Spec Ops: The Line

The story of Spec Ops: The Line is the standout feature of the game, according to the majority of critics. Joystiq, Gaming Age, Playstation Official Magazine UK, and Eurogamer Sweden all praise the game's narrative for its mature themes, moral ambiguity, and thought-provoking questions. IGN, Game Informer, and Impulsegamer highlight the game's ability to make violence meaningful and put players in difficult situations. The game draws inspiration from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, and the narrative is well-written and thoughtfully executed. The story is grounded, provocative, and exceeds expectations, according to Joystiq. However, some critics have raised concerns about the game's story. Digital Spy and Metro GameCentral criticize the game for dragging out the plot and becoming convoluted in the final third. PlayStation LifeStyle and Game Revolution note that some of the game's content is gratuitous and could have been toned down. Additionally, Cheat Code Central and GameTrailers mention that while the game offers choices, they often have no real consequences and the story remains on a predetermined path. Overall, the consensus among critics is that the story of Spec Ops: The Line is a standout feature of the game, with its mature themes, moral ambiguity, and thought-provoking questions. The game's ability to make violence meaningful and put players in difficult situations is also praised. While some critics have raised concerns about the game's plot becoming convoluted and some of the content being gratuitous, the majority of critics agree that the story is very good. IGN calls it a "daring experiment worth celebrating," and Game Informer notes that it remains riveting up to its questionable conclusion.

The gameplay of Spec Ops: The Line receives mixed reviews from the critics. Some critics appreciate the solid cover-based shooting mechanics of the game, with tight and brutal combat, and destructible environments that add situational additives to the gameplay. The sand and sandstorms are also praised for adding an interesting element to the gameplay. The ability to use sand as a strategic element and being able to quickly issue commands to your squad mates are nice additions as well. PlayStation LifeStyle, GameTrailers, and Push Square are some of the critics who appreciate the gameplay mechanics of Spec Ops: The Line. However, the gameplay of Spec Ops: The Line also receives criticism from several critics. The controls are problematic, and the lower difficulty settings are ideal until those control hurdles are overcome. The AI is often problematic and sabotages the grandiosity of certain scenes. The cover mechanics are good but could have been better, and the game is completely linear. The gameplay lacks innovation or polish, and the controls can be frustrating at times. The AI-controlled squad is anything but battle savvy, and the scenarios offer the hollow, binary morality choice posed by many games. The difficulty spikes towards the end of the game are also a problem. GameSpot, Computer Games Online RO, Gaming Age, Game Informer, and games(TM) are some of the critics who criticize the gameplay mechanics of Spec Ops: The Line. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the gameplay of Spec Ops: The Line is solid but unremarkable, employing a cover-based 3rd person shooting mechanic that is similar to other games in the genre. The game uses sand as a device to bury enemy soldiers in a number of cool ways, but these are usually pointed out and less dynamic than they could be. The game encourages intelligent tactical combat and introduces new variables in each fight. However, the gameplay doesn't quite manage to embrace the same spirit of courage and maturity as the story. Instead, Spec Ops: The Line too often relies on tried and tested formulas and scenarios in a disappointing attempt to not completely alienate those players desperately looking for their next generic fix. The multiplayer mode is included but not particularly noteworthy. Joystiq, IncGamers, and Game Revolution are some of the critics who share this overall consensus.

The majority of critics praised the graphics and visual design of Spec Ops: The Line. Joystiq, Metro GameCentral, and Official Xbox Magazine UK all praised the game's immersive and well-realized visual design, with Dubai's sand-covered landscape being a standout feature. PlayStation LifeStyle and games(TM) specifically highlighted the diversity and detail of the environment, with lighting and sandstorms adding to the overall visual appeal. The attention to detail in the ruined buildings and luxurious past of Dubai was also commended by Official Xbox Magazine. However, some critics did have negative opinions regarding the graphics and visual design. Gaming Age and GameSpot both found the graphics to be generic and lacking in detail, with low texture and repetitive landscapes. PSX Extreme and IncGamers also felt that the visual style was outdated and lacked the opportunity to fully utilize the potential of the setting. Overall, the consensus among critics is that the graphics and visual design of Spec Ops: The Line are impressive, with the setting of Dubai being a standout feature. While some critics had negative opinions, the majority praised the game's attention to detail, immersive environment, and use of lighting and sandstorms. The game's art direction was also commended, with the ruined beauty of Dubai being a highlight.

