How Spec Ops: The Line's Opening Manipulates You
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2021
- You could have played something else.
PATREON: / montyzander
TWITTER: / montyzander
Spec Ops: The Line is dressed in the sand, and sheen, and glitz of an abandoned Dubai, but at its core it’s most interested in asking the player a question. Who is responsible for a war crime? Who should bear the brunt? How much social responsibility can we assign to a soldier who pulls the trigger? Or should we turn our anger towards the decision-makers who conditioned them?
It’s the military shooter which ruined military shooters for me - and that’s the most ringing endorsement I can give it. Nothing has compared since. It’s the sort of experience Call of Duty: Modern Warfare wishes it could give its players.
But how exactly does it condition a player to see it as just another generic shooter? What does its framework say about its inspirations? Why is its opening so effective?
FOOTAGE/REFERENCES USED
1 - Combat Psychology, Learning to Kill in the US Military - digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/c...
2 - Star Marshall - • Spec Ops: The Line 100...
MUSIC
Spec Ops: The Line OST (A Mix)
MOTION GRAPHIC BY: icarotkd?h...
Find him on Twitter here: @icarogabriel17 
Игры
It's just a take - but for those of you who have played Spec Ops: The Line, do YOU think the game holds you responsible for what happens?
You are quite underrated, first your control review now this, you spoil us zander
Thanks my man!
The first time I've played I just do whatever the game told me to do (not responsable for anything). The second time I realize I have a choice and understand that I do have a responsability for my actions , and that messed me up a little.
And this David S. Goyer story totally underrated game really deserves a remake or a remastered version.
@@xicocacoilo I didn't consider the replay factor. Great point.
@@MontyZander I really think that the first time we don't have the knowledge to understant how pshicologhical deep this game is. Only at the very end the game tells us, in a very good way, how a war soldier could be fragile and really messed up and his last line of the game says it all: "Welcome to Dubai ".
I think my favourite thing about the entire downward spiral of atrocities in Spec Ops: The Line is that right from the first combat encounter, you've gone off the rails of your original mission.
Walker's mission is, IIRC, simply to verify that there are survivors in the city. That's it. "Find out if anyone is alive, then radio for extraction."
So as soon you go chasing hostiles...
You're disobeying your actual orders.
although many people remember the line "do you feel like a hero yet?", my favorite here is "do you still remember what your mission is?"
I only stopped playing the game (halfway) for a week before picking it up, and I already forgot why walker is here, besides being the hero
@@leesasukiMy friend just played this on stream today and towards the end of the game when he got "do you remember why you're even here?" in the loading screen it hit him really hard
Its a literal downward spiral to an extent too. A lot of the game involve you going descending more and more buildings, going deeper into the heart of Dubai. The missions were you really ascend up is the chopper sequence, which some people see as were Walker actually dies, or finally confronting Konrad by after using the Trans-Emirate building's elevator, aka the ending of the game where you find out the truth.
The military shooter that dared to raise it's voice and say: "hey man, I know you like CoD and all, but war is actually pretty fucked up".
I love how Spec Ops like wine has aged so well that every few months I can see videos from ppl around the world realizing that this gem exist.
The game itself might be mediocore, but the story... Is a whole another story (lol)
@@GregorianMGabove mediocre, people don’t utilize its mechanics well. I do admit it should’ve been a little bit balanced
Spec Ops in a masterpiece. The way it organically presents you with choices without actually telling you there is a choice and what it is, is great.
A mob of refugees is threatening you, and your teammate is yelling at you to shoot at them, but you can shoot on the air to scare them away. The game never tells you that shooting in the air is an option - you have to decide to do it on your own
Exactly how it would be in the real world. Such a well crafted game and story.
An underrated gem of a game that should be explored more, thanks to its timeless theme and message.
"Do you feel like a hero yet?"
Audio sounds good. I like the view of "its the players fault because he didn't choose to play something else" instead of the constant argument you hear of "why can't you just not aim at the civilians" it gives a total different outlook on the whole experience
Time traveler?
