History NightmareFuel / SpecOpsTheLine

--->'''Walker:''' Just. ''Fucking.'' '''DIE!!!'''

* The two [[SnicketWarningLabel Snicket Warning Labels]] in the game are [[NothingIsScarier notably ominous]]. Delta are approaching Dubai, readying their equipment, and what's the first thing they see? A big red STOP sign, pointing directly at the player. The idea of a game [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty telling you to stop playing it]] is already rather questionable; after Konrad's line during the final chapter, it becomes downright ''unnerving'':

* The two [[SnicketWarningLabel Snicket Warning Labels]] in the game are [[NothingIsScarier notably ominous]]. Delta are approaching Dubai, readying their equipment, and what's the first thing they see? A big red STOP sign, pointing directly at the player. The idea of a game [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2 telling you to stop playing it]] is already rather questionable; after Konrad's line during the final chapter, it becomes downright ''unnerving'':

* Walker's [[SanitySlippage descent into madness]] over the course of the game. The cool, collected, mild-mannered captain slowly transforming into a gung-ho, vicious psychopath over the course of just two days is quite mortifying to behold. Even his physical appearance has noticeably degraded by the end, where his grimy, tattered uniform looks like it's about to fall apart and his face is splattered with blood. Creator/NolanNorth's performance really sells the transition: it's unsettling when you hear Walker start to [[SuddenlyShouting scream obscenities]] in battle after the white phosphorous incident happens. It's even ''worse'' when you realize it's the same man who calmly used military terms like "tango" and "neutralized" at the beginning of the game.

* ''Spec Ops: The Line'' is often called a horror game instead of an action game, but many don't appreciate exactly how terrifying it is. Not because of any Nightmare Fuel within the game's levels, but because of the core central premise of the plot. In almost every other horror game, the player has to survive the monsters the game throws at them. In this game, ''[[MookHorrorShow you]]'' [[MookHorrorShow are the monster that other people have to survive, and most of them don't]]. And you don't even realize it until it's far too late. Most horror games ask "Can you survive till the end?" ''Spec Ops'' asks "Is your life even worth living after this?" And appropriately enough, you have the option to say "no".

{{War is hell}}, and ''The Line'' isn't gonna let you forget it.

-->'''[[TortureTechnician 33rd Interrogator]]:''' [[ColdBloodedTorture Thought I'd make it the whole way without screaming.]] Hacked my way through the sandboarding. [[TooKinkyToTorture Even bit my tongue when they brought out the knives.]] But the fire...dammit...I screamed like you wouldn't believe. I'm disappointed, but at least now I understand the breaking. Once my [[NauseaFuel flesh started melting]], I'd have thrown my own mother under a bus to make it stop. [[MoralEventHorizon Every insurgent brought before me will know the same pain.]] And when they break, we will be like brothers. Having stared down death...and flinched.
* Walker's increasingly severe and ''horrifying'' hallucinations as he continues losing his grip on his sanity.

** After you go down a certain zip line after destroying the water truck, you crash into a 33rd soldier who suddenly appears as ''Adams'' screaming at you, asking what you're doing. You're only given the option to execute him, you can't shoot him, and if you wait too long he kills you. How does Walker execute him? By bashing his face in with his rifle ''4 times''. When the real Adams sees it he's genuinely concerned.

