*Spec Ops: The Line* is a third person *shooter*, that reignites a franchise
we haven't seen in a decade. This demo reintroduces you to Spec Ops in
explosive style, under attack in a helicopter flying through a wrecked Dubai
skyline as a sandstorm is raging. Multiplayer will be included, but for now
we've only played a portion of the single player campaign. The story is that
catastrophic sandstorms have forced Dubai to be evacuated, and that a US Army
Colonel has stayed behind to *protect those who couldn't escape*. Your squad
has been sent in to find out exactly what happened. *Can the story deliver on
its promises?* Spec Ops: The Line stays true to the third person cover
shooter model, with additional squad controls. It's atmospheric, with *good
graphics and SFX making the sand-ravaged urban environment believable*,
although the script is a pretty jaded assortment of gruff clichés. The Spec
Ops: The Line demo is *very linear*, and although you are nominally the
leader, it feels like you are following your squad mates, and you have to
proceed at their pace. This scripted feel is common in action shooters, but
the rest of Spec Ops: The Line will have to be pretty special to make the
scripted moments acceptable. *Controversial* 2K Games promises a game that
will force players to *make difficult decisions* in morally gray areas - it
claims to be influenced by the same novel as Apocalypse Now. That's a bold
hope, and not one that seems very likely on the strength of the demo. Still,
the ruined Dubai makes an interesting environment for Spec Ops: The Line, and
the basic cover/shoot gameplay is solid. *Spec Ops: The Line is released June
29th. Check back for our full review!*Download *Spec Ops: The Line* in
Softonic