Two years late obviously, but I also like the view of making the player question why they were playing the game. That view has gotten better as time goes on imo, cause if you’re playing The Line nowadays it’s likely cause you know some aspect of how the story goes., and as such you *know* the game won’t coddle you and tell you how good you are.
killing civilians is bad, I agree, but the dehumanization of opposing soldier's (typically young men) is just as horrid.
Killing civilians is terrible because it actively targets those that don't want to fight, dehumanizing the enemy is worse because it paints them as something less than human
@@DepressedCrow its how militaries have been training their soldiers for centuries. its why the officers and governments punished and were even more cruel in ww1 when the christmas miracle happened. soliders cant be human anymore only killing machines and the enemy is less than dogs and the civilians in the country being destoryed are just numbers or worse subhumans in the way cuz they dont grovel to the invading force. its why i dont trust most soldiers esp the young ones. they usually join for 3 reasons to kill people they dont like the look of, country and/or money.
@@DepressedCrowBoth are equally evil.
"We were helping" breaks me over a decade on. That was.... ooh boy, an experience.
I remember when I was much younger it traumatized me when I played it. I used to be into cod, halo, gears of war and counter strike, I didn't feel anything playing though those but after feeling like a monster playing the line and worse the feeling of just survive, just get though the game and let it weigh on my soul at the credits.... I recommend everyone plays this game but don't be a monster, if you feel it's uncomfortable then stop playing. It's the only way to get the good ending
Even the game gives you hints that the best ending is to not play at all
It’s a game ppl act like they went through it how does the weigh on u it’s a game plus it looks cartoonish
@@varga4488 yeah and so was nazi propaganda it still caused the holocaust and people selling out their neighbors. im sorry ya dont get this dude. hopefully ya mature one day.
@@Kris-wo4pj ur just a neck beard this is a video game not real life u guys act like this game will change u don’t get me wrong great game with a good message but it’s a game my man the ppl aren’t real just pixels
@@varga4488gamers when they realise art has an impact on one's soul
And now it's gone from digital storefronts, maybe forever. When I played it, I knew going in what the twists were and that the game would descend into horror. It was still spectacular and horrible and that "Special Guest: You" in the opening credits rattled me in a way I wasn't expecting. My first playthrough ended with me denying responsibility for everything, but now I know better.
Very gentle thing that I dunno if it has been mentioned Right at the start of the game, right before you get towards those bodes as you learning the Cover what are you ignoring? What do you walk right on by?
The Stop Sign.
The game is -telling- you right there ..to Stop.... And As a player you tend to walk right by it to engage the narrative.
It's subtle
The game that made me realize that for me was metal gear rising when the game forces the mc to realize that his enemies didnt have a choice where before he thought they did (who protects the weak from the man who protects the weak) later on in the game i found out that most enemies would retreat or leave without dying if you removed a limb. The game never tells you that however. This led to me limiting myself to give human enemies a chance to retreat before finishing them off
It's a fantastic game that I wish a lot more people had actually played. Ironically, it's often the gamers that'd need this sort of title most badly that didn't try it or play far enough, either out of ignorance or because the gameplay itself is (intentionally) bogstandard.
Had a surprise chuckle in the supporters section:
This video: "You are responsible!"
The Patron: "Please Don't Blame"
Watching this after bioshock infinite large really makes you think. Did Yager beat Ken Levine? I think so.
Exactly. Which Is why he doesn't need a 2 hour long vid
I remember this game vividly because I played it senior year of high school and had been a long time gamer. the mortar scene in the video made me feel like shit because I remember thinking fuck lugo there's way to many dudes im not playing this out.
Keep making videos man great insight.
Audio is good. Loved the video. One of my favourite games. Feel like it violates your ten minutes rule a little bit but worth it. Would totally watch a full video on the whole game.
Also watch Babylon 5 to hear John Conrad be amazing for four seasons as the main Captain.
Is the voice actor of John Conrad in Babylon 5!? Another reason I need to finally watch it.
@@MontyZanderCaptain of the station, season 2 on till he isn't. There to the end.
