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LTTP: Spec Ops: The Line (I am Sick) [SPOILERS]

Montresor

Member
Love the game, but damn that fucked with my head for some reason. I felt disgusting.

You're still a good person.

Seriously the load screens in this game are phenomenal. From standard tutorial to story synopsis to creepy hallucinations to harsh indictments against the player. That's why I always suggest playing this game on a harder difficulty. Your experienced will be enriched if fail several times and are forced to look at the load screens.
 

katkombat

Banned
bump it away, this thread is like pstd group therapy for this game

I always wondered why this particular LTTP kept getting bumped...then I started playing the game...

You're still a good person.

Seriously the load screens in this game are phenomenal. From standard tutorial to story synopsis to creepy hallucinations to harsh indictments against the player. That's why I always suggest playing this game on a harder difficulty. Your experienced will be enriched if fail several times and are forced to look at the load screens.

Holy shit that difficulty thing is fucking awesome. If I had heard that idea beforehand and thought the game would get to me on a psychological level I would definitely do that. (Too bad I can't switch midgame)
 
You're still a good person.

Seriously the load screens in this game are phenomenal. From standard tutorial to story synopsis to creepy hallucinations to harsh indictments against the player. That's why I always suggest playing this game on a harder difficulty. Your experienced will be enriched if fail several times and are forced to look at the load screens.

I loved the subtle nature of that change, as well. We almost always got a face shot (increasingly disturbing)....I was freaking out when the loading screens started asking me questions. One even defined cognitive dissonance for me. I was half-expecting Campbell to pop up and tell me to turn the game off, in what would only be the best universe cross-over this gen.

Also loved how the title screen changed depending on where I was, complete with the music changing, the flag getting more decrepit...'

It's weird, it's been a few weeks since I've finished this and I can't stop thinking about it. Last time a game stuck with me this long was Nier.

(I really suck at shooters, so I played on normal and saw my fair share of loading screens, especially towards the back half.)
 

params7

Banned
I agree with everything said above. The loading screens were fantastic, and went along with the overall mood and tempo of the game. When things started getting real by the second half, it was reflected in the art and subtext in the loading screens. Really gave the game a surreal aspect.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
I agree with everything said above. The loading screens were fantastic, and went along with the overall mood and tempo of the game. When things started getting real by the second half, it was reflected in the art and subtext in the loading screens. Really gave the game a surreal aspect.

There was a lot of really nice subtle things afoot. I want to replay the game again now especially after putting my new rig together.

It's also free on PSN so for plus members, this is a great chance to try it. I don't regret paying for it but for those fence sitters, now's your chance.
 

antitrop

Member
There was a lot of really nice subtle things afoot. I want to replay the game again now especially after putting my new rig together.

It's also free on PSN so for plus members, this is a great chance to try it. I don't regret paying for it but for those fence sitters, now's your chance.
I found a custom INI file that gives the game a HUD On/Off Toggle, as well as mapping many different FOVs to the numpad 1-9 keys.

I would recommend replaying the game with the HUD turned off and the FOV turned way up, it's ridiculously cinematic and an interesting experience. If you do that it HAS to be on Easy though, since removing the HUD removes the targeting reticle.
 

Jac_Solar

Member
You know I have a Spec Ops bat signal everytime someone posts about it on GAF, right?

It's 4 AM, somewhere on earth. Antitrop is peacefully asleep, hugging his Spec Ops blankie. Suddenly, an alarm goes off; "New Spec Ops thread; content". Antitrop snaps out of bed, tosses his blankie aside and runs to the computer. Completely disregarding the blaring alarm, and angry neighbours knocking on his door, he types his response.
 

KissVibes

Banned
Hopefully someone here can help me out. I'm looking for a high-resolution screenshot of a piece of artwork from the game. This:

AxuCnh.jpg

But I need a clearer and closer image of the shark. I'm getting a tattoo and I want it to look similar to this but the artist asked for a better shot. Thanks to anyone that could make that possible!
 

antitrop

Member
Hopefully someone here can help me out. I'm looking for a high-resolution screenshot of a piece of artwork from the game. This:



But I need a clearer and closer image of the shark. I'm getting a tattoo and I want it to look similar to this but the artist asked for a better shot. Thanks to anyone that could make that possible!
I like the idea.


dark_period_800.jpeg
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
You mean glow in the dark or just in general? Because I don't think (at least I hope they don't) they have glow-in-the-dark UV tattoo paint like that.

