Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line is a 2012 third-person shooter video game developed by Yager Development and published by 2K. It is the seventh installment and a reboot of the Spec Ops series. The player controls Captain Martin Walker, who is sent into a post-environmental catastrophe Dubai with an elite Delta Force team on a recon mission. As the story progresses, Walker's sanity deteriorates as he experiences hallucinations and slowly realizes the horrors of war. In the game, players can hide behind cover, vault over obstacles, and shoot enemies while utilizing a variety of gadgets. Included with the game is an online multiplayer mode, developed separately by Darkside Game Studios, allowing players to engage in both cooperative and competitive gameplay. Yager started development in 2007, taking inspiration for the setting and story framework from various media, including Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness and the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. The game was designed to be "physically opposing," causing players to question their thoughts about treating war in a video game as entertainment, and tasks players to make a variety of morally ambiguous decisions. It suffered from multiple delays, and the development team used this time to refine the story and increase the gameplay's pace. The soundtrack is a mix of licensed music and original music composed by Elia Cmíral. The game was banned in the United Arab Emirates for its depiction of Dubai in a state of destruction. Announced in December 2009, it was released internationally in June 2012 for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Spec Ops: The Line received generally positive reviews from critics with praise given for the narrative and its themes, while criticism was targeted at the online multiplayer and aspects of the gameplay. It was also awarded and nominated for several end-of-the-year accolades, particularly for its story, and has garnered a cult following in the years after its release. Its meta narrative, political commentary and emotional impact were often highlighted by critics years after its release and has often been cited as an example of artistic expression in video games. Despite this, it was a commercial failure, which led to the announcement that there would not be a sequel, effectively ending the Spec Ops series. It was delisted from sales in January 2024 due to licensing issues stemming from the music used in the soundtrack.