When a game is smarter than most players. I love it.
If you want a similar game that make you feel the same, you should try Project Wingman, that is based on Ace Combat, specially Ace Combat Zero, but feel much visceral and have pretty much the same message than Spec Ops The Line, I know that fighter jets combat games are a niche genre, but this one is really different, is as the same question. You feel like a hero yet? It all well and dandy till the Prospero mission, then all the feeling that you are a hero and winning the war, crashes to the ground and literally burst into flames, because the whole city is nuke by thirty or forty nukes.
I really like this take on the game, it is well thought out, but I feel like there is one detail you missed, that being the stop sign. It serves as a bit of a warning for players who decided to have another playthrough to stop. However, it prolly won't fit the video too well anyway as it isn't really possible to know its significance until after the first playthrough.
"Do you feel like a hero yet?"
When I got to the White Phosphorous part I was thrown off by the dialogue and expected to be able to find some other way after the "there's always a choice" line. It was a long time before I finally accepted that it was the only way to progress.
This is a game that will always stick with me. Going in with no idea what to expect besides a fun 3rd person shooter to make it have such a deep story that strikes the emotions. It makes you want to feel the pain of your actions. This will be a game I can always come back to.
"Ladies and Gentlemen.... Welcome to Dubai"
bruh we need a full on monty zander take on this game seriously a deep dive
I skipped on this video the first time I saw the thumbnail because it wasn’t a game I’d heard of but decided to watch it today and I’m glad I did. Love your videos and hope you keep it up.
Audio is good. Hope to hear more from you about Spec Ops: The Line and other games
Audios good!
Damn, I hope they remaster this one at some point. Never owned a PS3, but I’ve heard so many good things about this one!
I still remember playing this years ago. I was just breezing along click click click, not thinking much about anything because nothing in the game really stood out to me; I thought the story was boring and the gameplay felt a little bland so I was kind of just checked out and going through the motions. Then you do the thing and the game makes you walk through the aftermath… that’s when I started paying attention.
My personal take is not that the game holds you accountable so much as rubs your nose in the reality that war is ugly and not to be celebrated in the cheap way that modern media, especially video games, tends to; that there are no heroes and everyone suffers. My belief is that the only moment where you’re in control of Walker while he’s still alive is during the initial helicopter rail sequence and most of the rest of what you play is him bleeding out in a wrecked helicopter reliving all of the things he had done, fighting with the narrative that he had no choice and he had to do everything he did. For the on foot portion of the post helicopter crash gameplay I feel is a fever dream Walker has, where he struggles with the weight of his actions and chooses whether or not to take responsibility and atone for his sins or not.
Fantastic game that absolutely ruined military shooters for me. I haven’t played one since.
always a good day when monty uploads
Fantastic video ! I've always heard of Spec Ops the line but never played it myself, I'm considering it now...
Great stuff!
Audio sounds good on my phone dude. Really interesting take on the "choice" 🤘🏻
I just found your channel and I really love your take on things! Keep it up friendo - you're gonna kick ass :D
I know im a little late to your call to action, but, I thought your audio was amazing throughout the entire video right until you asked me to take notice. According to the ten feet rule this means you're good to go.
This was a phenomenal video, I wish it had more views
I replayed this game 3 times in a row to 100% this game and a detail i picked up on is that during the intro they actually hint at the fact you're shooting at Americans as the first little bird you'll shoot at once the game hands you control has a US flag with the stars blacked out (the symbol of the damned 33rd) drapped over the left missile pod leaving the only the red and white stripes to be indentified
Monty I just found your channel and man I love your vids! I beg you to do a critique on spec ops as I feel it deserves the exposure and analysis from you. You’ve been grinding, we see you!
I played this game a long time ago when i was a kid and didnt understand a single moment of it other than 'oh bad guy time to shoot them' but when i played it again during the lockdown i was wondering if this was really the same super fun shooty shooty bang bang i remebered it was
Spec Ops: Are you still a hero?
Me: No.. No... Specs Ops
Great video, think I might try out the game.
