Is Spec Ops: the Line worth getting?

[COMaestro]

I played Spec Ops and knew about the WP scene as well, but found the game to be very enjoyable. It is a generic 3rd person shooter on the gameplay side, but the story is fantastic and well worth playing. As Lupin said above, you are given a choice, but do not have a choice and there is a reason for it. I feel the game was really well done as far as the experience. There's some gameplay issues that could be fixed and it isn't the prettiest shooter out there, but there's nothing else that approaches the impact of the story.

 

[Vkmies]

Yep. Fantastic story, fantastic little piece of thought and fiction.

Not fun to play at all, but that's part of the point. In the right mindset with the right point of view, it's a pretty jaw dropping experience.

 

[Worgen]

I played the demo and found the gameplay pretty boring...

The gameplay is the least of Spec Ops, the shooting isn't bad, its just not great either, its the story that keeps you going and the story is amazing.

 

[songnar]

Yes. If you have not played, you do need to get through The Line.

The gameplay is awful, the graphics are not stunning but, as it has been mentioned, the story is spectacular.

The trick is that you have to force yourself to keep playing to the end. It's not exactly easy to do, but if you can manage it, you will be justly rewarded.

 

[RheynbowDash]

The gameplay is nothing to write home about, but the story is TOP NOTCH. After I finished it, I had to sit my controller down, and mentally go over what had just occurred. Its an intense story. And if you call yourself a gamer, its one of those MUST play titles.

 

[SlightlyEvil]

Absolutely worth getting. Frankly, the "big shocking moment" only works as part of the whole. One of the best games I've played in recent years.

 

[luckshotpro]

There is so much more to Spec Ops than just "that part." I say buy it.

 

[Maerx]

Don't read much about the game. Just get it.

 

[sageoftruth]

I'd say it's worth renting. The main draw is the experience. Once you've experienced everything and nothing surprises you, there's nothing left for it to offer that other games cannot offer better.

 

[Goofguy]

It's hard for me to recommend the game as I found it underwhelming. The gameplay is pretty uninspired and seemed like it was an afterthought to the lesson the narrative is trying to teach you. As for that lesson, it's too overt and linear in its execution. The protagonist finds himself in morally ambiguous situations and pushes himself too far all in pursuit of his objective. I get the game's message, it was just wasted on me.

 

[Gearhead mk2]

Yes, absolutley. It is one of those things you really have to see for yourself.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I played it thinking it was a standard shooter. An it became my game of the year. People complain about the story and lack of choice, but its not your story. Your playing as the main chracter and going through his story and his choices and what he saw and experienced. Yes its linear, but thats because it has nothing to do with you. Your playing what the character went through. No one has ever read a book and thought "wow that was linear", you have to see it as a book. Reading about another persons thoughts and experiences.

I think a lot of people dont get it. Some games have choice, cos the character is you. This game isnt you. its like you are playing through another persons eyes.

Just rent it like i did, its about 8 hour or so. But its a great 8 - 10 hours when you take into account of the story and just except your following a character and making the choices he made....not the choices you would.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Seems people play it with the " well what you got to tell me?" idea. You play it and you get what you want out of it. Its like comedy, you either get it or you dont. Either way, its a fun ride.

 

[FFP2]

Yes. One of the best games this generation. The story is on SH2 levels of subtlety/symbolism.

And if you find the gameplay boring just remember that it's supposed to be like that. Won't spoil why.

 

[Acton Hank]

I don't think it's worth buying.

if you're curious about it then rent it or borrow it from a friend, you can shoot through in a weekend easily and I'm pretty sure most people are only going to play it once. The story is bad and the gameplay is perfectly functional but mundane and static.

It probably works better if you walk into it not knowing anything about it.
You might find it refreshing because it tries to do something relatively new by videogame standards but it fails so bad at what it tries to do that it comes across as pretentious.

Still, the game seems to have struck a cord with lots of people so you might as well check it out.
As for me, I felt nothing but indifference throughout my whole playthrough, it was just another game where you moved from A to B and murdered everything in your way; something that was done better in other games.

 

[Double A]

Depends on the mindset you play the game with.

I wanted to hear what the game wanted to say, but the game assumes you're playing from a point of ignorance.

It's like showing up to lecture, to hear what someone has to say, and then getting criticised by said person for showing up.

I didn't really enjoy that.

I enjoyed that very much, but I was looking at it from a more meta perspective because I had a general idea of what I was getting myself into, just no specifics. Of course, I didn't enjoy being subjected to stuff, but I still appreciate the experience for what it is. I don't think any game (and certainly not a shooter) has ever gotten me to feel emotions other than some forms of joy and fear.

OT: Yes. Very yes.

 

[BeastofShadow]

Personally I just found the game frustrating. Not in difficulty but in execution. The gameplay is meh and some of the things they tried to do completely broke me out the experience. I felt the pacing wasn't particularly good and I personally had no connection to the characters. It did do some things I really liked and I love that it tried to do what it did but I felt that overall it failed. Just my 2 cents.

 

[octafish]

Depends on your tolerance for boring gameplay. I've played about two hours of it and I find it hard tp go back to because I find the gameplay more grueling than the story. I haven't even made it to "that" section. The story is probably good but the game itself is pretty bad. I'd rather play some Vegas 2 and read a precis of The Line.