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Spec Ops: The Line fronts spectacular screens, gameplay footage

Don't overlook 2K's other 2012 release; Spec Ops is looking pretty amazing in a new batch of screenshots and developer diary.

As well as some impressive graphical feats, these screens feature gore and disturbing imagery of war and death; viewer discretion is advised.

The game is set in Dubai, which senior designer Shawn Frison said reflects the storyline, because the city's beautiful architecture is like the innocence of the characters - both suffer in the coming conflict, presumably. You can see an example of the character's visual degradation in art below, but Frison said even the way characters speak will change over the course of the campaign.

A number of previews on the third-person shooter have hit over the last 24 hours, sparking interest in a series which has gone under the radar a little recently. The PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 release is the ninth of its line, which dates back to 1998 and will have been dormant for ten years by the time we see Yager Development's efforts this year.

This one is based on the classic novel Heart of Darkness, which as you may know is very dark indeed, and early indications suggest Yager's treatment of the theme of modern conflict is both confronting and moving. As well as Heart of Darkness, Frison name-dropped Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down as inspirations, along with input from a military advisor, brought onboard to ensure an authentic feel. Plenty of detail on that the developer diary below, as well as some glimpses of the game in action.

Cover image for YouTube video

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Spec Ops: The Line

PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac

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About the Author
Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

Contributor

Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

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