It may not run the best on ps3 but man I still had a blast replaying through it recently, now that I’m older the story hits much harder, I didn’t think much of it as a kid.
Thw game nu MW and meme of us 2 wishes it could be.
Goddamn I love the line, best goddamn Nolan Performance tied with penguin and David from tlou1
Damn. Fantastic video but what grim but Important topic for a game to cover
I feel like the quality of your channel has not been rewarded by the appropriate amount of subs. I'm going to plug your stuff brother. Keep doing what you do, and wish the noobus well for me. Cheers.
Thanks so much man!
Ah there it is :) Thanks for the correction. As far as the audio goes, it sounds clean, but I can say it could be a little louder overall. Other than that, great work as always.
I listen! (Sometimes!)
The audio sounds great
I wouldn't mind a full essay on this game or a full dumping on Modern Warcrimes 2019
Glad to see this game get some recognition.
This game broke me.
I didn’t really care for it, seemed mid at first, the more I played the more I became invested, then at THAT moment I was mind blown. I actually felt like a PoS. Very effective storytelling.
This is an excellent video, and you make a lot of good points, but there's something I hate about one of the common views about Spec Ops: The Line in general. The idea that the game uses its in-game narrative to emphasize the meta context of the player, rather than the other way around. The idea that it's accusing you, the player, for being a player, rather than using your experience as the player to emphasize and empathize with Walker's own feelings.
Take the white phosphorus scene and the player's lack of choice. There are the two obvious choices of using the phosphorus, or fighting through normally. One is the only actual way forward, the other is infinitely spawning enemies to bombard you until you die with no path for progress. And the commonly referred to third option; just play something else.
But I hate that phrasing; "just play something else". It feels entirely disingenuous and manipulative, trying to shame the player for the investment they had in the game, and almost phrasing it like if they had just considered the game boring and shitty, they'd be good people. I hate the weight of this decision being put on the player, rather than Walker. Hear me out.
The player and Walker are both invested in this game; be it because you spent time or money in this game, you wanted to see it through and get the full experience. You had to know what was on the other side of that camp just like Walker did. So even if you thought it was a terrible act to do (as lots of people do when they play this game), you push through anyway. I don't think the game is necessarily trying to highlight that what you did by continuing to play is bad, but rather, it tries to highlight your desire to keep playing as a way to have you empathize with Walker's desire to keep going. Walker wants to turn around and leave as much as you want to turn the game off. Walker continues because he wants to see this story resolved, as you do.
I've always thought about how complaints of "The game didn't give me a choice on how to progress" sounds very similar to "I was just following orders".
I think the game uses its mechanics and presentation to trick you, but less into giving you a very meta experience where you examine how you consume shooters, but rather to emphasize its story. For example, at the start of the game, I'd say you are absolutely in the moral right. Walker only fires at the rebels who fire first, because he has to. He only does what's necessary in terms of violence, and only continues deeper when he hears fellow soldiers in need of assistance. However, the entire game is about the slippery slope of going from being in the right to being in the wrong. The player doesn't bat an eye at the violence or the targets because they don't really need to. You are not the instigator, nor are you overly violent in your response. Over time, that changes, and the game puts a focus on that change.
You also point out the tip of "But this isn't real, so why should you care?" which I feel is less about sort of wagging a finger at you for indulging in virtual violence, and is instead more highlighting how you might feel the need to distance yourself from these acts to make it more comfortable. If you need to take a step back and remind yourself that this isn't really happening and these aren't real people, it's giving you a small taste of how Walker is trying to cope with this. I don't think the game is trying to shame you for dehumanizing the pixels in the game, but rather highlighting your desire to dehumanize them to make it more palatable.
The game uses meta feelings, like the desire to shift blame for the white phosphorus incident, or the desire to gloss over your enemies and morally justify them, as a way to put you in the shoes of a soldier like Captain Martin Walker. Someone who is not inherently bad, but finds himself doing bad things and feeling a need to justify it. As another loading screen tip puts it, "Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two conflicting ideas simultaneously."
tl;dr Great video, but I dislike the general thought that Walker is supposed to be a stand-in for the player, rather than a character the player is supposed to empathize with.