As for the shark itself, it's a general stock-photo of a great white. Can't you just tilt a photo like that (maybe clean it up/remove the Shark jumping out of water waves and have it be like that?
 

Raxus

Member
Is there any recurring motifs in Spec Ops or is this an original story? Just curious.

Man this game was crazy. Between it and Bioshock Infinite I need to take a break from story heavy games for a week.
 

LakeEarth

Member
I love the game narrative and environments. I really didn't enjoy the game itself though, lots of frustrating moments. The one that killed me is the one where you had to shoot the door across the gap to get your teammates across. I kept shooting at that door for 15 seconds straight, and then they died. Over, and over, and over. It wasn't till I started shooting that door before the game tells me to when I actually got it to open.

One time, I swear to god I couldn't move and got shot to death. Controls just froze.
 
Is there any recurring motifs in Spec Ops or is this an original story? Just curious.

Man this game was crazy. Between it and Bioshock Infinite I need to take a break from story heavy games for a week.

The only real recurring motif would be Hell. That's pretty much it that I can think of in the traditional sense. There is this recurring theme of descent. No matter where you are, you are always descending in the game, starting from the top of the loftiest heights and somehow always ending up much lower than when you started.

The game itself is a deconstruction of modern military shooters, playing out the ideas of games such as Modern Warfare and Battlefield to their logical conclusion and showing what the effects would be on the protagonists of the aforementioned series. The incident in chapter eight is an analogy to the Death From Above sequence from Call of Duty 4, showing the effects of your actions by bringing you down into the mud and filth of the carnage you have wrecked upon the enemy.

You see, most modern shooters don't accurately show the effects of the character's actions. Spec Ops throws that convention right in the wind and lets it come back right in the player's face. It shows what would happen to someone who had seen and done what most protagonists experience in their respective games. I wouldn't know, I'm too fucked up to actually experience PTSD according to the guys in the lab coats.

However, Spec Ops most viciously attacks the player. Everything the game says about how horrible this is, it's addressing you yourself.

There's more, but fuck, I'm just saying what other people have said and I'll add on to this tomorrow once I get off work.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Hopefully someone here can help me out. I'm looking for a high-resolution screenshot of a piece of artwork from the game. This:



But I need a clearer and closer image of the shark. I'm getting a tattoo and I want it to look similar to this but the artist asked for a better shot. Thanks to anyone that could make that possible!
that'd look pretty cool.

I'd get you a better screenshot if I hadn't deleted the game last week, but I got a good one of the turtle if you want it :p


it's a jpeg but you have valve to blame for that
 

spekkeh

Banned
So I decided to give a lecture on this game coming tuesday. Just wondering, does anybody know if there's a movie clip / montage of the change in banter (hostiles neutralized -> fucking die) and/or the change in executions (detached -> closeup) ?

I can't find anything, but it would be useful as illustration of how the actions are the same in terms of input and functionality, but how the change in form alters the discourse. Stills are fine too if anyone happens to have them.
 

antitrop

Member
So I decided to give a lecture on this game coming tuesday. Just wondering, does anybody know if there's a movie clip / montage of the change in banter (hostiles neutralized -> fucking die) and/or the change in executions (detached -> closeup) ?

I can't find anything, but it would be useful as illustration of how the actions are the same in terms of input and functionality, but how the change in form alters the discourse. Stills are fine too if anyone happens to have them.

Here's a clip of a few executions at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RDfp12VU3g

I'll try to find something for comparison at the beginning. You may just have to describe it.

http://specops.wikia.com/wiki/Execution

Just some adaptive dialogue I can remember off the top of my head:

"I'm reloading!" -> *frustrated growl* "KEEP 'EM OFF ME FOR A SEC"
"Kill confirmed!" -> "Kill is fucking confirmed!"
Adams responding to a player-issued order: "I'm on it, Walker!" -> "Fine, I'll get him" or "Sure, whatever" or "This ain't worth it, breakin off."
"Sniper on the rooftops!" - > "Take him the fuck out" or "I WANT/NEED (both are said) him DEAD!"
"Tango down" -> "He's dead" (as if to brag)

The amount of profanity and obvious frustration reaches almost comical levels in Chapter 14.
 
