I just noticed. everytime the screen changes, the buildings are getting worst and worst, when joe died, the buildings were on fire, which means walker did that. And at the end, the buildings have collapsed
Seeing the flag draped over him at the end was like one final punch in the gut. That little bit of mangled formality really drove home what I and Walker had just done.
@@skillerpenguin7622 his body is there during the near final act I think its riggs as you can tell hes there dead crows chowing down on his carcass and after the flag is seen torn down ontop of the dead carcass meaning the town is completely fucked due to you choosing to "Save" people
Just gave a thought about the flag. The flag being upside down is a sign of distress, these poor, damned soldiers need help. Walker and co. murdered everyone basically, shot everyone and doomed whoever he did not shoot at to die by thirst. With everyone dead, no one needs help so there is no distress, so no need to signal for help anymore. This is shown in the last version of the menu, in which the flag is in the correct orientation - the sign of distress is no more.
How did you come up with this conclusion? Why can't it simply be: 1. The pole is now broken, clearly. 2. The evac actually came. You know, the epilogue?
@@MihaelGeng This game is basically a piece of literature. It's stuffed full of symbolism. The always descending down even when it doesn't make sense. The fades to black versus the fades to white. Walker's increasingly bloodied and frightening appearance as the game goes on. Zero percent chance the flag being right side up at the end is accidental.
The first time I saw Joe dead touched a nerve that stopped me dead in my tracks. Seeing the flag draped over the balcony and the two buildings destroyed after I ended the game sent chills up my spine. That was such a powerful image and so representative of everything that game meant.
Oh, and "US Code:T36 Ch10.176 (a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." Maybe he shot himself because no one would save him...?
I can only speculate about this but the reason why the flag is upright at the end of the game is due to the ending of Walker. Even if he was rescued, became rogue or killed himself.
This is all your fault. The United States Military doesn't condone the killing of unarmed civilians, but this isn't real, so why should you care? Do you even remember why you came here? If you were a good person, you wouldn't even be here.
I was so shocked when he randomly was dead in the loadingscreen. I always wondered, what did he do all day? Was he alone the whole time on that post? Did he even kill one human being? If yes, did he feel bad all these times he had to deal with it? Why did he die? Who did he leave behind? Did he die like a hero saving his fellow friends, buying them time, or did he just drop dead seemingly out of the nothing? Could he have been a good father, a good human if he wouldve survived this? What was he like before his deployment here, or before any campaign he ever had in the military?
He saw what Walker did to his unit and Dubai. After they destroyed the water tankers, he decided to shoot himself rather than die slowly from dehydration.
What would be even more terrifying and haunting is if, in the final screen, we finally see choppers arriving on the scene to look for survivors... after Joe had already blown his brains out as the city died around him...
The flipped flag means state of emergency, it's normal military iconography, as for how it's torn and covering the sun and later down draped over Joe, it's probably an allusion to how the American soldiers were and their state during the game, with them dying later down the line.
The first time I saw this video game in a Wal-Mart I unironically thought it was just a shitty dudebro Cowaduddy clone so I skipped it because I thought it was just glorifying super badass violence. The irony.
Ok, these were probably the most depressing 4 minutes of my life The upside down flag slowly tearing away The distorted US anthen song The hell that dubai is slowly becoming And then...joe's horrible fate Poor man, he and us watched dubai, such a place where used to be a paradise to slowly become a mad max apocalyptic scenario. He just couldn't handle it anymore...and it's all our fault Man you know it's a good game when you feel bad for a main menu character with no dialogue, face, backstory or even emotions. Just 1 sniper, 1 flag, 1 anthem and 1 city. Fucking 11/10 game.
In my first playthrough I mowed down these guys like it was nothing. No matter how many "How many Americans did you kill today ?" messages I got from the loading screen, I shot them, I blew them up, I smashed their faces in with the but of my gun and I didn't give it half a thought. It was a game and they were the enemies, the bad guys, and that's what you do to the bad guys in a game, you kill them and you don't even think about it because you just *know* that you're in the right, that there's going to be a justification for all this carnage and slaughter in the end. But not this time. This time I was the murderous asshole. Seeing a city in ruins, a batallion decimated and countless civilians doomed, all for nothing, really drove that home. So in my second playthrough I couldn't even aim my gun at them without feeling like a complete dick. And I hadn't even noticed Joe had died. (I guess I must have played through those final chapters without exiting the game) Now seeing him, a man whose only crime (the only one he was punished for anyway) was standing in the way of my killing spree, lie dead... man, it almost brings a tear to my eye.
Exactly how i feel... I wish we had more games like this. Not the BS we have today like Call of Duty of Battlefield... why can't we have games where it shows how war really can be... You said it perfectly man and i applaud you for doing so.
How did he stand in the way of your killing spree? Did you ever get the chance to kill him? Sorry for asking if it's a stupid question but I never played the game :/
@@Aek545it probably references another screen tip that reads "The US military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants. But this is a game so why should you care?" Implying that we're playing this game for entertainment and dont have to think of all the people we've killed,at least thats how i think of it
I have a theory about this guy. See, at the start of the game during the opening credits, it lists the player's username as a "Guest Star". And there are only two people who have likely been watching Walker and his team's every move, and by the end of the game, they either are dead or feel dead. Can you guess who those two people are? They are the player and the sniper. I don't know for certain how much the sniper saw, but he must have seen a lot. My point: I think "Joe" is supposed to represent the "Guest", the player. What do you think? Edit: I know I made this about three years ago, and I may have been over-analyzing, but I still believe this. It’s completely fine if you don’t; I respect your opinions. I simply ask for the same respect.
Let’s be real, Walker probably gunned him down offscreen during a part of the game we didn’t see or was hallucinating during, considering he died sometime after the destruction of the water and he was so high up, he probably died either during the chaos of the destruction of the radio tower and the resulting storm/helicopter crashes, or during the time between the crash and walker coming to himself at the shipyard, we have no idea how he got there from the crash site, so I’m willing to bet it was then.
