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[[folder:FridgeBrilliance]]
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*** Amusingly if you take the story as a deconstruction of most shooters that have been out on the market, you know the type that encourage mindless violence and don't showcase the consequences that such violence would have in real life, then Konrad is addressing not only Walker but the player as well. His brutality is just as "sane" as our mindset is, showcasing such mindless brutality makes us no better than Konrad is. It reminds me a great deal of what Colonel Kurtz said to Captain Willard in ApocalypseNow, "You have seen horrors that I have seen. You have a right to kill me, but you don't have a right to judge me." How can you judge a man that you are the same as? It would be like judging yourself.
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
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*** Amusingly if you take the story as a deconstruction of most shooters that have been out on the market, you know the type that encourage mindless violence and don't showcase the consequences that such violence would have in real life, then Konrad is addressing not only Walker but the player as well. His brutality is just as "sane" as our mindset is, showcasing such mindless brutality makes us no better than Konrad is. It reminds me a great deal of what Colonel Kurtz said to Captain Willard in ApocalypseNow, Film/ApocalypseNow, "You have seen horrors that I have seen. You have a right to kill me, but you don't have a right to judge me." How can you judge a man that you are the same as? It would be like judging yourself.
yourself.
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', ''SpecOpsTheLine'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In
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** [[YourMilageMayVary Of course, said mentality also involves some degree of MST3K to be applied.]] Dropping anvils is fine, but actively blaming the player for playing a product the only way that is allowed [[RageAgainstTheHeavens is dubious at best]] precisely because it brings up the issue of Real Life blame *and* makes it very clear that the person responsible for the sorry state constructed is *not* the player, or even Walker or Konrad, but [[WallBanger the developers]] for teasing at an alternative but not giving it. Which also carries the lovely UnfortunateImplication that [[spoiler: Walker literally had no choice and/or might have even been *right* to descend into the depths of monstrosity.]] [[BrokenAesop Nice Job Breaking It, Dev Team.]]
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** [[YourMilageMayVary Of course, said mentality also involves some degree of MST3K to be applied.]] Dropping anvils is fine, but actively blaming the player for playing a product the only way that is allowed [[RageAgainstTheHeavens is dubious at best]] precisely because it brings up the issue of Real Life blame *and* makes it very clear that the person responsible for the sorry state constructed is *not* the player, or even Walker or Konrad, but [[WallBanger the developers]] for teasing at an alternative but not giving it. Which also carries the lovely UnfortunateImplication that [[spoiler: Walker literally had no choice and/or might have even been *right* to descend into the depths of monstrosity.]] [[BrokenAesop Nice Job Breaking It, Dev Team.]] ]]
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**** No need for argument. All this fuss is created by the limitation of the medium. During the incident, player can clearly see [[spoiler: those bunch of refugees on the camera, and can call off the attack on that Humvee and assault it some other way (Remember Walker and Adams later successfully dealt with a Stricker on foot)]]. In the game, the player can not press space and exit [[spoiler: the mortar camera before the Humvee is destroyed]]. The video game medium create choices for audience, but has limitation on dealing with the consequences. In a attempt to deal with such limitation, the developers chose a not so reasonable way to keep things in check. It may be more reasonable if [[spoiler: those refugees do not show up in the camera]]. Then again people may call it [[DiabolusexMachina Diabolus ex Machina]], but the game can use some foreshadowing with [[spoiler: Agent Gould]]. Anyway it is just a case of bad design because of the gap between idea and execution.
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**** No need for argument. All this fuss is created by the limitation of the medium. During the incident, player can clearly see [[spoiler: those bunch of refugees on the camera, and can call off the attack on that Humvee and assault it some other way (Remember Walker and Adams later successfully dealt with a Stricker on foot)]]. In the game, the player can not press space and exit [[spoiler: the mortar camera before the Humvee is destroyed]]. The video game medium create choices for audience, but has limitation on dealing with the consequences. In a attempt to deal with such limitation, the developers chose a not so reasonable way to keep things in check. It may be more reasonable if [[spoiler: those refugees do not show up in the camera]]. Then again people may call it [[DiabolusexMachina Diabolus ex Machina]], DiabolusexMachina, but the game can use some foreshadowing with [[spoiler: Agent Gould]]. Anyway it is just a case of bad design because of the gap between idea and execution.
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*** Better yet; what if the game was a [[spoiler: DyingDream]] and that most of it didn't even happen? That makes an already downer ending even more sad.
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*** Better yet; what if the game was a [[spoiler: DyingDream]] and that most of it didn't even happen? That makes an already downer ending even more sad.
