Spec Ops: The Line

[Omizzay]

As a Dubai resident, I find this quite intriguing -

Anyone know more about it?

[Fragmaster]

Is this related to the older Spec Ops/Spec Ops II for the PC? I played those both to death, and picked up the console ports which were frankly quite shoddy.

This looks a lot more console focused this time around which is good.

Could end up being SOCOM with a decent single player campaign attached

[mushashi]

The game's being developed by Yager, a German developer who previously worked on a game called Yager for the Xbox. Some show I watched mentioned the sand mechanics being some USP.

The Wikipedia entry has a fair amount of details about the game:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spec_Ops_9

[Omizzay]

Dubai Considers Censoring New Spec Ops Game

December 16, 2009

A new title from 2K Games set in a post-apocolyptic Dubai has officials in the United Arab Emirates a bit antsy in light of the latest financial crisis in the middle eastern city state.

The game, Spec Ops: The Line, follows a group of special forces troops sent on a rescue mission to Dubai after it is destroyed in a sandstorm of cataclysmic proportions. According to an article in The National, the idea for the game was decided long before Dubai's troubles:

"It's such a fantastic location from an architectural standpoint," said [the game's producer Greg] Kasavin. "The contrast between the exterior devastation and the interior opulence and beautiful architecture seemed to be a really beautiful and effective image."

But seeing one of their most prominent cities in ruins has UAE officials a bit wary:

"We will have to review the game first before issuing any decision on whether to ban it or allow it," said Mohammed al Mutawa, a video-games censor at the [uAE's National Media Council].

Apparently, Kasavin and the development team are taking great pains to make sure the game does not step on any religious or political toes, but the game's description does hint to something ominous as the characters dig deeper into the story.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Hmmmmmm....probably banned here then

[Omizzay]

Video preview - http://www.gametrailers.com/video/downfall-of-spec-ops/61264

[SMD]

I bet if it was set in like LA or something they wouldn't even consider banning it. They're so fucking mindless it drives me crazy. They banned Darksiders because it has 'angels' in it but Bayonetta is fine

The GTA games got banned after San Andreas (IV never had an official release) but they had a big push for Kane and Lynch in all the shops.

God of War got banned after 3 years of its release but I bet they won't touch Dante's Inferno.

It's almost as bad as how they censored Watchmen.

[Harsin]

According to Edge this has Nolan North voicing yet another protagonist.

[mr_woo]

According to Edge this has Nolan North voicing yet another protagonist.

Heard about that in the latest Giantbomb bombcast and they were saying how it took them a while to even realise it was him doing the voice so it at least seems like he's not just outright doing Drake again (or maybe they're a bit deaf! )

[Hello Goaty ♥]

that looks superb.

reminds me of Killswitch.

[Wroth]

Heard about that in the latest Giantbomb bombcast and they were saying how it took them a while to even realise it was him doing the voice so it at least seems like he's not just outright doing Drake again (or maybe they're a bit deaf! )

GiantBomb are Northy connoisseurs. If anyone can recognise him, it's those guys.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

So, let me ask.. is this getting released or what?

[Asura]

From that quote I notice something - Greg Kasavin? The former editor of Gamespot is producing games now?

[Vemsie]

From that quote I notice something - Greg Kasavin? The former editor of Gamespot is producing games now?

Yup.

[mushashi]

So, let me ask.. is this getting released or what?

Don't see why not, apart from setting it in Dubai, there seems nothing particularly controversial about it, the GT preview was quite positive.

[The Sarge]

E3 Trailer

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[Nespresso]

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-spec-ops/700827

New gameplay footage inside! 2011 release makes me a sad panda though.

Also, the game title may suck but I do love their logo.

[The Sarge]

beta sign ups.

http://www.specopstheline.com/multiplayerbeta/

[Smitty]

spectacle ops

[Nespresso]

This was curiously MIA at this year's E3 am I right?

[deerokus]

Not that curiously, because they've put it back to 2013. It seemed as if it was nearly finished last year (wasn't there a beta? Did anyone from here play it?). Seems likely it was really bad and they've scrapped everything and gone back to the drawing board, or possibly they're bumping it to next gen. The latter seems unlikely, though.

[Nespresso]

Visually, it already looked rather impressive so that'd be a bummer if they started from scratch. They really need reconsider that name though, it's terrible.

[Nespresso]

New trailer

Dear games industry, stop Nolan North'ing up our beloved medium.

[deerokus]

I remember that having significantly better graphics last time I saw it.

Also,it seems to be heavily inspired by Haert of Darkness (well, more likely, Apocalypse Now). 'John Conrad'

[Nespresso]

Oh that has always been the case and the visuals seem fine to me, aside from the facial animations and uninspired designs.

[Asura]

It looks like some kind of cross between Heart of Darkness and The Warriors, set in Dubai. Not in itself a bad thing. What does surprise me though is how much it's starting to look like an arcadey military shooter; I know people have criticised others such as Rainbow Six for getting quite arcadey over the years but at least those games preserved a few elements from their forbear games.

Wasn't Spec Ops a serious hardcore military sim? This seems to have gone even further than the likes of Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and Flashpoint and made the complete jump from military sim to COD-esque FPS.

[deerokus]

The original ones attempts at being a realistic tactical games, but they were low budget, and were pretty terrible. I think they're just using a ten year old name they had lying around.

[Roboplegic Wrongcock]

Fairly meaty demo for this is up on LIVE over a gig and a bit to download.

Impressions so far? Plays like faster GoW. Cover system is good and responsive and the game looks lovely just started the second chapter.

[Ferine]

For me the demo ranges from competent to good.

Unfortunately nothing about it really stands out apart from the setting and concept, the latter of which seemed somewhat at odds with the gameplay; the execution moves, the slow-mo headshots or the simple fact I must've shot about 100 guys over the course of a 30 minute demo. It felt more needless than brutal to me.

[macosx]

Looks lovely and the cover system works great but to be honest nothing grabbed me and the guns felt weedy was just shooting cookie cutter enemies. Turned it off during the second mission. I thought this was some alien take over thing in the desert not Heart Of Darkness. Loved the original Yager by Team Yager on the Xbox though.

[squirtle]

I did enjoy the demo for this. I thought it was a fps though so was actually surprised when it started in this person. I did like the opening chopper ride, I have to say. Looks pretty too, but I do hope their is more emergent gunplay with the use of sand than the simple bit shown in the demo near the start.