Walker actually dies after the first helicopter crash. Everytime the screen fades white instead of black is when Walker is hallucinating. 90% of the game isn't even real.
Luiz Alex Phoenix, same, Years ago my uncle told me he would buy me a game, the one that I wanted wasn't in the store so he picked this game (spec ops the line) I touched me so deep, I wasn't expecting nothing, and now it's one of my favorite games, I played it whit only 11 years.
@@yourwannaberockstar I think the thing I like about that scene and walkers character is he isn't really a villain, he's a failed hero, a guy who wanted to do the right thing but didn't know what that was and kept making mistakes every time he tried to save someone. The thing he needed to realize was that the right thing was following his orders, not trying to be a hero and sit back and wait for the army to arrive and do his job. Notice how in media the guy who disobeys direct orders is the good guy, in this game, it shows the consequences of not following orders and the reason orders are put in place is to prevent you from getting killed and making mistakes like walker did. Walker had every chance to walk away, but he didn't.
The version of TSS that is playing is by Jimi Hendricks. It is supposed to symbolize the horrors of wartime with certain parts sounding like screaming, explosions and bombs dropping. Really deep shit.
Years ago my uncle told me he would buy me a game, the one that I wanted wasn't in the store so he picked this game (spec ops the line) It touched me so deep, I wasn't expecting nothing, and now it's one of my favorite games, I played it whit only 11 years. I'm from Mexico, and I gotta say it has one of the best voice acting in Spanish.
My parents bought me KOTOR II when I was 12. A space opera adventure where you're saving the day! Nope. I got to see characters talk about culture, the downfall of civilizations, and witness the aftermath of war.
Spec Ops is what Modern Warfare 2019 wanted to be. Edit: Some of y’all are trying to start an argument about this THREE YEARS LATER, fucking go outside 😂
Every time I play this game, I try to tell myself its easier to kill them.... It's not. It sticks with me even after I'm done with the game. Dubai was in relative peace, until Delta came along....
The 33rd did some serious crimes themselves. There's no good guys here. It's all just different shades of grey, and the civilians are caught up in it. They planned to have a "6th Ending" letting you turn back after the first encounter with the refugees, but they decided to cut it out to drive home a point of: "You paid 60$ for this, now suffer the whole way."
It should have been better if it was a DLC. You start as the 33rd during the beginning of the occupation of Dubai right after they've been trapped behind the stormwall. The more the story progresses, the more you have to make morale choices. At one point - at the middle of the story - just after the failed evacuation, you can choose between the Exiles or the Damned. At the end you get killed by white phosphorus. Either by Konrad if you choose the Exiles or by Walker if you choose the Damned. (Also, if you choose the Damned, you are the dying man that asks Walker "Why ?" at the Gate).
I really like how the time of day changes too. At the beginning of the game the sun is high in the sky and the flag is semi-fresh, hopeful and promising. As time goes on, the skies darken, the horizon cracks and the flag withers, the colours flying until Joe draws his last breath. The last screen is mid morning. Joe has been laid to rest with his rifle by his side, wrapped in Red, White & Blue.
Imagine how depressing it would be to just sit on a rooftop all day and night in a hot, sandy climate while looking over an empty, destroyed, dead city and simultaneously running out of food and water. He realized he was on borrowed time. I don’t think Walker directly killed Joe, but Joe killing himself was a result of Walker’s actions.
+jellybutterpeanut1 The version in the game is much better quality than anywhere else on the Internet, and I like the isolated distortion guitar more than when there are other instruments.
0:43 I noticed that there are two corpses hanging on the building where the football field is. And when the menu changes to daytime, the corpses disappear. But at 2:06 they reappear. You can also notice how the wind changes during the day and at night. If you look at the unfinished building, which is the closest. There, the sand will fly to the left and then to the right.
anyone notice the flag gets torn up and the backround gets more fucked...also the music keeps getting more distorted...just like Walkers mind/situation
Two Hands Revy what about the sounds of the distorted helicopter blades that sometimes play in the background , could that be hinting at some segments of the game ? after a chapter they cannot be unheard like in the first chapter.
For those wondering, the anthem you hear is a cover by an artist (I forget who did it) but it’s mostly about the horrors of war and how it should t be glorified, the flags position in the military is actually a sign for SOS or that trouble is about, it’s basically saying shits hit the fan.
The fact that he not only changes position but also is sometimes entirely absent is what really gets me. I would absolutely love for an enterprising fanfic writer to explore what this guy was doing throughout the campaign.
One way to interpret the flag covering the dead body is America covering up the death, tragedy, and war crimes that happened in Dubai in _Spec Ops: The Line_ Just another bit of salt to rub in the wound of what Walker did.
Spec Ops the Line. In my opinion the most underrated shooter story wise, possibly ever. I hate when people say „ever“ since it implies nothing comparing to it was released prior, or will be released in the future. But with this one I actually feel it...I miss those games that make you *FEEL* something...god this game was awesome...
the flag is upright at the end because there's no more distress, the entire city is dead, there's no more conflict, no more death, everyone is dead, which may imply the canon ending is the one where Walker kills himself
A weird glitch happened to me just now where 2 snipers appeared and there’s two flags, the star spangled banner song is playing twice and it’s harmonizing so pretty
Distorted is exactly correct: a great piece of music, but used here to really hammer home how bad things have gotten Something can be distorted and still be good
Here's a great theory Joe had a crazy jam party and fell asleep and his pet crows Flyy and pecky are trying to wake him up and the last bit where his is gone is because he escaped with the help or radio man (Who actually dosent die) and his crows. on the way he also rescue ALL the Phosphorus civilians and replaced them with mannequins that look like burn victims he also talks Conrad out of killing himself and actually placing ANOTHER mannequin just to fuck with walker! Then they all lived happily ever after and no one died horrifically.
