If you're just joining us, you should go back and read Spec Ops: The Line, Part 1 first.

A reminder:

I will spoil Spec Ops: The Line for you. Some pictures in this series will contain graphic and violent images.

Last time on Spec Ops: The Line, this happened:

Down we go.

And lucky we didn’t break any bones.

Delta force comes to on the floor of a hotel lobby (A very nice one, I might add). They don’t get much time to observe, because the people shooting at us before are very determined. They start firing through the destroyed roof, and another gunfight happens.

Ah, nevermind. They’ll see to that.

It's around now that I’m feeling unimpressed with the actual combat parts of Spec Ops. It's not awful, just... functional. Nothing about the gunplay leaves me impressed.

In the next room, Delta Team overhears a conversation that reveals what's occurred. The people who attacked us at the start are locals, working with the CIA. They’re attempting to wrestle control of Dubai from the 33rd, now known as “the Damned 33rd.” When Konrad took control of the town, the 33rd turned on itself. Apparently not everyone was on board with the “surrender yourself to the sandstorm and try to help the locals” plan, and a splinter group of the 33rd tried to fight back. The resistors failed.

Now the CIA is in the town, stirring up the locals to challenge the 33rd once more.

Who needs waterboarding when you can just punch a guy in the face?

We come across a member of the 33rd being beaten by a CIA Agent. The Agent grows frustrated with the lack of answers. He reaches for his gun. He places a gun to the Soldiers’ head, but as he prepares to pull the trigger, we jump up and shout “No!”. Before a word is spoken, the 33rd soldier seizes the distraction and wrestles the gun away.

He shoots the agent in the head.

Then aims at me.

The stand off.

“Don’t shoot!” Says Walker. It takes a second for me to realize I have control now. The game is providing me an opportunity to fire if I feel provoked. While Walker and the soldier talk, the temptation is very strong to take the shot.

I’m struck by a sudden realization; I’m being asked to make a choice. As the conversation continues, I realize I could end it at any moment of my own call. There’s no dialogue wheel to be found, and no button prompt on the screen. Only the pressure of my finger on the trigger and the mechanics of the game.

I point my gun at him until he lowers his weapon and rappels down a rope, promising to “get his commanding officer.” I’m punished for my decision to let him go. He warns the soldiers below of our arrival and we descend into a trap. If anyone in the 33rd remembers Walker, they don’t seem to care. Most even accuse us of working with the CIA as they try to gun us down.

They have some ideas on why.

We fight our way forward, and run into the 33rd rounding up civilians in a giant building. There’s someone speaking to all of Dubai through loudspeakers, encouraging the civies to cooperate. Delta force assumes the 33rd intends to execute them. To be fair, Lugo, Adams, and Walker have seen the remains of a few summary executions by this time...

Guy, I don’t want to go out on a limb here...

...but I think this place has gone to hell.

You’re not even trying to stop murdering people anymore, are you Dubai?

...so it isn’t too difficult for them (or me) to believe.

We blow the glass wall on one side of the building to bury the attacking 33rd.

I’ve been shooting for at least two minutes. Its a sturdy window.

Finally it goes.

And leaves us with a nice upward slope to walk out on.

The 33rd already made their escape with a majority of the civilians we meant to save. The few civies we did reach in time start screaming at us. Lugo confirms it isn’t cheers of praise as we venture once more into the desert.

I can’t help but think perhaps they’re pissed we just left one side of their building open to Sandstorms, but Delta seems to shrug it off as a non-issue.

The game progresses in standard run-and-gun fashion for a while. We continue mowing down members of the 33rd. Lugo picks up a distress signal from a CIA agent, and we continue the killing as we work our way towards it. I’m starting to notice something odd at this point, but its only a whisper in my mind. I’m not seeing it yet, but I recognize something is physically, topographically wrong with Dubai.

And it’s not just that the buildings are destroyed.

The next chapter ends with Walker falling down into the depths of Dubai. He slides down buildings and bumps into railings. For the first time in the game, I’m separated from my team.

You’d think that precariously placed pole would help. And wouldn’t you know it? It does!

As for whether or not I’m afraid, well...

I found a shotgun, so no. Not so much.

The team catches up, and we keep moving towards the distress signal. When we arrive, I’m greeted with a hideous sight; a disfigured body is hanging upside down with a speaker shoved in its mouth. Its the first time the game succeeds in making me feel a little squeamish.

To give you an idea of how much this scene made me squirm, the skip prompt only appears when a button is jostled.

The Radioman we heard earlier exclaims his surprise; we weren’t the target. The trap was meant to draw out a CIA agent named Gould, but that doesn’t stop the 33rd from trying to gun us down. Gould himself comes to our rescue, and barks out the route we need to take to escape. Adams voices his concern with trusting a stranger, but he’s also the closest thing to a friend we’ve had. We follow after him.

A helicopter separates us, because this is an action game and of course it does.

Helicopters, man. Helicopters.

We continue after Gould once we’re back on our feet.

A firefight ensues ahead of us. Gould had backup, and now a battle’s begun between as they escort Gould away from the 33rd.

Spec Ops has kept my interest so far, but I’m now convinced I’m just playing an above average Call of Duty clone. I’m invested in the plot now. I’m intrigued by the CIA’s involvement, and what exactly the 33rd is intending to accomplish. Its shown me it has the teeth to hit me with “the horrors of war” moments with execution scenes and the hanging body, but those are horrors perpetrated by other people. I’m the one who’s come to stop it. To bring back civilization. I’m the big damn hero.

We come across more remnants of the initial splintering. Once more I’m successfully shaken.

The majority of the Chapter takes place here, just in case you somehow miss it walking in.

As we approach Gould’s army, I’m hit with an otherworldly scene. The sky erupts in a white flash.

“White Phosphorus,” Adams says. Charred bodies walk out, reaching out for help.

A giant emerges from the smoke in the distance. A faceless, armor-clad silhouette starts firing as the world burns around me.

I didn’t even think this was human at first. I’m still not entirely convinced.

We take him down and keep going for Gould.

The moment left me dazzled. I can’t help but think “what was that?” It was unlike anything I’d seen so far. I went from an action game in Dubai to a short jaunt through a valley in hell. And the part that left me worried the most is that I liked it. The change in pace and the surreal landscape. I wasn’t sure yet if it would be a one-time event, or if Spec-Ops had more moments like that lying in wait. Whatever the answer, I knew I was ready stay awhile and find out.

Continued in Spec Ops: The Line, Part 3
(view all parts)