GameIn
YEAR 2012
GENRE Shooter
PLATFORM Linux, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, macOS, Xbox 360
ABOUT THE GAME

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.

Source: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 — Spec Ops: The Line · retrieved October 19, 2026

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PROVENANCE

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RECORD FACTS
Developer
Darkside Game Studios, Yager Development
Publisher
2K
First release
June 26, 2012
Series
Spec Ops
Cover
Official thumbnail
Record ID
Q962443

TIME SHELF

Across decades

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