The funniest part really to me, is that the only time we see the american flag right side up is at the end of the game, with it toppled off its pole and with the city destroyed
Jimmy Wen I feel like making the events into a game won't work as well. Would people (LCD dudebro trash) want to manage an evac op while maneuvering through a slowly crumbling city, and when shit hits the fan start killing civilians? A film format would work better IMO.
Jimmy Wen Yeah, you're right. Its just that reading these user "reviews" of the game where they bitch about the horrible atrocities they're forced to commit and gave it a bad rating irked me.
Man this one time my cousins came to my house. They were little like 5 and 9. They wanted to play this game but they don't speak english at all. So they were entered the game and saw, they freaked out to see himm under rubble and dead because they had seen him alive before in main menu. They asked me to exit the game
This is how empires die. Not from a glorious last stand that's over in a defining moment. A light shining bright that's snuffed out in an instant. It dies laying in the mud, long and drawn out, the sun setting over a battlefield long lost,, waiting,, wounded, in pain, waiting for help that they know is never coming. A flame that slowly starts to flicker, dimming, getting smaller, till a smoldering ember is left smoking in darkness.
I think the flag is symbolic of Walker's sanity, slowly deteriorating over the events of the game but always depicting his omnipresent instability (the US flag flown upside down is a symbol of distress)
Spec Ops is about the horrors of war and how it breaks away at a man's sanity. COD 4, while not bad, rarely ever delves into a character being traumatized by their actions or what they witnessed.
i liked both, my only complaint about cod (mw series) is that they don't have that post-war effect on their characters. don't talk about advanced warfare or infinite warfare bullshit.
The main menu is a hint for the people showing that continuing playing the game, as the “hero” “savior” or “good guy” is destroying Dubai and the inhabitants in it, their probably telling themselves “if I beat it it’ll be all better.” The sniper named “joe” seems to be there as a spectator, the part where he’s aiming his rifle is probably an attempt to kill Walker, the aftermath (continuing the game) ends in his death. Completing the game shows Dubai in ruins, the US flag covering joe might be representing a way that the US is covering up its faults. The eerie national anthem is a nice tribute to its attempt for patriotism and heroism yet lying in demise.
As a former Cub Scout we would burn old flags(formally to pay respect to soldiers and the flag itself) and seeing that end really got me the flag getting worse and worse is so sad and an f for joe he didn’t deserve it big f in general
*SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE GAME* Would have been amazing if after the ending in which you kill the soldiers trying to save you at the end, the main menu sniper was replaced by walker with a sniper. Just a little idea
Good catch. I also have never played this game but understand there’s a plot twist related to delusions and war crime. The final 2 scenes of the main menu character dead or full on M.I.A interested me the most. Was waiting for a nuke though.
I had scenes like this in my head for decades, just missing the ambient apocalypse noise and you're set. Don't forget the noises of falling scrap and buildings of in the distance.
Fun thing is, I never saw Joe dead myself in my several playthroughs, I just saw the flag was down at some point. In between, I couldn't stop playing the game and exit. One of those games where graphics and gameplay are not the best, but the story is so good and the several twists keep it interesting. Also how the team changes their speech the further you get into it. From tactical, calm, level-headed instructions to: "I got that fucker!" The game should get a remake and people should play this for educational purposes. THIS is what war does. Not call of duty. (okay, you still kill a bazillion guys as a single guy, not really happening, but the results you get are way different, at least story wise)
Игры
The worst part is that we probably did that.
Actually I think he killed himself knowing that he was gonna die because the lack of water...like all the citizens of Dubai...
@@J0yceJ0star and we destroy the last water they have... so yes is our fault
@@angelgalvez2301 no it was the boomer but yeah, pretty much the stupidity of Walker doomed Dubai.
Jake Eyes did not expect to see you here
@@Dabadi4834 Me neither bruh tf
You know it's a badass game when people write whole theories about the main menu and it's meaning.
Yeah I know. One of the reasons why it's my favorite game of all time
its*
@@user-njyzcip no
Or that autistic fucks play it
@@jrodriguezpiano calm down fatty.
I just thought it was another shooter, I didn't know it was this.
Welcome to Dubai
PTSD Simulator.
We all did, friend.
"Do you still feel like a hero"
@@johnminor8277 😥
My heart sank when I saw the sniper die in the main menu. Yet another casualty in a meaningless war.
Josiah Austin its not a war tho
Fine, battle, confrontation, call it whatever you want, you know what i mean.
And yet this man was just one soldier of the damned 33rd, those who had followed their commander into death and beyond.
Josiah Austin that was deep
I had to come here to figure out what was going on with the menu... I pretty much played it through in 2 days
beat this game and never noticed that the menu changed. A gem that doesn't get it's proper respect
Maybe cause you played the whole day after buy it.
I played it in three bursts and just didn't pay attention
How didnt u notice that
understandable
i barely stopped playing long enough to notice either
@@rzor1911 i did, noticed few changes only in first run
I just noticed. everytime the screen changes, the buildings are getting worst and worst, when joe died, the buildings were on fire, which means walker did that. And at the end, the buildings have collapsed
Just like the flag gets more battered
And the national anthem gets more and more distorted and less and less like the actual anthem.
Thank you for 1k likes, and happy new year!
Seeing a madness fan in a spec ops video is a rarity
@@Dabadi4834 hello, fellow madness fan! :D
Seeing the flag draped over him at the end was like one final punch in the gut. That little bit of mangled formality really drove home what I and Walker had just done.
His body isn't in the last one. But I do agree with your sentiment.
