A window blows open, and shards of glass go flying. Sand pours into the room. This isn't just another third person shooter, this is Spec-Ops: The Line.
Set in Dubai, the game follows a squad on a rescue mission. Te eyes-on demo at this year's E3 gaming expo provided a look at what to expect from the title. Yes, it is a third-person shooter. Yes, it has cover. And yes, it is modern warfare.
Spec-Ops: The Line is entering an increasingly crowded playing field, but the series is no stranger. The Spec Ops series has been around since 1998, with the most recent title, Spec Ops: Airborne Commando, getting a 2002 release.
The spin is that players can use the terrain, much like in third-person-shooter Fraction, to defeat enemies. In the demo that was shown, a sticky grenade was thrown at an enemy, who then ran into fortified area where his buddies where, not only killing them with the explosion, but also causing an small sand avalanche.
The firefights have cover, sure, but instead of simply flanking behind sandbags, players use destroyed European sports cars for cover — somewhat poignant with Dubai's recent financial troubles.
The demo had several set pieces, including a shootout against the backdrop of bodies hanging from the city street lampposts. It was an arresting image.
According to the game's developers, The Line offers the flexibility to be played as a squad based shooter or a standard third person shooter. The devs said that the game offers multiple solutions to each problem, and even if players act or don't act, the result will possibly be different.
Spec-Ops: The Line will be released on the Xbox 360, the PS3 and the PC in 2011.