I did, and did not enjoy Spec Ops The Line.
I did, and did not enjoy Spec Ops The Line.
Thing i enjoyed was the environment, because i haven't basically even seen Dubai in such aspect before Mission Impossible 4 movie and this game. So yeah, i think the cool environment was alot for me to keep playing the game since i don't prefer brainless COD like deja vu cover shooting.
Thing i didn't like was well the above stated COD mannequiness but also the fact there was no highlight in this game due to the again above stated same shoot scene happening from start to finish.
I give an example here. Remember original Duke Nukem 3D where your first level guns were Mighty Foot, Pistol, Shotgun, RPG and Ripper (well the ripper and rpg were some sort of secrets more like) but really only at the last levels such as Hotel Hell did you have all the weapons with max ammo. In Spec Ops i think i got the grenade launcher and heavy machinegun half way the game or even earlier and pretty much max ammo.
WHY does every game lately have to have this regenerating health? i think through editing and postponing release date, this game would have been totally different if it would have had medpacks.
I played this game straight from start on hardest difficulty and after awhile it felt really stupid or especially at the end of the game that i could keep taking so much damage and not die.
Some people might argue but i think variety is what everybody like in the end and by having recharging health, you get to have the same fight hundreds of times in this game and that does get very repeative.
The enemies being so similar i felt i had pretty much same fight that had in the beginning of the game.
Have medpacks (and no spoiling either with giving too many medpacks) and BOOM the game gets more intense as one time you start a fight at say 100% health and next time maybe only 5% and then find some and at 65% so you never have the same fight as you may have to utilize a different tactic to take out your opponents rather than run to cover in front of you and same fight as before.
Also just the feeling of exploring/searching unknown territory for collectables such as health, ammo, items and sercrets is indescribable. Though all this bash to "newer" generation games, i was still down with the two weapon carry limit but it just also adds up to the realism, which is good.
Also having played Gears, i liked this game more than Gears and it might just be because Gears environment is very dull and deppressing since it is pretty lifeless and just grey 'n dark though this game at the very end also transfered to very colorless (but war aint no beauty) it still might have been different if it wasn't for regenrating health.
Gameplay:
Not regarding regenerating health, gameplay was very fluid.
I think there was not one bug i had and the Unreal game engine was always very responsive so thats a good thing also.
Graphics:
Graphics were also very good. I don't think i either experienced any graphical bugs/glitches so that is also really good thing.
Other worth mentioning is system requirements, since it didn't lag and my pc is like 4-6years old gaming pc. Besides AA and AF i managed to run it maxed out.
Sound:
I think i like the sound more in games than graphics having hyper HD tessalation.
Spec Ops uses Fmod soundsystem so the sound was not my personal favorite but it did the job.
I played on Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum with stereo headphones having the Creative 3-D audio optimization on and at times the surround sound didn't quite work and believe me i know how surround sound should sound.
In Doom3 if somethings kinda behind me (diagonally) but also sort of left side of me then the sound really only comes from there and not only from the side of me.
Effects seemed to work quite well eg: in the beggining when you drop thru glass roof into the building there is some reverb effects in use inside the building which is a good thing.
Conclusion:
Overall quite good game but could add so much to the experience when healthpacks are in use and maybe larger level design and not so linear. Bring more traditional fps/shooting game elements eg: Max Payne like level design and health management but also newer realism elements such as two weapon limit and it will be one hell of a game.