Just finished this last week and it was a big surprise as far as how it made me feel. The gameplay is a little janky but the story was awesome.
 

Kambing

Member
Hmm... i definitely should have played longer before stopping, or at the very least beat it, judging by the reactions here. I deleted the game from my hard drive(steam) a week ago halfway through chapter 6. The game had a really cool premise and story from what i saw but it was the very boring game play(IMO) that made me stop playing. Ah well, can't conquer them all.
 

antitrop

Member
Hmm... i definitely should have played longer before stopping, or at the very least beat it, judging by the reactions here. I deleted the game from my hard drive(steam) a week ago halfway through chapter 6. The game had a really cool premise and story from what i saw but it was the very boring game play(IMO) that made me stop playing. Ah well, can't conquer them all.
I stopped playing the game once for the exact same reason.
Other people's reactions forced me to finish it and it was my GOTY 2012.

Chapter 6 is the worst chapter in the game. It gets interesting very soon after that. Then it gets fucking mind blowing after that.
 

spekkeh

Banned
Here's a clip of a few executions at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RDfp12VU3g

I'll try to find something for comparison at the beginning. You may just have to describe it.

http://specops.wikia.com/wiki/Execution

Just some adaptive dialogue I can remember off the top of my head:

"I'm reloading!" -> *frustrated growl* "KEEP 'EM OFF ME FOR A SEC"
"Kill confirmed!" -> "Kill is fucking confirmed!"
Adams responding to a player-issued order: "I'm on it, Walker!" -> "Fine, I'll get him" or "Sure, whatever" or "This ain't worth it, breakin off."
"Sniper on the rooftops!" - > "Take him the fuck out" or "I NEED him DEAD!"
"Tango down" -> "He's dead" (as if to brag)

The amount of profanity and obvious frustration reaches almost comical levels in Chapter 14.

Thanks!
 

Ocaso

Member
I guess I have lower standards for shooters or whatever, but I found it pretty fun from the get go.

Me too. Don't really understand what people mean when they complain about the gunplay itself. I played through on normal, never found any part unfairly difficult or tedious, and generally never had a problem with AI or cover mechanics. Hell, I enjoyed it as much as Gears, in fact.
 

antitrop

Member
I do appreciate the gunplay and I advocate for its "above average" status, but I would have a hard time justifying a statement that the gameplay is better than Gears.

It's actually not even close.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
I do appreciate the gunplay and I advocate for its "above average" status, but I would have a hard time justifying a statement that the gameplay is better than Gears.

It's actually not even close.
don't have a 360 so I can't compare but I found it way better than uncharted, mostly because encounter design and ammo scarcity made it a lot more interesting, specially in higher difficulties. also no bullet sponges.
 

antitrop

Member
Well, ya, I think it's better than Uncharted. But Gears is amongst the most polished third person shooters of the generation, it's at the absolute top of the class.
 
"Sniper on the rooftops!" - > "Take him the fuck out" or "I NEED him DEAD!"

I remember that being "I want him dead." The dialogue evolving was a really great touch. Goes to show how far context can go in shaping one's perception of the gameplay since I felt like fights got more brutal, but the only things that really changed throughout the game were execution animations+dialogue.
 

antitrop

Member
I remember that being "I want him dead." The dialogue evolving was a really great touch. Goes to show how far context can go in shaping one's perception of the gameplay since I felt like fights got more brutal, but the only things that really changed throughout the game were execution animations+dialogue.
We're both right, yo.

NEED: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ggxrNMZ9Mt0#t=212s

WANT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ggxrNMZ9Mt0#t=75s
 

Replicant

Member
Heh, played through chapter 8 last night. I wasn't keen about it at first until I reached Chapter 3 Or so and then I became curious about the story. Wish I hadn't read this thread though. But it doesn't matter, I find the information here is too vague to get the whole picture so I should still get some surprise at the end of the game. I did suspect something along those lines.
 
