a step too far by just tossing up anything that didn't exceed the expectation I had with innovation/concepts which isn't fair because nothing will exceed the high standards I have now with my jadedness.

I may give this a chance down the line eventually. I may or may not enjoy it and that is entirely my prerogative. The thing I shouldn't do, however, is completely disregard something because I already believe it is shit.

So, yeah. Thanks for making me grab a handle on my jadedness. Maybe I'll actually enjoy the occasional game now.

Also, quick note on "fun" being the point of a game, I would actually say that the point of a game is to "entertain" rather than just be "fun" and there is a huge difference between the two. After all, as you said, Silent Hill and many horror games aren't exactly "fun" but they definitely "entertain" the audience with their mechanics and design. It's this narrow thinking that all games must be "fun" that prevents us from really getting some truly unique experiences out there.

 

[Furrama]

This is my favorite review you've done in a long time. I guess because there was actual weight you had to deal with and still make it funny. Which you did. In the most disrespectful way possible given the source material. So good show all around really. I really and truly laughed out loud at the end.

I hope games continue to progress in such away that allows for more of this.

 

[Moeez]

I actually played the demo for this and found the gameplay quite lacking if being utterly annoying. The chemistry of the characters was lacking (maybe it's because it's the demo) and frankly I couldn't feel invested in it. But that being said, I did enjoy this review since it has something Yahtzee is very good at and that is the juxtaposition of being funny. Grim games can work, but really, if it's not fun to play (and I would even go sofar as to say if a horror game isn't fun) then really what is the point? Immersion? Not on my count. It's impossible to get immersed in a game you're hating. The shooting is bland, the contextual flashbang is mind-boggling and I hadn't the feeling the plot was up to much.

Dude, the demo is nothing compared to the full game. Experience it just to see the greatest narrative to ever grace a shooter, and the gameplay is generally good.

 

[almostgold]

"You hardly kill any foreigners"

Aren't Americans foreigners to Yahtzee? Or does he think that word means "dark people"?

 

[lacktheknack]

The moment Yahtzee first wheeled out the farting noises gag, I paused the video and said "This episode shall end with deep, serious analysis, and then another fart noise"

And lo was it so.

I didn't realize exactly HOW grim and serious the analysis would be.

Which really did make it funnier. I feel very immature now.

Also, I'm now filled with the intense urge to play Spec Ops: The Line.

 

[John the Gamer]

I saw a commercial on tv stating 'Do [something - don't remember] and get a chance to win an Xbox 360 with the game Spec ops: the line"

And immediately thought; this game must surely be shit for them to give it away for free.

And so it is.

Yay for me.

Did you even watched the episode or played the game? The gameplay is meh but the rest is good, it has a lot of detail in it, not just story wise

I played it a bit at a friends' house. Really didn't like it.

 

[Darth_Payn]

Jesus Fuck! Someone in Australia better get out and check on Yahtzee
I think Spec Ops might have...

*puts on sunglasses*

...Rectum

Also JAM!

You forgot to put the YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!, but well done, sir.

 

[natster43]

Wait a shooter with a good storyline? I now actually want to play this game.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Im sick of gritty realism. some devlopers should make a wacky entertaining fps with a large weapon wheel.

Serious Sam 3 just came out, ya know.

OT: I'm very nearly done with the game (I know the campaign's short, but I don't really play games that often) and I must say it's one of the most amazingly written third person shooters I've played in years. I love the fact that pretty much everything becomes more brutal as the main character gets more brutalized. Instead of shouting "Sniper over there, take him out!" he shouts "For fucks sake get that fucking sniper down NOW!" and the executions change from a simple shot to the head to two brutal punches. It's amazing, and incredibly depressing to!

Still can't believe Yahtzee liked this though, thought he would say it was some sort of generic shooter trying to be edgy with a brutal story and failing. What a pleasant surprise.

 

[antipunt]

wow. the reaction to this game is rather interesting.

will need to keep tabs on this one. Heard the story is rather gripping, and I can handle emo well (*emo stance)

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

Next meaningful speech I make will end with farting noises. Also, I do remember when I could enjoy shooting daemons that looked like angry turds. Good times...

 

[him over there]

"You hardly kill any foreigners"

Aren't Americans foreigners to Yahtzee? Or does he think that word means "dark people"?

I think he was speaking from the perspective of the protagonist.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Jam apocalypse? I'm sold, to Amazon!

On topic

It seems I might have to consider getting this game now. All the games adverts had painted it as another mediocre shooter.

