This game is one of my favorite of all time, and one of the best examples I know to support the idea that games are art.
On the topic of the white phosphorous, I recall that one developer said about it that you do have a choice: you can turn off the game and walk away. I think Ryan hit the idea on the head. We "blame" the game for making us do something to keep going, in the same way the dead Konrad is blamed by Walker. I still think that drive is summed up by Konrad's line - "You're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: a hero."
I was watching a couple of videos done by Extra Credits before watching this, and they touch on the fact that the whole last speech from Konrad was basically him calling out the player saying, you're using this as a power fantasy and not thinking about the consequences. I think that's so cool, and I loved watching these guys talk about it, especially with Josh. It's an engaging game, but it's not necessarily very fun.
This game club was the best one by far, right next to Katawa shojou
I really like when they play these more heavy weighted games because they have a hole lot more depth to them yourself would never see and its neat to see somebody elses view on it
on side note i would like to recommend the game " Max The Curse of Brotherhood" it's on steam but i bet its on xbox 360 or one too. Or is there one special Post where you can add recommendations for gameclub?
I'm so glad this game was picked for game club because I never would of heard of it otherwise. I loved the story and even after I was done with it I had to look up theory videos on YouTube and damn that game apparently has a lot more layers than I saw. including the idea that the whole game is the protagonist re living these events in Hell or Pergatory.
The fact that I'm still thinking about this story a week after I playing it shows how much I really enjoyed it... despite it being a really dark/bleak game
SPOILER!!! Rocket League will achieve world peace.
Play Huniepop
I know you guys talked all about the story of the game, but did you actually like the gameplay as well?
I almost didnt recognise josh without his beard wow
I played this games ages ago and absolutely loved it. May need to buy it on PC!
I don't think its as much as the game forcing you to do horrible things as much as you have to do these horrible things to ensure you'll survive. Do you not use white phosphorous and hope the enemy will stop coming? Do you not shoot civilians who've already shown they're willing to kill your team and hope for the best? You don't feel like a hero at the end, but at least in one string of choices you survive and make it back.
I heard a lot of good things about Spec ops the line when it came out but I didn't play it even though I heard it was really good. Spec ops was a game series before the line and it was so bad it made me not want to touch the series with a ten foot pole. Its a good thing the line did away with all of that but i'm suprized anyone picked up the Spec ops name.
I put in a recommendation for this game on the first game club video. Not sure if that is what got it in the tumbler but I'm really glad that it got picked. Not that I wish the subject matter on anyone, but it is one of my favorite games to get people's opinions and reactions to, and it is very cool to get them from people I like and admire.
For me this was the first shooter that made me truly question and dislike the decisions I had made for more than just gameplay reasons. Specifically the Willie Pete sequence was heart wrenching. I remember getting to that scene and being very gung ho to use the mortar set up. I designated every shot that was called out, and I vividly remember seeing all the people at the end of the street and thinking "Target rich environment". Afterward, walking through the devastation, hearing the soldier say "We were helping" and then seeing the all the civilians burned to death and the very powerful image of the mother holding her daughter. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was a terrible human being.
Oddly I think that is the simple beauty of this game. Many games do a wonderful job of fulfilling the hero fantasy. They let you take over a character that is larger than life and overcome impossible odds. Everything you do is justified via story, albeit sometimes very thinly, and you end up being looked upon fondly for your work. This is largely what games are supposed to do, be larger than life fun that leaves you feeling happy for having played it. What Spec Ops is able to do is repeatedly begin to fulfill the hero fantasy and then bring your self confidence crashing down with the question, am I the good guy? The road to hell and all that.
While not all the choices are actual choices, in my opinion the game does a good job allowing the player to choose how to proceed while still facilitating the narrative they are trying to tell. The subject matter that they are addressing is very serious and I think they do a great job off of approaching it tastefully.
tldr: The game play is functional but a bit boring, the story is fantastic and definitely worth playing through. It is a strong case for shooter games being more than just slaughter simulators.
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