@@skillerpenguin7622 his body is there during the near final act I think its riggs as you can tell hes there dead crows chowing down on his carcass and after the flag is seen torn down ontop of the dead carcass meaning the town is completely fucked due to you choosing to "Save" people
Just gave a thought about the flag.
The flag being upside down is a sign of distress, these poor, damned soldiers need help.
Walker and co. murdered everyone basically, shot everyone and doomed whoever he did not shoot at to die by thirst. With everyone dead, no one needs help so there is no distress, so no need to signal for help anymore.
This is shown in the last version of the menu, in which the flag is in the correct orientation - the sign of distress is no more.
@@boylekay789 honestly it's a great thought I do believe the game has a great thing for catching eyes and seeing out all this
What you did. Not what Walker did
WE DID IT PATRICK, WE SAVED THE CITTY!
Two years and no comment? Here I’ll give u your first one
@@godlike634 bro i don't even recall commenting this lmao.
Not one of the 217 thought to speak, two years of unbeaten silence...
Wow. Wth, 7 hours ago comments? *Time to start a chat*
@@koenielyla so anyone feel like a hero yet?
I never actually got to see Joe, I played through the whole game in one sitting my first time.
Coconut Head Damn.
You sir, are a goof.
@@physical_insanity hey, some people had quite a lot of spare time
@@PlasticShitlord Then I stand corrected.
He is a doubly smubly goof.
me too
Chapter 15
Notice that the flag is right side up now, which means that everyone in dubai are no longer in distress.
*Because they all died...*
didn't expected to see you here, my man. never thought you played this hidden gem.
Shit, man, that's deep.
How did you come up with this conclusion?
Why can't it simply be:
1. The pole is now broken, clearly.
2. The evac actually came. You know, the epilogue?
@@MihaelGengYeah but that was for Walker, everyone else had died, also how do you think the pole breaking would’ve flipped the entire flag?
@@MihaelGeng This game is basically a piece of literature. It's stuffed full of symbolism. The always descending down even when it doesn't make sense. The fades to black versus the fades to white. Walker's increasingly bloodied and frightening appearance as the game goes on. Zero percent chance the flag being right side up at the end is accidental.
The first time I saw Joe dead touched a nerve that stopped me dead in my tracks. Seeing the flag draped over the balcony and the two buildings destroyed after I ended the game sent chills up my spine. That was such a powerful image and so representative of everything that game meant.
And guess who destroyed the buildings?
@@greywalker505 you did we all did who ever played the game did.... aka the speical guests who are held accountable for playing this game
“If you were a better person, you wouldn’t be here.”
@@royaltygaming_K That's like saying you should have stopped playing MGS2 when the colonel tells you to.
@@49mozzer w0t?
Oh, and
"US Code:T36 Ch10.176
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
Maybe he shot himself because no one would save him...?
And afterwards... in the last screen... the flag is no longer upside down. All the distress? Gone. Along with his life.
I can only speculate about this but the reason why the flag is upright at the end of the game is due to the ending of Walker. Even if he was rescued, became rogue or killed himself.
Nah that bitch got 360 noscoped by Captain Walker
Its implied that he's one of the random enemies that you kill during the game.
@@J_C_CH "enemy"
what I love about this game is everyone is a main charecter the city the enemys and even joe
Who's Joe?
@@spartan113ish The main menu sniper in the video.
@@spartan113ish Joe mama
@@spartan113ish joe biden
And Some years later tlou2 take one more step on this and people hate it for it
the most epic PSA for campers.
RIP joe
He even made himself a campfire
"It was a mercy killin', you live in a camper van!"
blaby4ever 2:03
PSA?
I'm looking at you cod and battlefield players also sniper mains
I'm convinced that he shot himself after thinking that no one will come save the 33rd.
Wasn't the mission that triggers this menu the one where Walker blows up their water supply?
What are the odds that was also a factor?
@@ArcturusOTE knowing Dubai and the 33rd was fucked he takes his own life makes some sense
@@giovannicervantes2053 At least he didn't go out like the city: Screaming.
Do you feel like a hero yet?
+(Insert Name Here) Joe the sniper certainly doesn't...
Shit, it's been years since I played that game and you just gave me back the feels for killing Joe. Thanks I guess
This is all your fault.
The United States Military doesn't condone the killing of unarmed civilians, but this isn't real, so why should you care?
Do you even remember why you came here?
If you were a good person, you wouldn't even be here.
It hurts, doesn't it?
I was so shocked when he randomly was dead in the loadingscreen.
I always wondered, what did he do all day? Was he alone the whole time on that post? Did he even kill one human being? If yes, did he feel bad all these times he had to deal with it? Why did he die? Who did he leave behind? Did he die like a hero saving his fellow friends, buying them time, or did he just drop dead seemingly out of the nothing? Could he have been a good father, a good human if he wouldve survived this? What was he like before his deployment here, or before any campaign he ever had in the military?
Kerberos no. He wasn't if you chose multiplayer you could see another 33rd soldier downstairs from joe
You're looking too much into it.
He saw what Walker did to his unit and Dubai. After they destroyed the water tankers, he decided to shoot himself rather than die slowly from dehydration.
Now where asking the real questions
@deloreandmc85 lmao, Crysis pfp soyboy tries hard into describe "STRONG SURVIVE™" bullshit. Fucking hillarious
0:43 You can see there's two bodies hanged by the right side of the screen, below the helipad. man the level of detail is amazing.
wow 😮
Use traductor
E também o fato que eles só aparecem á noite, pois apareceu em 2:09
Gee, good eye
What would be even more terrifying and haunting is if, in the final screen, we finally see choppers arriving on the scene to look for survivors... after Joe had already blown his brains out as the city died around him...
Kinda like in The Mist?
Dollar short day late
@@Kovacs343 exactly
I think the flag represents the mental state of the captain Walker. Flag gradually torn
Torn - like my faith in both America and Humanity.