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* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
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* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
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*** Amusingly if you take the story as a deconstruction of most shooters that have been out on the market, you know the type that encourage mindless violence and don't showcase the consequences that such violence would have in real life, then Konrad is addressing not only Walker but the player as well. His brutality is just as "sane" as our mindset is, Konrad is just as sane as we the players are.
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*** Amusingly if you take the story as a deconstruction of most shooters that have been out on the market, you know the type that encourage mindless violence and don't showcase the consequences that such violence would have in real life, then Konrad is addressing not only Walker but the player as well. His brutality is just as "sane" as our mindset is, showcasing such mindless brutality makes us no better than Konrad is just as sane as we is. It reminds me a great deal of what Colonel Kurtz said to Captain Willard in ApocalypseNow, "You have seen horrors that I have seen. You have a right to kill me, but you don't have a right to judge me." How can you judge a man that you are the players are.same as? It would be like judging yourself.
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*** Amusingly if you take the story as a deconstruction of most shooters that have been out on the market, you know the type that encourage mindless violence and don't showcase the consequences that such violence would have in real life, then Konrad is addressing not only Walker but the player as well. His brutality is just as "sane" as our mindset is, Konrad is just as sane as we the players are.
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Dropped the \'personality\' from \'dissociative personality to disorder.\' Dissociative personality disorder is a lot different from plain dissociative disorder.
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* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] remnants of the 33rd to Walker about Konrad's location? ''"Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you."'' At first glance, you'll likely take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor, waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
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* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] remnants of the 33rd to Walker about Konrad's location? ''"Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you."'' At first glance, you'll likely take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor, waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
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**** No need for argument. All this fuss is created by the limitation of the medium. During the incident, player can clearly see [[spoiler: those bunch of refugees on the camera, and can call off the attack on that Humvee and assault it some other way (Remember Walker and Adams later successfully dealt with a Stricker on foot)]]. In the game, the player can not press space and exit [[spoiler: the mortar camera before the Humvee is destroyed]]. The video game medium create choices for audience, but has limitation on dealing with the consequences. In a attempt to deal with such limitation, the developers chose a not so reasonable way to keep things in check. It may be more reasonable if [[spoiler: those refugees do not show up in the camera]]. Then again people may call it [[DiabolusexMachina Diabolus ex Machina]], but the game can use some foreshadowing with [[spoiler: Agent Gould]]. Anyway it is just a case of bad design because of the gap between idea and execution.
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** To be perfectly fair, [[spoiler: Walker tried talking to them, but they shot first, and they can be seen shooting civilians right after that.]]
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Completely missed the point.
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**** Just because it is the reaction they wish the player to have does not make stacking the deck and then browbeating the player about it any less repugnant or frankly lazy, particularly because it only takes a little bit of FridgeLogic to realize [[UnfortunateImplications just how horrifying close that is to]] [[JustFollowingOrders a certain mentality that people have spent the best part of a century drumming out because of what it can lead to.]] If the developers wished to railroad in that fashion, they lose any right to complain or preach for the very same reason the Tokyo tribunals told various convicted to STFU about fostering the sort of lovely atmosphere in the Japanese military branches that led to things like Rape-as-Regimental-Right-of-Passage and *then* trying to shift blame onto the enlisted who had been brought up in such a toxic environment. Secondly, [[spoiler: the situations are not comparable, since Konrad is *dead* and the product of Walker's imagination creating a scapegoat even as said imagination is busy erasing any of the alternative ways there'd be to resolve this *less* nightmarishly that there would be IRL.]] On the other hand, the Devs are the Devs and are the ones who actually make the game with restrictions that might as well be laws of nature on the other side of the fourth wall. [[spoiler: Even if Konrad *weren't* dead and *was* the actual BigBad there would be no way that he could ever have such a disastrous or bloody influence as meta railroading.]] Either way, the anvil directed at players falls a bit flat since either the game is divorcing the players from having responsibility for their choices- particularly the WP one= by authorial fiat (which is again, dubious), or the Dev Team are assuming for themselves the moral high ground of [[ObligatoryWarCrimeScene John Effing Konrad]] [[spoiler: 's illusion]] himself in terms of responsibility; neither of which reads very well. [[UnfortunateImplications Oops?]]