** One of the more subtle moments of horror in comparison to the rest of the game, but during the OnceMoreWithClarity montage at the end of the game, we get another look at the scene where "Konrad" forces Walker to choose which of two people "deserve" to die, but from Lugo's and Adams' perspective, which reveals that not only were both of the hanging bodies already dead to begin with, but from their perspective Walker just straight up ''froze'' in place for ostensibly no reason and was unresponsive to them both shouting for him to snap out of it. Adams and Lugo had to spend a majority of their mission fully aware that their superior, their ''Captain'' was becoming increasingly unstable and there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do about it.
* Unrelated to any WarIsHell psychology, but instead to an easily overlooked detail: [[MisplacedWildlife the oryxes]]. When they show up, it feels so unreal, it's almost creepy. So you wander through the human tragedy that is the devastated Dubai, when suddenly, you spot these weird long-horned antelopes – and you're not at all sure whether they're really there or Walker's seeing things.
** A herd can be seen in chapter 1, and sure, they could just be taken as part of the scenery and a sign of how desolate the ruins are that animals are traipsing the grounds, but if you know Walker's mind already, they're cast in severe doubt. It's made worse that Lugo and Adams don't comment on them, implying they don't see the oryxes at all.
** It gets worse: you spot another oryx early in chapter 11, eating contently... in the middle of a heavily urbanized part of Dubai, after the water trucks explode. You can only see his upper half because of a dune, and when you approach, you can see what it was feeding on: a soldier's corpse. Except oryxes are exclusively herbivorous with no recorded tendencies towards opportunistic carnivorism like deer have been known to act – in short, ''oryxes don't eat meat''.
* During Chapter 4, Delta is not able to move, because a turret has them pinned down, Walker goes to flank it, and while doing so a figure starts running towards you. You can pull the trigger and kill it, thinking it was one of those psychos with a knife. [[MoodWhiplash It's not.]] When you take a better look at it, [[VulnerableCivilians it's just a woman running away from the fight]]. Walker killed her, and no-one knows about what you just did, Walker doesn't even show remorse about it. Even worse, the woman's body fades instantly upon hitting the ground, suggesting that it's yet another hallucination. If you spare her, you can't find her again.
* Encountering Heavy Lugo. You can kill him and proceed with the mission, but if you die anytime between the start of the fight with the guy and the very end of the mission, you get [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2pv0mLnFPg a loading screen of the 47 innocent people]] [[YouBastard YOU]] killed at "The Gate" [[NightmareFuel while a woman hums a creepy tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"]]. The way he throws the most biting remarks possible at Walker doesn't help.
** The encounter gets worse once you consider how it's presented; You've finally made it to the gatehouse. Your mission is almost over. But a door's there; you can't open it, so you expect the worst, such as another heavy. [[GoneHorriblyRight You're right.]] Immediately as you approach the door and it shatters, the dust settles to reveal... Lugo. [[OhCrap And he's carrying an AA-12.]] His immediate first action? [[KickTheDog Fire at Adams]], who was once the only real ally he had left in Dubai after Walker started going mad. Then he turns his attention to you, and ''he starts HOWLING off at you in [[VoiceOfTheLegion the worst possible voice]]'', practically spitting out the most damning words he has for you. His AA-12's firing directly at you as he calls you out and it will tear you to shreds if he hits. Walker, the man Lugo once considered not only his leader, but his friend, [[ButThouMust is practically]] '''[[ButThouMust forced]]''' [[ButThouMust to take him out if he wants to get past him.]]

* ''Spec Ops: The Line'' is often called a horror game instead of an action game. But many don't appreciate exactly how terrifying it is. Not because of any Nightmare Fuel within the game's levels, but because of the core central premise of the plot. In almost every other horror game, the player has to survive the monsters the game throws at them. In this game, ''you'' are the monster that other people have to survive, and most of them don't. And you don't even realize it until it's far too late. Most horror games ask "Can you survive till the end?" ''Spec Ops'' asks "Is your life even worth living after this?" And appropriately enough, you have the option to say "no".

* The loading screens. It's not so much the images they show on them, but rather the words that are on them. It's as if the game is talking to you.

** The helicopter Gunner scene in general is horrifying. Sure, it plays like any generic vehicle turret segment found in so many shooter games. But, the simple fact that upon starting a brand new game, it's the first thing you play, and later when you do it again, Walker mentions a feeling of Deja Vu, suggests the entire game -- as well as your ability to replay it -- is [[FateWorseThanDeath Walker undergoing a Sisyphian torment]], by being forced to [[IronicHell relive his worst moments on repeat forever]].

