Spec Ops: The Line – Details, Trailer, First Images

Spec Ops: The Line, a new shooter being developed by YAGER and published by 2K games, had some details surface today in the form of a press release.

Described as an “original and innovative single and multiplayer’ experience, the story revolves around the concept of  a thin “line” between death and duty that soldiers walk. The perspective you will take, is of U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad and his team, as they make their way through ruined city of Dubai, protecting stranded citizens caught up in the “cataclysmic sandstorms” which have taken it over.

It’s pretty evident in the Spec Ops Video Game Awards debut trailer (and the alternate trailer that surfaced just before the award show), that not all stranded individuals will make for heart warming rescue material. The VGA trailer opens up with a voice that asks:

“Do you still intend to rescue me captain? Now that you’ve seen what I’ve done. I admit, my methods are … unconventional, but they are necessary.”

Sounds like this could be at least one of the “lines” you will have to decide whether or not to cross during the game. Will you continue rescuing all those stranded without bias, or will you hunt down the mad man who appears to be torturing your men and desecrating your country.

Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K, issued the following statement about the game and how it fits in to the overall 2K philosophy:

“Spec Ops: The Line is the epitome of a 2K Games title and incorporates all of our gameplay values: immersive experiences that draw you in, unique and innovative features that make you rethink the way you play them, and an amazingly high quality bar that is synonymous with the 2K name. By meeting these core values, I’m confident that Spec Ops: The Line will be a great experience that people will enjoy playing for years to come.”

An interesting feature in the game, revolves around the sandstorm itself, creating an ever-changing landscape with terrain that can shift from high to low ground, sending players plummeting to their death or crushing them under mountains of sand. The aspect reminds me a lot of the terrain altering interactions in the game Fracture developed by Day 1 Studios and published by LucasArts back in October of 2008.

Here’s a look at two high res images, the Video Game Awards featured trailer (that I think had a very Gears of War feel to it), and the full press release issued today.

2K Games Announces its Next Big Shooter – Spec Ops(R): The Line

Narrative-driven military shooter features intense combat and gut-wrenching decisions set against the backdrop of the sandstorm-ravaged city of Dubai

New York, NY – December 14, 2009 – 2K Games, the publisher of the critically acclaimed BioShock® and Borderlands™, announced today that Spec Ops®: The Line™ is currently in development at YAGER for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. Spec Ops: The Line is a provocative and gripping third-person modern military shooter that challenges players’ morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable situations where unimaginable choices affecting human life must be made.

“At the heart of the 2K DNA is the creation of intellectual properties that provide consumers with compelling narrative, heart-pounding action, and worlds that come to life around them,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Spec Ops: The Line is the epitome of a 2K Games title and incorporates all of our gameplay values: immersive experiences that draw you in, unique and innovative features that make you rethink the way you play them, and an amazingly high quality bar that is synonymous with the 2K name. By meeting these core values, I’m confident that Spec Ops: The Line will be a great experience that people will enjoy playing for years to come.”

Spec Ops: The Line unfolds within the destroyed opulence of Dubai. Once the playground for the world’s wealthiest elite, Dubai has fallen victim to a series of cataclysmic sandstorms. The city’s ultramodern architecture lies half-buried under millions of tons of sand. The very sand that blankets the city plays a marquee role in altering combat situations and serves as a powerful but unpredictable force that will both help and hinder players throughout the course of the game.

While most people have fled the now-barren wasteland before the sandstorms swept through, U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad and his loyal squad remained behind to protect those incapable of escape. Unable to reach anyone in Dubai after the storm hit, the U.S. Army feared Konrad and his team dead until they picked up a weak distress signal and launched a rescue operation. As U.S. Army Captain Martin Walker, you and your elite Delta Force team are sent to infiltrate the treacherous region to bring Konrad home. Players will experience “The Line”, that razor’s edge known only to men who deal in war. It is the line they cross when death and duty become one and the same. It is the end — of self and sanity — when their duty is done and only they remain.

“The production of Spec Ops: The Line has been a tremendous experience for YAGER,” said Timo Ullman, managing director at YAGER. “Our close collaboration with 2K Games over the course of this production has allowed us to achieve our goal of giving players a unique and exciting gaming experience in Spec Ops: The Line. YAGER’s goal is to always push the boundaries of what is possible and exceed players’ expectations in every production.”

Spec Ops: The Line underscores 2K’s commitment to deliver original and innovative single and multiplayer experiences to current generation consoles and PCs. Spec Ops: The Line will take that commitment to the next level by providing players with a new and exciting multiplayer experience that offers a unique perspective on the single-player storyline.

Spec Ops: The Line is not yet rated by the ESRB. The title is planned for release during Take-Two’s 2011 fiscal year, which begins on November 1, 2010. For more information, please visit www.specopstheline.com.