Spec Ops: The Line is a 2012 developed by the German studio and published by . It was released internationally in June 2012 for and . It is the tenth title, as well as a , of the . In the game, players can hide behind cover, vault over obstacles, and shoot enemies while utilizing a variety of gadgets. Included with the game is an mode, developed separately by Darkside Game Studios, allowing players to engage in both cooperative and competitive gameplay. The player controls Captain Martin Walker, who is sent into a post-catastrophe with an elite team on a recon mission. As the story progresses, Walker's sanity begins to deteriorate as he begins to experience and slowly realize the horror of war.
Yager started the game's development in 2007, taking inspiration for the setting and story framework from various media, including 's 1899 novella and the 1979 film . The game was designed to be "physically opposing", causing players to question their thoughts about treating war in a video game as entertainment, and tasks players to make a variety of morally ambiguous decisions. The game suffered from multiple delays, and the development team used this time to refine the story and increase the gameplay's pace. The game's is a mix of licensed music and original music composed by .
- Video game critics gave Spec Ops: The Line generally positive reviews.
- Praise focused on the narrative and its themes, while criticism was targeted at the online multiplayer mode and generic third person gameplay. Spec Ops:
- The Line was a commercial failure and did not garner the attention that distributor had hoped for, but it was awarded and nominated for several end-of-the-year accolades, particularly for its story, and has garnered a in the years after its release
- Yager announced that there would not be a sequel to the game. The game was banned in the for its depiction of Dubai in a state of destruction.