Maybe too in all menu the flag are in reverse for war, and in the end the
flag are in "Normal position" like saying: "win for... america...?"
Pavel Polosin And the sniper his mentality, their but in one swift moment lost to time itself.
The flipped flag means state of emergency, it's normal military iconography, as for how it's torn and covering the sun and later down draped over Joe, it's probably an allusion to how the American soldiers were and their state during the game, with them dying later down the line.
The first time I saw this video game in a Wal-Mart I unironically thought it was just a shitty dudebro Cowaduddy clone so I skipped it because I thought it was just glorifying super badass violence. The irony.
Some people said they made it look like it on purpose, to trick you into thinking after all. “Do you feel like a hero yet?”
I first saw it and went "Oh a shooter I can rent and have some fun with."
Then I finished and realized I couldn't see war games the same.
@@yourtoastershandemover2211 Shit, big same
The game cover is like, nearly identical to the call of duty covers from that same period
Just a little off with that assumption
Ok, these were probably the most depressing 4 minutes of my life
The upside down flag slowly tearing away
The distorted US anthen song
The hell that dubai is slowly becoming
And then...joe's horrible fate
Poor man, he and us watched dubai, such a place where used to be a paradise to slowly become a mad max apocalyptic scenario. He just couldn't handle it anymore...and it's all our fault
Man you know it's a good game when you feel bad for a main menu character with no dialogue, face, backstory or even emotions.
Just 1 sniper, 1 flag, 1 anthem and 1 city.
Fucking 11/10 game.
Sad we don't get games like these anymore
@@boss_niko most likely because their scared to get hit with a controversy or drama from stupid sensitive person that ranted on Twitter
I just want to say that dubai never was and has been a paradise.
Its a Richman's City Skyline
The song was not distorted it is Jimi Hendrix playing the national anthem in woodstock
@@EchoesofMordecai And his version is distorted af
In my first playthrough I mowed down these guys like it was nothing. No matter how many "How many Americans did you kill today ?" messages I got from the loading screen, I shot them, I blew them up, I smashed their faces in with the but of my gun and I didn't give it half a thought. It was a game and they were the enemies, the bad guys, and that's what you do to the bad guys in a game, you kill them and you don't even think about it because you just *know* that you're in the right, that there's going to be a justification for all this carnage and slaughter in the end. But not this time. This time I was the murderous asshole. Seeing a city in ruins, a batallion decimated and countless civilians doomed, all for nothing, really drove that home. So in my second playthrough I couldn't even aim my gun at them without feeling like a complete dick. And I hadn't even noticed Joe had died. (I guess I must have played through those final chapters without exiting the game) Now seeing him, a man whose only crime (the only one he was punished for anyway) was standing in the way of my killing spree, lie dead... man, it almost brings a tear to my eye.
Exactly how i feel... I wish we had more games like this.
Not the BS we have today like Call of Duty of Battlefield... why can't we have games where it shows how war really can be...
You said it perfectly man and i applaud you for doing so.
How did he stand in the way of your killing spree? Did you ever get the chance to kill him? Sorry for asking if it's a stupid question but I never played the game :/
But remember what Konrad said: "Don't be too hard on yourself. Even now, after all you've done, you can still go home. Lucky you."
God From The Machine yea I had no idea he had died just thought he disappeared. Sad story
God From The Machine the only true victims of war are the civilians that get caught up in the middle of the firefight between the factions!!!!!
“Killing for yourself is murder, killing for your government is heroic. Killing for entertainment is harmless.”
"The United States Military doesn't condone the killing of unarmed civilians, but this isn't real, so why should you care?"
"The US Military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants. But this isn't real, so why should you care?
Why killing for entertainment is harmless?
@@Aek545This is a sentence in game during loading screen. Probably they are making ironi . They mean people think like that.
@@Aek545it probably references another screen tip that reads "The US military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants. But this is a game so why should you care?" Implying that we're playing this game for entertainment and dont have to think of all the people we've killed,at least thats how i think of it
I have a theory about this guy. See, at the start of the game during the opening credits, it lists the player's username as a "Guest Star". And there are only two people who have likely been watching Walker and his team's every move, and by the end of the game, they either are dead or feel dead. Can you guess who those two people are? They are the player and the sniper. I don't know for certain how much the sniper saw, but he must have seen a lot. My point: I think "Joe" is supposed to represent the "Guest", the player. What do you think?
Edit: I know I made this about three years ago, and I may have been over-analyzing, but I still believe this. It’s completely fine if you don’t; I respect your opinions. I simply ask for the same respect.
Nietzsche's Heir
so we're Joe, That would be some meta shit right there
Nietzsche's Heir you sir are a genius
Good theory, the player isn't really Walker all things considered.
What if... Joe saw all this shit and he committed suicide?
@@johnorulzu shit stupid ass Walker
By the end, the flag is facing the right way.
If the person in distress is dead, there is no more distress, hence no need the distress signal anymore.
Just my thoughts on this.
Somebody came up, covered Joe with rubble, then threw the flag over it.
Not only that, soldiers' caskets are also draped with the flag.
@@scowler92 no it fell off
Staff Sergeant Joseph Martinez, 33rd Infantry Battalion.
Commendations: Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart (Posthumous), Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
19XX-2012
How'd he die
@@Mx.kitti161 He shot himself.
With out food or water you die terribly in three days
@@missmichelle1290 Without water you'll die in three days.
Without food, it's about 3 weeks max, give or take a few days.
@@physical_insanity yeah
He was so close. That rain storm at the end would've bought everyone valuable time. He almost made it out.
Let’s be real, Walker probably gunned him down offscreen during a part of the game we didn’t see or was hallucinating during, considering he died sometime after the destruction of the water and he was so high up, he probably died either during the chaos of the destruction of the radio tower and the resulting storm/helicopter crashes, or during the time between the crash and walker coming to himself at the shipyard, we have no idea how he got there from the crash site, so I’m willing to bet it was then.