Excellent comment, thank you
I met Spec Ops: the Line through a book, "Killing is Harmless". I couldn't put said book down.
I don't play shooters for a simple reason. I *never* want to be that angry at a real person, that I can just shoot them down. It's NOT fun and games; it's an excuse to tell young people, "Go ahead, murder someone. It's just a video game."
Kill confirmed > HE'S FUCKING DEAD
this is one of the best games i ever played.
In the words of Crimson 1 from Project Wingman: "You, solely, are responsible for this."
genius stuff
I know you made this video 2 years ago. But you should do a critique analysis video of spec Ops the line like you did with all of the Batman games.
This game just blew my mind I had an idea of the whole war is bad message but the fact that a game made me feel like the peak of despicability for playing it just fucking baffles me in the best (worst) way possible
Spec Ops isn't an 'anti-war game'. It's an 'anti war-game'.
Please do another spec ops video!
THAT'S NOT WHAT ANARCHY MEANS
10:00 you see that STOP sign? It means players should stop playing this game immediately, before they go further.
I played this game long long time ago, and at the refugee camp I didnt want to shoot that thingy, but the game will not let you progress unless you do it, and it feels really stupid after. they try to guilt trip but it was either do it or uninstall...
Yeah a game is not really a format where this kind of thing works. I remember playing that section for the first time and sitting there laughing because it was so obvious the HUGE group of people were civilians. They're all just huddled together not moving and they're far behind the actual soldiers.
I spent the next 15 minutes rolling my eyes while the game tried so hard to make me feel like I had done something terrible for playing the misery porn THEY created. It's the cheapest trick the game tries to pull and it certainly tries a lot of them.
@@nin_tendo6458 but we chose to play the game
@@goldonawheelchair6582 Okay? They made it. How else am I supposed to experience the story of the game? Is there no distinction between just doing what we're told and continuing because I want to know the story the game is trying to tell?
@@nin_tendo6458 plus we bought the game so it will be a waste of money if we stopped playing it
I need to play Spec ops
Welcome to hell Walker
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dubai.
You sure you can't make a 2 hour essay on this?..... Come onnnn
It upset me when you completely left out the introduction of the 33rd and the change of the mission
3:49 does anyone know this piece of guitar music
Just got the game 2 days ago for $6 been wanting to play for years.
Careful of spoilers here! It's best experienced fresh!
@@MontyZander That's what I've hear.
This game only work if you dont blur the line of killing human.I use my gamestyle towards human and non human tendency.When play Halo we just let the ground rumble 🤣 kill all alien on site but when play COD just set my mind to survive,if they provide choice like stunt like metal gear.. better choose non violence steps because the game will became easier to play..less resistance,easy to move around...
oh
while i am in no way defending walker's actions or the atrocities he commits, the game really tries to hammer in that everything is his fault, and my reaction was always a knee jerk reaction of "really? everything?" he and his team were sent into an already messed up situation, the minute the come across civilians, they have guns pointed their way. i've looked into what i could about the game's backstory and while i conclude that there really are no good guys, it seems to me that the worst were the CIA who came to disrupt the ceasefire the damned had with the locals
a civilian killed by a bullet from the cia is just as dead as another civilian killed by a bullet from delta team
Walker never shouldve gine deeper into the city he should've have followed his orders called for evac and left it to the army.
I think the game itself leans towards suggesting that the player is responsible. While I acknowledge the craftsmanship in how it made the point, I strongly disagree with the validity of the notion. The developers clearly contrived the WP scene to be unavoidable. Yes, not playing the game is technically an option but it ought to be expected that players would be disincentivized to do so by outside forces.
They spend what little money and leisure time they have to decompress from their shitty anti-union job and play a video game about killing goons after being born and raised in a society obsessed with guns and warfare, only to get told they're a monster for doing so and not even the literal developers are at fault and you probably won't get your money back.
Of course, the low are weaponized against the lower while the people who actually contrived the situation leave with the money looking like heroes, or at least not responsible.
