Spec Ops: The (vaguely explained)Line

[Varun Garuda Maharaj]

What the hell is "the line" anyway? I mean is it turning into something terrible or doing something contradictiary

Spoiler

Like walker killing the civillians before the big fight on the bridge

What do you think?

 

[CAPTCHA]

It's what you cross.

 

[Mikejames]

The line you fail to hold?

It's what you cross.

Sounds about right.

 

[josemlopes]

You wanna know something cool?

Spoiler

Walker is dead. He is only alive in the first level with the helicopter, he crashes and everyone dies, then he remembers the events that lead to that moment in the way that he can (thats why you see the hanging corpses as two alive guys), then he crashes the heli again and you have that scene where everything is red with blood and the tower looks like the eye of Sauron. After that he goes through purgatory to bring conclusion to his life.

Its all in here
http://www.gamespot.com/features/gamespot-gameplay-special-edition-spoilercast-spec-ops-the-line-6386587/

But yeah, like Djinn8 said, its what you cross

 

[crazyrabbits]

All I know is that the "back to reality/kill all the soldiers" ending is one of the best things I've seen all year.

"Gentlemen...welcome to Dubai." So good.

 

[LetalisK]

You wanna know something cool?

Spoiler

Walker is dead. He is only alive in the first level with the helicopter, he crashes and everyone dies, then he remembers the events that lead to that moment in the way that he can (thats why you see the hanging corpses as two alive guys), then he crashes the heli again and you have that scene where everything is red with blood and the tower looks like the eye of Sauron. After that he goes through purgatory to bring conclusion to his life.

Its all in here
http://www.gamespot.com/features/gamespot-gameplay-special-edition-spoilercast-spec-ops-the-line-6386587/

But yeah, like Djinn8 said, its what you cross

Spoiler

Just an fyi, the head writer mentioned that as a way someone can interpret those events, not as the way to interpret those events.

OT: "The Line" in the game's title can be referencing more than one thing. It could be talking about crossing the line into moral ambiguity or even immorality to accomplish something, or when a soldier crosses the line into madness from mental and emotional trauma, or even how far you are willing to go to indulge a power fantasy. There are probably even more possible meanings.

 

[Elemental]

Everything everyone said above me... I love this game

 

[Beach_Sided]

You wanna know something cool?

Spoiler

Walker is dead. He is only alive in the first level with the helicopter, he crashes and everyone dies, then he remembers the events that lead to that moment in the way that he can (thats why you see the hanging corpses as two alive guys), then he crashes the heli again and you have that scene where everything is red with blood and the tower looks like the eye of Sauron. After that he goes through purgatory to bring conclusion to his life.

What????

If that is true (that you put in the spoiler box above) then the interactive ending makes no sense.

I really liked the game, and after finishing it I thought that....

Spoiler

he was one of a few soldiers that had just gone crazy during the attempted evacuation that had gone so horribly wrong. Otherwise why would the ending be new soldiers arriving, finding Walker, and attempting to take him home?

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

There's also the phrases "The Thin Red Line" (referring to soldiers, namely British who traditionally wore red) and "The Thin Blue Line" (referring to police) both describing a small number or line of troops/police facing a larger enemy. I guess that could apply to Spec Ops.

 

[josemlopes]

Spoiler

Just an fyi, the head writer mentioned that as a way someone can interpret those events, not as the way to interpret those events.

Spoiler

Yeah, its even really hard to realize that conclusion on the first playthrough since its so subtle. I only got it when he said it on the interview, otherwise I wouldnt even think of it. Either way its very open to interpretation so take of it what you want

You wanna know something cool?

Spoiler

Walker is dead. He is only alive in the first level with the helicopter, he crashes and everyone dies, then he remembers the events that lead to that moment in the way that he can (thats why you see the hanging corpses as two alive guys), then he crashes the heli again and you have that scene where everything is red with blood and the tower looks like the eye of Sauron. After that he goes through purgatory to bring conclusion to his life.

What????

If that is true (that you put in the spoiler box above) then the interactive ending makes no sense.

I really liked the game, and after finishing it I thought that....

Spoiler

he was one of a few soldiers that had just gone crazy during the attempted evacuation that had gone so horribly wrong. Otherwise why would the ending be new soldiers arriving, finding Walker, and attempting to take him home?

Spoiler box again

Spoiler

It is true, but like the other guy said, its very open to interpretation, like, on my first playthrough I thought the same as you (I think), and its still a valid conclusion (he wanted to be a hero and after doing those things he couldnt go home not being the hero he wishes he was being the reason for him to go as far as he can to kill Konrad and to avenge the death of all those people). With the diferent perspective that he died at the beginning it becomes a diferent story, he fights for redemption with himself in his own purgatory, he may find peace (going home) or never accept what he did (stay there or die).