* Some of the graffiti found throughout the city can be unsettling, whether it's actual pictures or just scrawled writing. These are the thoughts and feelings of the survivors, so when you find pictures of violence and suicide, artwork bordering on BodyHorror, and one piece of graffiti that simply reads "DUBAI DIED SCREAMING", you can guess what the people left here are going through.

* The way that in the ending Konrad gives you a simple choice -- shoot him or he'll shoot you -- is so menacing in how deliberate and definite he is about the choice. Walker is trying his best to maintain his composure and find some way to reason his way out of the situation, but Konrad continues his countdown regardless. Konrad's cold and mechanical thought process has already been decided, either he suffers judgement at Walker's own hands or Walker dies when he pulls the trigger; and then when he finally finishes his countdown, the tone of voice he uses sounds evil, like that of a true monster. The whole exchange is very terrifying.
--> '''Konrad:''' Is this really what you want, Walker?… So be it. '''''FIVE!''''' (''[[DrivenToSuicide gunshot]]'')
** Of course, [[FridgeBrilliance this makes perfect sense]]. Walker is aware of the atrocities he's commited, and is scared shitless of what he's become and the punishment he'll receive, but he still feels like he should be punished for it. Since Konrad is the personification of Walker's guilt, self-loathing and desire for judgement, he would appear to be warm and talkative one moment, yet cold, ruthless and horrific the next. Compare the hallucinatory Konrad before and after discovering Konrad's body. Konrad is essentially the Spec Ops version of [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 Pyramid Head]].

** What makes it even worse is that initially Walker comes off as a character similar to Nathan Drake (who Nolan North also voiced) from the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series. A more or less good guy who tries his best to do the right thing, but his wishes to be that kind of person are quickly deconstructed. Walker is basically what Nathan Drake would be like if someone broke his spirit and his mind and warped his moral compass. The idea of a good person being broken down like that is disquieting. Especially when you think about Walker's motivations and realize that they were ''never'' less than sympathetic. He wanted to do what was right. The idea that one can have unambiguously noble goals and motivations and ''still'' end up becoming a VillainProtagonist is a rather bleak one indeed, and almost a little [[TearJerker heartbreaking]].
** And the facial reaction Walker gives when he eventually discovers that Konrad was DeadAllAlong and all the time he was hearing or seeing Konrad they were essentially hallucinations. Seriously, the look on his face is ''[[https://i.imgur.com/LcZs0Fu.jpg frightening]]''. [[FridgeBrilliance This also could be an indication that Walker has now realized who the true villain all along was...]] [[HeelRealization himself.]]

* When Walker assists Riggs in stealing the tanker trucks full of drinking water, Konrad berates him for assisting the CIA in their cover-up and spelling the doom of Dubai's remaining survivors. But as you may know from the end of the game, Konrad is just a voice in Walker's head and Riggs never reveals his true intentions until the trucks crash. [[FridgeHorror This means that Walker recognized at some level that Riggs was orchestrating the death of thousands of people, but convinced himself to go along with the plan anyway]].

* A personal one players can set up for themselves is the lynch mob scene. You just ran through hell, desperate to make sense of things you've seen, rationalize everything you've done and now you are separated from your team. After reuniting with Adams, you hear Lugo over the radio is in danger of being found by the 33rd. Walker orders him to find a place to hide before they come find him, but the unspeakable happens. Lugo starts to panic and inform Walker and Adams he has been found. There's a violent scuffle heard over the radio and the last thing you hear is Lugo screaming in fear and begging for mercy. By the time you arrive, you find your fallen comrade hung on a rope, his arms (one of which was ''broken'' from the helicopter crash) tied behind his back, at first he’s still kicking but the closeup of him shows his eyes have rolled back, surrounded by an angry mob of civilians cheering. You shoot down the rope and desperately try to revive your ally while Adams threatens the mob to stay clear. When it is clear Lugo has died, you are left with the civilians wanting your blood, Adams literally begging you to give the order to gun them down, and your own burning rage at the unjust punishment handed down upon Lugo that '''you''' deserved, not him.
** Even if you don't shoot them, the fact that [[UngratefulBastard you can hear them]] [[TheFarmerAndTheViper jeering and laughing at you]] as you leave the camp, having murdered Lugo and gotten away with it, might make you wonder if it's too late to change your mind. Neither decision has a satisfying outcome, but that's to be expected given that the whole situation is your own fault... And even if you choose the "good" option they're still going to die later of thirst due to the water being destroyed. In a twisted way it's more merciful to kill them right then and there with the still painful but at least ''quick'' death by bullets.