@@Crackedcripplehe prob offed him self after seeing that there is no more water and just gave up
Walker actually dies after the first helicopter crash. Everytime the screen fades white instead of black is when Walker is hallucinating. 90% of the game isn't even real.
@AsimosTriouss thats such a weak theory then, "ohhh it was all a dreammm!!!!"
@@bananafone1414 Not a theory, this is literally confirmed.
R.I.P Joe you shall not be forgotten
The Joe the sniper memorial half destroyed building
Who is Joe?
@@LouSassol69er Joe mama
@Saitama Ever heard of sarcasm?
@Saitama Well fuck.
How can I feel something just watching this? This game is so awesome because it touch you deep...
I could talk for hours and even create a seminar about this game.
Luiz Alex Phoenix, same, Years ago my uncle told me he would buy me a game, the one that I wanted wasn't in the store so he picked this game (spec ops the line) I touched me so deep, I wasn't expecting nothing, and now it's one of my favorite games, I played it whit only 11 years.
Abdiel Alfonso 11? Shit bro. Did you cry in white phosphorus scene just like me??
@@yourwannaberockstar I think the thing I like about that scene and walkers character is he isn't really a villain, he's a failed hero, a guy who wanted to do the right thing but didn't know what that was and kept making mistakes every time he tried to save someone. The thing he needed to realize was that the right thing was following his orders, not trying to be a hero and sit back and wait for the army to arrive and do his job. Notice how in media the guy who disobeys direct orders is the good guy, in this game, it shows the consequences of not following orders and the reason orders are put in place is to prevent you from getting killed and making mistakes like walker did. Walker had every chance to walk away, but he didn't.
@@Biojack222 Orders? What if Konrad was true about him while saying "You were never meant to come here."
I felt more for this main menu guy than i did the entire last of us 2 game
That's a wild statement
At times like these truth shouldn't be spoken loud
I like how the flag is back to normal at the end, Dubai is not in distress anymore
Not anymore, Dubai is not in distress to ANYONE, because nobody survives
@@kawabatayuri exactly
Except the politicians and rich kids
The version of TSS that is playing is by Jimi Hendricks. It is supposed to symbolize the horrors of wartime with certain parts sounding like screaming, explosions and bombs dropping.
Really deep shit.
Those fuckers... they ate Joe.
We're gonna make em pay.....
*spec ops 2*
Spec Ops: The Line = Spec Ops 9 (yes, there are other 8 games from the Spec Ops saga)
So yea
Were gonna shove our boots up their black bird asses
you killed him
+ViiCiouSLoGiiC and spec ops: cop line, spec ops: WW2!
Utilitarian thanks made my day
-Martin!! Did you broke that jar?
-No mom,it was Konrad's fault,not me!!
cit. Little Walker as a child
"So you blamed it on me. A dead man"
Lmao
John Konrad this is funny
It's really sad to think that Walker had a family.
Goddamn, Walker blaming Konrad before he was even enlisted and actually met the man, lol
Years ago my uncle told me he would buy me a game, the one that I wanted wasn't in the store so he picked this game (spec ops the line) It touched me so deep, I wasn't expecting nothing, and now it's one of my favorite games, I played it whit only 11 years.
I'm from Mexico, and I gotta say it has one of the best voice acting in Spanish.
¿Tienes link a un escena del doblaje español?
My parents bought me KOTOR II when I was 12. A space opera adventure where you're saving the day! Nope. I got to see characters talk about culture, the downfall of civilizations, and witness the aftermath of war.
why did everyone play this when they were 11. i mean, i also did.
Same thing happend to me. Wanted Mario Kart 7, got Spec Ops:The Line.
I was 9, so I didn't really get the story back then.
I love how everything falls into decay as the game progresses and gets more f**ed up
Spec Ops is what Modern Warfare 2019 wanted to be.
Edit: Some of y’all are trying to start an argument about this THREE YEARS LATER, fucking go outside 😂
facts
Nah
@@5drippy624 yeah
"It wanted to feel like something it isn't .. a good game"
And is what Last of Us 2 wanted to be.
Was he waiting for help? I mean, the flag turned upside down and that means help right?
the upside-down flag is a sign of distress
+telle the anarchist The soldiers in the game use the upside down flag as their symbol. The flag patches on their uniforms are also upside down.
+HiVoltag3R cool never noticed that
The upside-down flag and the "patched" flag (the one with the blue zone and white stars covered with black) are used by the "government" of the 33rd
It's fi show that they are renegades
Every time I play this game, I try to tell myself its easier to kill them.... It's not. It sticks with me even after I'm done with the game. Dubai was in relative peace, until Delta came along....
Ryan Heil It was already hell before the 33rd or Delta came along, they were just the two final nails to go into the coffin of Dubai.
The 33rd tried to help the civillians and did a fairly decent job until some refugees decided to shoot the shit up at the marked.
Rationalization: a common effect of playing "Spec Ops: The Line."
@@Zipotricks I think walker was innocent until he decided to kill those soldiers without knowing there were civilians.
The 33rd did some serious crimes themselves.
There's no good guys here. It's all just different shades of grey, and the civilians are caught up in it.
They planned to have a "6th Ending" letting you turn back after the first encounter with the refugees, but they decided to cut it out to drive home a point of: "You paid 60$ for this, now suffer the whole way."
That game hits you even harder when you play it for the first time and you don't know it's the video game equivalent of Apocalypse Now...
they need to make a game prequel on what happened before Walker arrived.
