Other than one title on the PS2, we've not seen Spec Ops since the days of the original PlayStation.  In fact, it's been since 2002 since we've played the series and many had presumed we'd seen the end of the Spec Ops franchise.

Be it first or third person, the gameplay in shooters has become so standardised that players will know the controls more or less straight away, and whatever passes for a plot serves only as an excuse to have enemies pop up to eat bullets. Essentially, you've seen one, you've seen them all, right?

Spec Ops: The Line first appears to be another all too typical 3rd person triple A shooter, with little emphasis on narrative or characters and far too much work on making explosions look pretty. And indeed, that's exactly how this game is advertised.

Chris packs up his gear and heads to Dubai for this review of Spec Ops: The Line.

Engrossing amalgam of art and architecture; Memorable moments; both humorous and shocking

Stiff movement mechanics; Relentless killing overrides moral dilemmas

We like surprises here at Click and, despite all the talk about how great Spec Ops: The Line was going to be ahead of its release, we didn't really think it would amount to much more than a run of the mill third person shooter with a hefty online component that'd fill a bit of a gap for gamers...

A well executed game lacking much in the way of original gameplay. Play it for the story, grind it for the interaction.

Dubai, playground of the world's rich elite and stopover destination for anyone wanting a glimpse of this extravagant lifestyle. Once hailed an emerging business hub in finance and real-estate and number one tourist destination for many, now a literal desert wasteland and a buried city.

Deep and engaging story line; Great setting; Tactical combat situations; Dynamic controls

Grenade mechanic; Melee combat can get a bit messy; Loading each intro scene upon restarting a checkpoint

Spec Ops: The Line is one of those games that was brilliant in concept and in some ways masterfully executed, but a key element is missing that makes it only a bit better than average.

is one of those games that was brilliant in concept and in some ways masterfully executed, but a key element is missing that makes it only a bit better than average. Unfortunately, the part that's missing is fun shooting, which is kind of important in a game where you're holding a gun nearly the...

Spec Ops: The Line displays great ambition, and can be considered an admirable effort to push the shooter into new thematic spaces, but it falls short of achieving its full promise by some concessions to genre tropes. The drama and the action are too often at odds.

Visually splendid; Hefty combat; Great sound.

Recycled enemy models; Long load times; Manufactured drama.