* The two [[SnicketWarningLabel Snicket Warning Labels]] in the game are curiously unsettling in a NothingIsScarier kind of way. Delta are approaching Dubai, readying their equipment, and what's the first thing they see? A big red STOP sign, pointing directly at the player. The idea of a game [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2 telling you to stop playing it]] is weird enough; after Konrad's line at the very end of the game it becomes downright unnerving:

** There's also the stop sign you see right after the White Phosphorous scene, where it's all damaged and riddled with bullet holes. The player had scoffed at the warning, and even if they quit now, the damage is already done.

** For that matter, the ending flashblacks imply that Walker simply stood there, listened to Riggs as he begged to be spared from an excruciating fate, and then watched him go up in flames while he screamed in agony. The fanbase doesn't much dwell on this scene, but it's arguably one of the most cold-blooded and needlessly cruel choices Walker can make in the whole game, since Riggs didn't ask or expect Walker to save his life; all he wanted was [[MercyKill a less horrible death than being slowly roasted alive]].

Don't let the facade fool you: this is a {{psychological horror}} and a merciless deconstruction of the military shooter at its core.

* The aftermath of the white phosphorus incident. Smoke everywhere (which, by the way, is ''toxic''), horribly burned bodies, the few survivors whimpering or shrieking in agony and often missing limbs, the pen full of dead civilians -- including women and children -- and the knowledge that it's ''all your fault''. Imagine the [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare AC]][[VideoGame/CallOfDuty 130]] missions, but with chemical weapons, and played completely straight on how the damage actually is immediately afterwards, rather than playing it for "awesome" against pre-rendered, unchanging backgrounds. Made even worse by how completely impersonal the actual bombing is. You don't even get to look directly at what you're doing until it's all over, at which point you get to see [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone just how horrible it really is]].

** What adds to the scene is that you can see Walker's reflection in the computer screen. You have to literally look at yourself in a mirror as you condemn dozens of soldiers and civilians to a horrible death.
** Furthermore, listen to the background noise during the scene. When you start, the air is filled with the sounds of gunfire and explosions as the soldiers try to take you out. But as time goes on the gunfire gets quiet and begins to be replaced with the dying screams of people being burned to death.

** You know it's really messed up when a video game reviewer like [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee Croshaw]], who's desensitized from all the violence in video games, is actually [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shaken by what happened.]] No wonder it's a wake-up call that ViolenceIsDisturbing.

* Walker's [[SanitySlippage descent into madness]] over the course of the game. The cool, collected, mild-mannered captain slowly transforming into a gung-ho, vicious psychopath over the course of just two days is quite mortifying to behold. Even his physical appearance has noticeably degraded by the end, where his grimy, tattered uniform looks like it's about to fall apart and his face is splattered with blood. Creator/NolanNorth's performance really sells the transition: it's unsettling when you hear Walker start to [[SuddenlyShouting scream obscenities]] in battle after the white phosphorous incident happens. It's even worse when you realize it's the same man who calmly used military terms like "tango" and "neutralized" at the beginning of the game.