I found a custom INI file that gives the game a HUD On/Off Toggle, as well as mapping many different FOVs to the numpad 1-9 keys.

I would recommend replaying the game with the HUD turned off and the FOV turned way up, it's ridiculously cinematic and an interesting experience. If you do that it HAS to be on Easy though, since removing the HUD removes the targeting reticle.

Where can I find said ini tweak?
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Well, ya, I think it's better than Uncharted. But Gears is amongst the most polished third person shooters of the generation, it's at the absolute top of the class.
well only recollection of gears' shooting was geow1 on PC and to be honest I found it very disappointing.
 

params7

Banned
I like how the executions just get more and more brutal and gory as the game progresses.

Also platinum'd it last week. Fubar was a pain in the ass.
 
My disk went unreadable just after I met Riggs. I was playing on FUBAR, too.

And which one is Chapter 6? I remember that 7 is the battle, so I guess 6 was all that fighting in the aquarium and such.

Oh, I remember now, fuck that level. That helicopter can go to Hell.
 

evala

Banned
bought the game months ago, but just managed to finish it yesterday. what can i say, that hasn't been already said in the topic? to me at least thinking about the endings and so on the game is extremely ...taking (leaves you a little bit speechless). usually in such games in the end you are supposedly the hero, but none of them tells you that you that in reality YOU are the real monster (a god damn mass murderer).

can't really praise the game enough...
 

Ermac

Proudly debt free. If you need a couple bucks, just ask.
So who is the bald dude in the ending if you choose to kill Konrad? Just a random soldier?
 

-COOLIO-

The Everyman
just did the white phosphorus scene. i already watched the scene on youtube but even if i didnt know it was coming they reeaaally over forshadowed it. you know some stupid shit is going to happen before you use the mortar and you end up not wanting to use it anyway. they should have cut out the conversation from just before the massacre and just done it as if it were any other gameplay segment.

the game is cool for making you think twice about videogame massacre but the way it does it is so campy.

and the "there's always a choice" line was just dumb.
 

- J - D -

Member
I've spent the last couple days trying to decide if the game's penchant for breaking the fourth wall and berating the player for playing the damn game is starkly refreshing or if veers over the edge of preachy self-aggrandizement and smug back-patting on the part of the writer and devs.

Well, of course I am going to keep playing because I want to progress the story and the character arc. I want to see what happens to Walker. Don't judge me for wanting to experience a story you crafted, Yager.

On the other hand, I appreciate the game for being one of the few that has the audacity to try something like this with unyielding bluntness. it doesnt care for subtlety. maybeI don't even care about the lack of subtlety since it has something unique to say. Maybe that was the entire point. Maybe the industry needs more of it. Perhaps there have been past attempts of genre subversion in games but the subtlety was engineered in order for developers to have it both ways, so the message was lost.

Spec Ops doesn't play it safe in this regard. Unless you were completely dense, there is no way that you can leave Spec Ops without understanding the implications of what you have done. The devs try really hard to make it clear.

Lack of nuance? Yah, Derivative? Probably. Effective? For the most part.

I enjoyed Spec Ops -- despite myself and the potential intentions of its creators. It's a rough gem.

I kept thinking of a quote from an MGS game (the first, I think) that encapsulates how I felt while playing Spec Ops: "Hurt me more, Snake!". I feels that it reflects my antagonistic relationship with this game.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
it's a bit of both, probably.

it's hard for a game to be very critical of other games without sounding pretentious. spec ops kinda gets away with it because it's picking on call of duty and really who's gonna go and defend a game that makes tom clancy sound like a hippie...
 

Yerolo

Member
This game was crazy and such a mixed bag

I thought the gameplay was pretty bland....generic 3rd person shooter

The story and ending were simply amazing. I would have been more blown away if this was adapted into a movie tbh. Im glad the game was pretty short and I was able to rip through it in a couple of play sessions to experience the amazing story.
 

Guevara

Member
$19.99 at Target today, both the regular and special edition. I was lucky enough to get the last special edition. YMMV.

Can't wait to give this a try!
 
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