I'm not saying the Walkers of the world are innocent angels who should be protected from scrutiny. I'm saying they will continue to spring up if the machine that created them is not replaced and destroyed
it stems from a time when CoD and Battlefield were just becoming huge and it kind of makes sense .
It's ironic this game went for a "heart of darkness" angle And says if you didn't want the game to go like this you shouldn't have played it. And judging by the sales numbers of the game most people said. okay
Biggest mistake of this game, was not having an actual choice on the white phospherous scene.
It ends up undercuting the whole Walker's/Player's Hero ilusion arc, as he tries to save those in the city to redeem ourselves, but if I never could see this arc if I didn't to the crime, why am I seeking redemption? The result is that the final scene comes off as preeching to the player when they never really had a choice.
so that was a fucking lie.
1,000 viewer 😀
Wtf. Is this sarcasm?
Everyone blames the players but nobody thinks to blame the game developers who designed things to play out like this. Don’t let yourself get gaslit gamers.
Its not about being gaslit. You are being asked a question: why did you choose to buy and play this game, what was it about the hook of a first person shooter featuring military combatants killing each other and civillians that you found attractive and why? Its not neccessarily calling you a bad person, but imo its trying to deconstruct the narrative that FPS games try to sell us about war.
"You could've played something else" is such a garbage take. Well, no shit. You could say that about literally any game. Oh, you don't like it? Well you could've played something else!
Spec Ops: The Line, only works if you assume it is just another CoD type game. In other words, its message is only effective, if you willingly and automatically make the choice that the game expects you to. If you're not strictly a mindless military shooter fan, and have played games where you need to be aware of your surroundings, and expect the ability to have a choice in the matter (y'know, since you're the player), you're likely to just uninstall the steaming pile of shit, immediately after the white phosporus scene. You can't shame the player for making the only choice you give them. Whether that be NPCs, or long, drawn out, unskippable cutscenes.
Are you perhap feeble minded or something? The game is to deconstruct FPS genre and its glorification for virtual war. Of course it is made to those who are deep in the FPS rabbit hole.
@@ThanhNgo-jn7bm Are you? The point being, is that if they did so properly, their heavy-handed lesson would only apply to those who required it, while giving those who did not, the freedom to be rewarded. Instead they literally *force* people to make the decisions they want them to make, and then punish them for it. Which is inherently horrible game design.
@@digitalutopia1 COD, Battlefield, etc... don’t give people freedom of choice but a railroad linear stories about shooting anyone but American and at the end sing praise of the players for killing people, but Spec Ops turns it around and makes players confront with what they have been railroaded by previous games for years and then suddenly players care about having a choice to not being called out?
Conrad was right. If the truth is undeniable, they will create their owns.
@@ThanhNgo-jn7bm Yes, but they're not trying to teach a lesson, This game is. If this game gave you the choice- preferably passively, then they could teach the lesson to those who require it. Otherwise it just serves to punish everyone for doing the only thing the game allows.
It would be like a store manager demanding you take a cookie, and when you do, he calls the cops on you for theft.
@@digitalutopia1 Oh so you the kind of person who would prefer the “stick and carrot” method which gives the players to go off scot free as long as they feel like they are still morally good just because they don’t do this or that in this game and still go on to another CoD or Battlefield game to kill more non-American people. Got it! Man, we have reached to the point that hypocrisy is the only defend mechanism to shield our incompetence to face the truth. The fact that going into foreign country with a mission to recon and get out, go ball deep in waging war with every faction instead and hoping by reaching the end to kill a fictional villain, every action is justifiable because hero derp I didn’t use the WP at all, I just kill american soldiers trying to help the civies and help CIA destroy the water which ultimately kill the same civies few days later. And even after all the options given, players can just turn off the game then open other FPS to shoot because none of this is real.
Spec Ops: The Mid.
I'm drowning in your pretentious over-explaining of a game that is not that deep. The intro is literally just a basic bait-and-switch narrative trope, and you're explaining it like it's some grand, unique, schema that upends the entire genre. It's laughable, dude.