Unlike many of the other games announced at E3 this week, you don't have to wait too long for the next 2K Games shooter. Spec Ops: The Line hits retail outlets on June 26th. Will it compete with the other shooters that have established fan bases? Borderlands 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Halo 4, and now Spec Ops: The Line. Spec Ops: The what?
In this third person shooter you play the role of US Army Captain Walker whose mission is to extract a high value US Military asset from the once posh and fantasy-inspired city of Dubai. Destroyed by cataclysmic sandstorms, Dubai fell into anarchy. Outlaws rule this refugee-filled no-man’s land. The question is, is this combination enough to woo players over from the other titles? Probably.
2K Games made a pretty ballsy move to take a setting such as Dubai and turn it into a wasteland. In a land where many of its current architectural structures hail as major feats in modern day engineering, Dubai is also one of the few seats of political, economic, and social stability in this region of the world. Fortunately, the early feedback from industry insiders is very promising. The game features a well written story and a compelling campaign mode with solid gameplay mechanics.
Most shooters have you shoot, reload, take cover, shoot, repeat. Spec Ops brings another dimension to the experience. In between firefights over certain objectives, you must make certain moral decisions. Which soldier in front of you lives? The one on the right? Or the one on the left? That is probably the most unique feature that sets this game apart from many of the games launching this year - the ability to make a moral choice. Do you uphold the values of truth, justice, and the American way? Or do you complete your mission brutally, using any tactic necessary? The choice is yours on June 26th.