There is a reason why they kept it so subtle, dont think that the game tricked you, thats just how it goes.

 

[Lt._nefarious]

The line between right and wrong, hero and villain, heroics and murder and how it becomes blurred in that sort of situation... On a side note Spec Ops is amazing and has the best story since Bioshock!

 

[hazabaza1]

I'm wondering if its worth getting, I mean I spent a considerable amount of my childhood in Dubai. Seeing it in ruins might bring back some nostalgia...

If your childhood was anything like this game then you should either be dead or mentally fucked up.

 

[Secret world leader (shhh)]

I'm wondering if its worth g-

YES.


OT: It could be interpreted as: the line between right and wrong, the line between what you're willing to do for "the mission" and what you're not, the line between good and evil, life and death, reality and insanity, the list goes on. It depends on your interpretation of the game, really.

 

[Lukeje]

Extra Credits recently ran a couple of episodes about this game:

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/spec-ops-the-line-part-1
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/spec-ops-the-line-part-2

They're probably worth watching if you want some insight into what's meant by the line.

 

[LetalisK]

Spoiler

It is true, but like the other guy said, its very open to interpretation, like, on my first playthrough I thought the same as you (I think), and its still a valid conclusion (he wanted to be a hero and after doing those things he couldnt go home not being the hero he wishes he was being the reason for him to go as far as he can to kill Konrad and to avenge the death of all those people). With the diferent perspective that he died at the beginning it becomes a diferent story, he fights for redemption with himself in his own purgatory, he may find peace (going home) or never accept what he did (stay there or die).

There is a reason why they kept it so subtle, dont think that the game tricked you, thats just how it goes.

Spoiler

For that end bit, the interpretation I like is that Walker is just trying to do his job and it's slowly but surely destroying his psyche as he takes on more than he can handle. He's just a tabula rasa for the player. The references to wanting to be a hero aren't in reference to him, but to you as the player. The entire scathing lecture at the end is one big "You didn't even realize or think about what you were doing in your quest to fulfill your reality-distorting fantasy, did you?"

Again, just my preferred interpretation.

 

[Woodsey]

The line's whatever you think it is. Personally, I see the title as ironic. There's no line and there's arguably not even lines - everything's a spiral and to suggest otherwise is too basic a viewpoint.

Alternatively, there's a few moments in the game which are perhaps the most obvious contenders for a definitive line being crossed, or you might think that 'the line' pertains to the idea of heroism becoming narcissism.

And because I am unafraid to do some self-promotion, I have a review of it here (beneath the Bastion review): http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.386789-Woodsey-Weviews-vs-The-Summer-Aftermath-2012-Part-3

I'm wondering if its worth getting, I mean I spent a considerable amount of my childhood in Dubai. Seeing it in ruins might bring back some nostalgia...

I would have thought it's a little too ruined to be recognisable, but then I suppose it would depend on how accurately it's modeled on the place. I suspect they haven't done it down to the street-name. Definitely worth a purchase though, especially as it's now going for cheap in a lot of places.

 

[josemlopes]

Spoiler

It is true, but like the other guy said, its very open to interpretation, like, on my first playthrough I thought the same as you (I think), and its still a valid conclusion (he wanted to be a hero and after doing those things he couldnt go home not being the hero he wishes he was being the reason for him to go as far as he can to kill Konrad and to avenge the death of all those people). With the diferent perspective that he died at the beginning it becomes a diferent story, he fights for redemption with himself in his own purgatory, he may find peace (going home) or never accept what he did (stay there or die).

There is a reason why they kept it so subtle, dont think that the game tricked you, thats just how it goes.

Spoiler

For that end bit, the interpretation I like is that Walker is just trying to do his job and it's slowly but surely destroying his psyche as he takes on more than he can handle. He's just a tabula rasa for the player. The references to wanting to be a hero aren't in reference to him, but to you as the player. The entire scathing lecture at the end is one big "You didn't even realize or think about what you were doing in your quest to fulfill your reality-distorting fantasy, did you?"

Again, just my preferred interpretation.

Spoiler

Yes, a lot of it goes for the player that usually plays these types of games to fullfill that fantasy of being the badass hero that saves the world. This game is fucking awesome, it really makes a guy think about it for quite some time. For me the best of it is that the main message isnt even "War is bad" but that one that you said, being a deconstruction of the typical shooter (or even action game for that matter).