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How Spec Ops the Line Condemns the Player: A Timestamped Excerpt from Games as Literature's Analysis (youtu.be)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The whole video is worth watching, but this section in particular makes a better case than I've seen in other analyses: that the game condemns player involvement not by simply chastising the player for choosing to continue playing itself (as I've seen other analyses argue), but rather for carelessly and uncritically engaging with the power fantasy that games like this cater to.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Same. When I played, at a couple points I tried to go all the way back to the beginning, when it seemed like the initial mission Walker was assigned was in some way fulfilled or inviable. When the game had absolutely no response to that, it kinda detracted from my appreciation for the message of the game. For all that it has to say about hero fantasies and the player engaging in it, it doesn't have any alternative to that. It needs the player to commit the sins that it wants to denounce.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

There are a few points I feel is pretty forced. Okay there is an hostage situation happening right now so I get it. They wanted to help.

But after they found out the hostage is dead and there are rogue elements, they should just turn back and report the findings to their superior so that they can decide whether to send reinforcements or not.

The Spec Op protagonists aren't good soldiers. They ignored direct orders from their superior multiple times!