** One of the more subtle moments of horror in comparison to the rest of the game, but during the OnceMoreWithClarity montage at the end of the game, we get another look at the scene where "Konrad" forces Walker to choose which of two people "deserve" to die, but from Lugo's and Adams' perspective, which reveals that not only were both of the hanging bodies already dead to begin with, but from their perspective Walker just straight up ''froze'' in place for ostensibly no reason and was unresponsive to them both shouting for him to snap out of it. Adams and Lugo had to spend a majority of their mission fully aware that their superior, their ''Captain’’ was becoming increasingly unstable and there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do about it.

* When Walker mans the minigun on the helicopter in chapter 12, he starts [[ShoutingShooter screaming in excitement]] as he mows down scores of 33rd soldiers. Then, as the helicopter takes off, he orders Adams to circle around the nearby 33rd tower. Why? Because he [[GatlingGood "wants to see what this gun can do."]] At this point in the story, the cool, calm Delta Force captain is officially gone, and only a bloodthirsty monster remains.
** The helicopter Gunner scene in general is potentially horrifying. Sure, it plays like any generic vehicle turret segment found in so many shooter games. But, the simple fact that upon starting a brand new game, it's the first thing you play, and later when you do it again, Walker mentions a feeling of Deja Vu, suggests the entire game (as well as your ability to replay it) is Walker undergoing a Sisyphian torment by being forced to relive his worst moments on repeat forever.

Don't let the facade fool you: this is a {{psychological horror}} and a merciless deconstruction of the military shooter at its core

This is ''WarIsHell: The Game''. In fact, fuck it. Let's call this game what it is. It's a horror game wearing a mask of a generic shooter.

Get ready for a lot of NightmareFuel.

* After fighting your way out in a construction site, you jump down into the depths of a building ''filled with at least a hundred bodies.'' The bodies are so burned and rotted that you can't tell if they were civilian or 33rd, and the smell is so overpowering that flies are swarming the entire room. The highlight is finding hooded insurgents executed against two hanging American flags, as if they were in Abu Ghraib prison.

* During Chapter 4, Delta is not able to move, because a turret has them pinned down, Walker goes to flank it, and while doing so a figure starts running towards you, you pull the trigger and kill it, thinking it was one of those psychos with a knife. [[MoodWhiplash It's not.]] When you take a better look at it, [[VulnerableCivilians it's just a woman running away from the fight]]. Walker killed her, and no-one knows about what you just did, Walker doesn't even show remorse about it.

** One of the final hallucinations Walker has him seeing ''everything'' around him in ''flames'' and a group of [[ManOnFire fire-people]] trying to grab him, as if dragging him off to Hell for his crimes.

** After the helicopter crash, Walker wakes up to find himself wandering through a desert with several charred bodies in the red sand in front of him. Konrad tells Walker they were ordered to abandon Dubai a long time ago, that it should have died long ago, and laments the damning fate they chose. Then characters who Walker has had a hand in killing come walking towards him one at a time, blaming him for the status of Dubai. First comes 1st Lieutenant [=McPherson=], then Agent Gould, and finally Jeff Riggs. Lugo suddenly appears, crawling out from the sand, begging Walker to help him before slipping away. At the end of the hallucination Walker collapses onto the ground, insisting this wasn't his fault; Konrad reminds Walker of the destruction he's wrought onto Dubai as the camera pans out to fully show the image of the burning Burj Aurora tower, [[https://img2.goodfon.com/wallpaper/nbig/3/d8/spec-ops-the-line-ogon-bashnya.jpg raging in the distance.]]

** One of the final hallucinations Walker has, where a mortar gun fires white phosphorus at him and Adams, Walker suddenly hallucinates ''everything'' around him in ''flames'' and a group of [[ManOnFire fire-people]] trying to grab him, as if dragging him off to hell.

This is ''WarIsHell: TheGame''. In fact, fuck it. Let's call this game what it is. It's a horror game wearing a mask of a generic shooter.

-->''[[WebVideo/ZeroPunctuation "Remember when video games were about]]'' ''[[VideoGame/{{Doom}} killing demons]]'' ''[[WebVideo/ZeroPunctuation from Hell? Those were good days.]]''