The multiplayer is abour that,was a civil war between the 33rd soldiers,the Exiles and the Damned, the soldiers you can see hanged ,where part of it
It should have been better if it was a DLC. You start as the 33rd during the beginning of the occupation of Dubai right after they've been trapped behind the stormwall. The more the story progresses, the more you have to make morale choices. At one point - at the middle of the story - just after the failed evacuation, you can choose between the Exiles or the Damned. At the end you get killed by white phosphorus. Either by Konrad if you choose the Exiles or by Walker if you choose the Damned. (Also, if you choose the Damned, you are the dying man that asks Walker "Why ?" at the Gate).
Spirz Holy Shit! That would be a nice DLC!
@@spirz4557 that is the best dlc idea ive ever heard
@@spirz4557 :0 GET THIS GUY A FUCKING DEV JOB STAT
“Don’t ask who Joe is.”
“Who’s Joe?”
“*sniff* Joe the main menu sniper *sniff* WE HAVEN’T SEEN HIM SINCE DUBAI !!!!!”
"More disturbing than the unknown is a distortion of the familiar."
-Magic
Take Everywhere At The End of Time for example.
That's dementia.
I really like how the time of day changes too. At the beginning of the game the sun is high in the sky and the flag is semi-fresh, hopeful and promising. As time goes on, the skies darken, the horizon cracks and the flag withers, the colours flying until Joe draws his last breath. The last screen is mid morning. Joe has been laid to rest with his rifle by his side, wrapped in Red, White & Blue.
Ah yes, Spec Ops: The Line the game that successfully managed to break me.
Imagine how depressing it would be to just sit on a rooftop all day and night in a hot, sandy climate while looking over an empty, destroyed, dead city and simultaneously running out of food and water. He realized he was on borrowed time. I don’t think Walker directly killed Joe, but Joe killing himself was a result of Walker’s actions.
Thats jimi hendrix's version of the star sprangled banner
+jellybutterpeanut1 The version in the game is much better quality than anywhere else on the Internet, and I like the isolated distortion guitar more than when there are other instruments.
I like how the cursor is always on "Quit"
lol true
3:22 look at the bottom, other snipers are trying to communicate with Joe via light flashes.
damn nice catch..
I can't help but wonder if those are enemy snipers, considering the next shot is Joe's corpse.
0:43 I noticed that there are two corpses hanging on the building where the football field is. And when the menu changes to daytime, the corpses disappear. But at 2:06 they reappear.
You can also notice how the wind changes during the day and at night. If you look at the unfinished building, which is the closest. There, the sand will fly to the left and then to the right.
Feel like a hero yet?
Regnery Cruz How many american soldiers did you kill today?
*He turned us into fucking killers*
If you were a good person, you wouldn't even be here.
anyone notice the flag gets torn up and the backround gets more fucked...also the music keeps getting more distorted...just like Walkers mind/situation
Two Hands Revy what about the sounds of the distorted helicopter blades that sometimes play in the background , could that be hinting at some segments of the game ? after a chapter they cannot be unheard like in the first chapter.
probably yeah, maybe its a refrence to the crash later on
It's such a haunting and memorable main menu. This game is a masterpiece.
For those wondering, the anthem you hear is a cover by an artist (I forget who did it) but it’s mostly about the horrors of war and how it should t be glorified, the flags position in the military is actually a sign for SOS or that trouble is about, it’s basically saying shits hit the fan.
Jimi Hendrix
God rest Jimi Hendrix
this game is an example of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"
The fact that he not only changes position but also is sometimes entirely absent is what really gets me. I would absolutely love for an enterprising fanfic writer to explore what this guy was doing throughout the campaign.
Bro you might as well make a fanfic for the black ops 1 akimbo holding guy at this rate, it’s not that deep
@@CodPatrol don't disrespect Joe Blackops
@@thedeergod435 Joe Codd the 2nd
@@jaypea30 this killed me
One way to interpret the flag covering the dead body is America covering up the death, tragedy, and war crimes that happened in Dubai in _Spec Ops: The Line_
Just another bit of salt to rub in the wound of what Walker did.
Or since the flag is upside down to show distress and signal for rescue its to show that he’ll never be rescued or recovered.
Spec Ops the Line. In my opinion the most underrated shooter story wise, possibly ever. I hate when people say „ever“ since it implies nothing comparing to it was released prior, or will be released in the future. But with this one I actually feel it...I miss those games that make you *FEEL* something...god this game was awesome...
1:25
He glued his rifle to the floor...
But this isn't real, so why should you care?
- One of the loading screen tips
Wow, that actually broke the big boi depression of this. Thanks
Looks like he stuck it in the crack of the buildings
His rifle could have a rubber buttstock
the flag is upright at the end because there's no more distress, the entire city is dead, there's no more conflict, no more death, everyone is dead, which may imply the canon ending is the one where Walker kills himself
A weird glitch happened to me just now where 2 snipers appeared and there’s two flags, the star spangled banner song is playing twice and it’s harmonizing so pretty
*Joe was watching Martin Walker the entire time.*
Distorted is exactly correct: a great piece of music, but used here to really hammer home how bad things have gotten
Something can be distorted and still be good
Battlefield 2042 wished they could do that.
Music is Jimi Hendrix- Star Spangled Banner. Ya welcome
Here's a great theory Joe had a crazy jam party and fell asleep and his pet crows Flyy and pecky are trying to wake him up
and the last bit where his is gone is because he escaped with the help or radio man (Who actually dosent die) and his crows. on the way he also rescue ALL the Phosphorus civilians and replaced them with mannequins that look like burn victims he also talks Conrad out of killing himself and actually placing ANOTHER mannequin just to fuck with walker!
Then they all lived happily ever after and no one died horrifically.
except walker because he couldn't take a joke.
:(
It takes a strong man to deny what's right in front of him
Wholesome ending.
Yeah but who is Joe?
On another note, I never knew a sandstorm could create this level of damage. Can this happen in real life?
probably, i'd have to be severe and continuous
Sandstorms of that magnitude happen occasionally on Mars. On Earth? Probably not.
no No matter how low the chances are, it happened to Dubai. In real life and the game.