The Sound Design and Music of Spec Ops: The Line have received mixed reviews from the critics. Some critics, such as Playstation Official Magazine UK and Digital Spy, have praised the game's use of licensed music, which adds to the cinematic experience. The use of trippy 1960s rock and roll and the distorted sound of an electric guitar playing the American anthem have also been appreciated by some critics, such as MondoXbox and Planet Xbox 360. The voice acting has been commended by several critics, including TheSixthAxis and GameTrailers, who have praised the superb performances of the voice actors, especially Nolan North, who voices the protagonist. The constant chatter between the squad mates has also been appreciated by some critics, such as Push Square, who have found it immersive and believable. On the other hand, some critics have criticized the over-reliance on F-bombs in the dialog, which they feel is being abused. PlayStation LifeStyle has expressed disappointment in the limited number of lines given to Nolan North during gunplay, which diminishes the overall experience. PSX Extreme has pointed out that the audio can become repetitive during intense battles, with the same exclamations being repeated over and over again. Game Informer has criticized the out-of-place Vietnam War-era music, which they feel falls flat and is not appropriate for the time period. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the Sound Design and Music of Spec Ops: The Line are good, but with some flaws. The use of licensed music and the voice acting have been praised, while the over-reliance on profanity and repetitive audio during battles have been criticized. The game's audio design has been commended for adding to the immersive experience, with the soundtrack and voice acting helping to establish the unforgiving tone of the game. Despite some flaws, the Sound Design and Music of Spec Ops: The Line have been appreciated by most critics, making it a solid aspect of the game.

The majority of the critics praised the voice acting in Spec Ops: The Line, with Nolan North's performance as Captain Walker being particularly noteworthy. Several critics, such as PlayStation LifeStyle and ZTGD, commended the camaraderie and emotional depth portrayed by the voice actors. TheSixthAxis even went as far as to say that the voice acting was superb from everyone involved, especially towards the latter half of the game when things begin to unravel. However, some critics, such as Playstation Official Magazine UK and Official Xbox Magazine UK, criticized the excessive use of profanity in the dialogue, which they found unnecessary and even comical. IncGamers also noted that the dialogue of some characters felt like it was written by someone desperate to land a job on Modern Warfare 4, indicating a lack of originality in some parts of the script. Computer Games Online RO also pointed out that the AI of the team and enemy was often problematic and comical, which could detract from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Spec Ops: The Line is generally good, with Nolan North delivering a solid performance as Captain Walker. While some critics found the excessive profanity and lack of originality in some parts of the script to be a drawback, the emotional depth and camaraderie portrayed by the voice actors were widely praised. The voice acting was also noted to be effective in drawing players into the experience, as evidenced by the minor touches such as the player character shouting and calling for help when bullets are all around him, as mentioned by ZTGD.

The Playstation Official Magazine UK and Push Square both had positive opinions regarding the technical performance of Spec Ops: The Line on the PS3. Push Square stated that the game was a solid cover-based third-person shooter with a well-functioning cover system. Meanwhile, Playstation Official Magazine UK praised the game's challenge and gritty gameplay. The game's performance on the PC was also praised by DarkStation, who noted that despite the game's long development time, it was stable and performed well. However, there were also negative opinions regarding the technical performance of the game on all platforms. Digital Spy and IncGamers both had issues with the game's controls, with Digital Spy noting that the game was not as responsive as other shooters and IncGamers stating that the cover mechanic could be overly sticky at times. IGN had problems with the game's movement and control, with the player's character stopping dead before dropping dead. Cheat Code Central also had issues with the game's controls, particularly the melee button being tied to the vault button. Overall, the consensus among the critics was mixed regarding the technical performance of Spec Ops: The Line. While some praised the game's stability and solid performance on certain platforms, others had issues with the game's controls and mechanics. It is clear that the technical performance of the game was a mixed bag, with some reviewers experiencing technical frustrations while others found the game to be a solid shooter.

The replay value of Spec Ops: The Line received mixed reviews from the critics. Some critics like PlayStation LifeStyle and Push Square found the game to have high replay value due to the emotional moments, moral decisions, and different outcomes that stem from critical decision points. The shocker of an ending and the following epilogue also made some critics like IGN and MondoXbox want to replay the game to see what other choices they could have made. The online multiplayer mode was also praised by some critics like Push Square and ZTGD for its customization, loadout, and ranking system. On the other hand, some critics like Gaming Age, Metro GameCentral, and Computer Games Online RO found the replay value of the game to be low. Gaming Age criticized the multiplayer mode for being weak and not very noteworthy, while Metro GameCentral found the attempts to drag out the plot for the full duration to be increasingly convoluted. Computer Games Online RO found the linear structure of the game and standard gameplay to be the reasons for low replayability. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the replay value of Spec Ops: The Line is mixed. While the emotional story, moral decisions, and different outcomes provide some replay value, the weak multiplayer mode and standard gameplay mechanics limit the replayability of the game. Some critics like ZTGD and GameTrailers found the multiplayer mode to add value to the package, while others like Metro GameCentral and Official Xbox Magazine UK found it to be unmemorable and generic. The game's short but shocking epilogue and the promise of co-op DLC also make some critics like MondoXbox and ZTGD want to replay the game. However, the overall consensus is that the replay value of Spec Ops: The Line is not its main focus.