 

[Darth_Payn]

The moment Yahtzee first wheeled out the farting noises gag, I paused the video and said "This episode shall end with deep, serious analysis, and then another fart noise"

And lo was it so.

Yeah, I totally lost it after that last fart! I knew Yahtzee's serious sounding conclusion had to be leading up to something.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Oh so it's another dull grey brown... wait you kill Americans in this one? SOLD!!
.
.
.
.
I'm kidding, don't hurt me.

HA! I knew you damn maple leafs had it in for us!
It's time we settled this once and for all!
http://www.9wsyr.com/media/lib/17/1/0/a/10a3a245-4515-4580-a805-a8a4eb8e5bea/Story.jpg

Oh that calls for epic theme music.

I've got the perfect song!
<youtube=IhnUgAaea4M>

I was thinking something more like this:

Well if you lot are going to take credit for what the British did, we'll take credit for BEATING you!
<youtube=50_iRIcxsz0>

British my ass!
Well whatever, we're still bigger than you.

Well We're more Bad Ass.
<youtube=mt84J7U75e0>

...
Ok I'm outta songs. You win.

 

[BrionJames]

Interesting...I may have to play this. I've been hoping for something a little bit more original in FPS' for a while. The fact that this coincides with what I've wanted is downright uncanny.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Jesus Fuck! Someone in Australia better get out and check on Yahtzee
I think Spec Ops might have...

*puts on sunglasses*

...Rectum

Also JAM!

I hereby declare this your greatest pun yet. Well done, have an internet.

 

[SAMAS]

Wow.

I usually don't give a damn about modern FPS games, but this review actually makes me want to play it.

 

[GAunderrated]

I personally would like to congratulate Spec Ops: The Line for being one of the worse games I played ( more accurately tried to play) this year . first of all my gaming rig is by no means bad I play the witcher 2 on max settings (Ubersampling on) with a steady 40 -45 PFS . Spec Ops: The Line on the other hand ran at around 20 with all the setting turned down or off . but fine whatever I got it running on a laptop ( which is obviously much worse ) and it ran fine(ish) with an ok 24-27 FPS ?.. fine whatever its not the first time I run into a game with shity optimization.

So I start playing speck ops and the first thing I notice is the horrible mouse acceleration ..... and my god was it annoying. it doesn?t make the game unplayable but I certainly makes shooting small objects very difficult and since the game tries to make itself more exciting by making ammo scarce you often find yourself in a situation where you have to reload because your team too fucking stupid to get the last 3 or 4 guys on the map .(even after I told them to go do that )

Another thing I found was the weird disarray between the story and gameplay . the game does a good job showing the horrors of war and does everything it can to distance itself from the ?America fuck yeah ? attitude lots of recent game have been showing. but then It turns around and lets you shoot so many people you forget why you there in the first place .
Later about an hour into the game I found myself having to reduce the gamma to almost pitch black because the lighting and bloom effects were so bright I couldn?t see the 4 snipers sitting 50 feet above me . and at that point I said FUCK IT I love me a good story I play adventure games and RPG?s because I love the characters and the worlds they present but no fucking story is worth this poorly optimized mess where even the story seems to be diametrically opposed to the actual gameplay . yes war is horrible but I keep forgetting that after I just killed 300000 soldiers with my slow-motion bullet cam .

So fuck you Spec Ops: The Line .

I had the exact opposite results as you, I bought and installed the game after seeing the review, put everything on max (not a godly rig though),and it ran smooth as butter. Not a single frame rate drop at all. So id say the game is decently optimized but you seem to have a compatibility issue you can't figure out and its easy to blame it on the game.

The mouse acceleration was annoying.....for the first 10 minutes until I changed my mouse settings and solved that problem. Honestly to me it sounds like you are nit picking. Yes the AI partners arn't as sharp as human allies but for AI i've dealt with worse (RE5). Actually I liked the fact ammo was scarce. It made things more tense but not in a brutal sort of way but more of a challenging.

The story and gameplay meld quite well together in my opinion. I knew the objective because I listened to the characters and what was going on. Not once in playing the game for 2 hours straight did I not know what was going on or what I was doing. Maybe playing other shooter games with crap story's have made you block it out but if you let the game drag you in, it can be an intense, sad, and gripping experience. Yeah phosphorous is very blinding and that was the point. It is a very inconvenient and powerful element. You don't need to tweak your settings for every little thing the game throws at you to try and cheat your way through.

 

[Dalisclock]

Sounds quite cynical and depressing.

I'm intrigued.

However, I will say Yahtzee is wrong in one respect. Dubai is awesome. It's the one place in the middle east I want to go back to.