Best Ranger3 But that sandstorm didn't turn dubai into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, did it?
No, but Dubai would probably look like that if everyone left for a while and the buildings were no longer maintained.
People be having PTSD everytime they visit dubai now.
The funniest part really to me, is that the only time we see the american flag right side up is at the end of the game, with it toppled off its pole and with the city destroyed
They need to make a movie on what happened before Walker arrived.
A game prequel maybe
Jimmy Wen I feel like making the events into a game won't work as well. Would people (LCD dudebro trash) want to manage an evac op while maneuvering through a slowly crumbling city, and when shit hits the fan start killing civilians? A film format would work better IMO.
DJ Weapon it will work just as well, it will be just as impactful as the other game
Jimmy Wen Yeah, you're right. Its just that reading these user "reviews" of the game where they bitch about the horrible atrocities they're forced to commit and gave it a bad rating irked me.
DJ Weapon Because dome sissies wont accept the truth that war is unethical.
Man this one time my cousins came to my house.
They were little like 5 and 9.
They wanted to play this game but they don't speak english at all.
So they were entered the game and saw, they freaked out to see himm under rubble and dead because they had seen him alive before in main menu.
They asked me to exit the game
Two innocents have been saved this day.
Which stage
Damn, you saved them.
Even tho I'm 20 years old by now, I'm still traumatized
the Jimi Hendrix rendition of the anthem fits well as it is anti war and some of the parts actually sound like bombs dropping, people screaming, etc
Nice, I like when the internet gives a background character a greater identity.
This is how empires die. Not from a glorious last stand that's over in a defining moment. A light shining bright that's snuffed out in an instant.
It dies laying in the mud, long and drawn out, the sun setting over a battlefield long lost,, waiting,, wounded, in pain, waiting for help that they know is never coming. A flame that slowly starts to flicker, dimming, getting smaller, till a smoldering ember is left smoking in darkness.
“Welcome to hell walker, we’ve been waiting for you....”
I love how the anthem doesn’t even sound like anything recognizable at times
Everyone is willing to help...
The game is a masterpiece as you feel emotional after seeing Joe's death 😢
Sometimes, when the wind is low, it looks like the flag is sniffling...
I think the flag is symbolic of Walker's sanity, slowly deteriorating over the events of the game but always depicting his omnipresent instability (the US flag flown upside down is a symbol of distress)
I wonder why this game is not respected enough to have a sequel.
spec ops: the line story >>>>> COD4 story
Except IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD! :D
Spec Ops is about the horrors of war and how it breaks away at a man's sanity.
COD 4, while not bad, rarely ever delves into a character being traumatized by their actions or what they witnessed.
i liked both, my only complaint about cod (mw series) is that they don't have that post-war effect on their characters.
don't talk about advanced warfare or infinite warfare bullshit.
@@RenShinomiya121 infinite was sad bro
The main menu is a hint for the people showing that continuing playing the game, as the “hero” “savior” or “good guy” is destroying Dubai and the inhabitants in it, their probably telling themselves “if I beat it it’ll be all better.” The sniper named “joe” seems to be there as a spectator, the part where he’s aiming his rifle is probably an attempt to kill Walker, the aftermath (continuing the game) ends in his death. Completing the game shows Dubai in ruins, the US flag covering joe might be representing a way that the US is covering up its faults. The eerie national anthem is a nice tribute to its attempt for patriotism and heroism yet lying in demise.
The land of the free, and the home of the brave
dubai: the land of the war-crimes, home of the insane.
@@deadangel03
Also America
Yeah you would have to be very brave to live in America
Especially if you are minority
@@HellishSpoon I’m guessing you don’t live in America. I’m a minority in the US. Never felt unsafe here
@@Semper-S3XY same
At the final menu, the body vanished... now thats creepy
Do you feel like a hero now Joe?
Who is Joe?
@@LouSassol69er *J O E M A M A*
As a former Cub Scout we would burn old flags(formally to pay respect to soldiers and the flag itself) and seeing that end really got me the flag getting worse and worse is so sad and an f for joe he didn’t deserve it big f in general
*SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE GAME*
Would have been amazing if after the ending in which you kill the soldiers trying to save you at the end, the main menu sniper was replaced by walker with a sniper. Just a little idea
YES
THIS is the type of game that comes put of the magic words that all developers WISH they could hear: *no limits*
A better story than black ops 3
And Modern Warfare 2019.
All my focus was on the sniper I didn’t notice the buildings around him we’re slowly decaying
We need more games like this
All I really want captain... Is peace
Never played this game but the menu tells a story. 0:52 there are people hanging off the right building
Good catch. I also have never played this game but understand there’s a plot twist related to delusions and war crime. The final 2 scenes of the main menu character dead or full on M.I.A interested me the most. Was waiting for a nuke though.
I had scenes like this in my head for decades, just missing the ambient apocalypse noise and you're set. Don't forget the noises of falling scrap and buildings of in the distance.
I love this video so much, please never erase it.
Fun fact: the US flag flown upside down is a sign of distress and such
Whenever I beat the game, I was like "Holy shit, I did all of that to Dubai?"
Fun thing is, I never saw Joe dead myself in my several playthroughs, I just saw the flag was down at some point. In between, I couldn't stop playing the game and exit. One of those games where graphics and gameplay are not the best, but the story is so good and the several twists keep it interesting. Also how the team changes their speech the further you get into it. From tactical, calm, level-headed instructions to: "I got that fucker!"
The game should get a remake and people should play this for educational purposes. THIS is what war does. Not call of duty. (okay, you still kill a bazillion guys as a single guy, not really happening, but the results you get are way different, at least story wise)
"Easy there G.I Joe"
Years ago coming back to the game, still beautiful. How many narrative tricks and hidden messages are in a thing as simple as a main menu.