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**** Just because it is the reaction they wish the player to have does not make stacking the deck and then browbeating the player about it any less repugnant or frankly lazy, particularly because it only takes a little bit of FridgeLogic to realize [[UnfortunateImplications just how horrifying close that is to]] [[JustFollowingOrders a certain mentality that people have spent the best part of a century drumming out because of what it can lead to.]] If the developers wished to railroad in that fashion, they lose any right to complain or preach for the very same reason the Tokyo tribunals told various convicted to STFU about fostering the sort of lovely atmosphere in the Japanese military branches that led to things like Rape-as-Regimental-Right-of-Passage and *then* trying to shift blame onto the enlisted who had been brought up in such a toxic environment. Secondly, [[spoiler: the situations are not comparable, since Konrad is *dead* and the product of Walker's imagination creating a scapegoat even as said imagination is busy erasing any of the alternative ways there'd be to resolve this *less* nightmarishly that there would be IRL.]] On the other hand, the Devs are the Devs and are the ones who actually make the game with restrictions that might as well be laws of nature on the other side of the fourth wall. [[spoiler: Even if Konrad *weren't* dead and *was* the actual BigBad there would be no way that he could ever have such a disastrous or bloody influence as meta railroading.]] Either way, the anvil directed at players falls a bit flat since either the game is divorcing the players from having responsibility for their choices- particularly the WP one= by authorial fiat (which is again, dubious), or the Dev Team are assuming for themselves the moral high ground of [[ObligatoryWarCrimeScene John Effing Konrad]] [[spoiler: 's illusion]] himself in terms of responsibility; neither of which reads very well. [[UnfortunateImplications Oops?]]
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** It goes even deeper than that. Notice that Walker is wearing [[spoiler:Konrad's clothes in the epilogue. This symbolises Walker's realisation that HE is the villain he thought Konrad was. The kind of villain who would murder American soldiers in a fit of insanity.]]
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*** Better yet; what if the game was a [[spoiler: DyingDream]] and that most of it didn't even happen? That makes an already downer ending even more sad.
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Streamlining.
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*** And this kind of reaction is ''[[http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/spec-ops-is-critical-of-war-and-players-of-war-games-an-interview-with-the exactly the kind the dev team wants you to have]]'': "During the 'White Phosphorus' scene, Walker buries his guilt and casts blame on Konrad and the 33rd, all in an attempt to keep going. Our hope was that the player would do the same -- cast the blame on us, the designers."
*** [[HannibalLecture Tsk, tsk. Have you learned nothing from the game? Your sins are the same as Walker's.]] [[YouBastard Just like Walker, you fail to take responsibility for your actions, and choose to scapegoat others and claim you were just a victim of circumstance.]] For Walker, it's [[spoiler:Konrad]]. For the player, it's the developers.
*** [[HannibalLecture Tsk, tsk. Have you learned nothing from the game? Your sins are the same as Walker's.]] [[YouBastard Just like Walker, you fail to take responsibility for your actions, and choose to scapegoat others and claim you were just a victim of circumstance.]] For Walker, it's [[spoiler:Konrad]]. For the player, it's the developers.
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*** And this kind of reaction is ''[[http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/spec-ops-is-critical-of-war-and-players-of-war-games-an-interview-with-the exactly the kind the dev team wants you to have]]'': "During the 'White Phosphorus' scene, Walker buries his guilt and casts blame on Konrad and the 33rd, all in an attempt to keep going. Our hope was that the player would do the same -- cast the blame on us, the designers."
*** [[HannibalLecture Tsk, tsk. Have you learned nothing from the game? Your" [[YouBastard After all, your sins are the same as Walker's.]] [[YouBastard Walker's. Just like Walker, you fail to take responsibility for your actions, and choose to scapegoat others and claim you were just a victim of circumstance.]] For Walker, it's [[spoiler:Konrad]]. For the player, it's the developers.
*** [[HannibalLecture Tsk, tsk. Have you learned nothing from the game? Your
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*** [[HannibalLecture Tsk, tsk. Have you learned nothing from the game? Your sins are the same as Walker's.]] [[YouBastard Just like Walker, you fail to take responsibility for your actions, and choose to scapegoat others and claim you were just a victim of circumstance.]] For Walker, it's [[spoiler:Konrad]]. For the player, it's the developers.
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*** Oddly, Walker seems to agree with you, sort of. In the endings where Walker [[spoiler:doesn't die]], he seems almost disappointed that is the case.
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** Probably not, since if [[spoiler: you shoot your reflection or don't shoot at all, you see Walker's dead body next to Conrad's dead body. And a dead body can't really hallucinate anything can it?]]
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* What if the dead [[spoiler: Konrad]] was just an imagination forged by Walker's already damaged psyche and that the [[spoiler: so called imaginary Konrad was actually the real one]] and was trying to help him break out of his illusion? Shoot the reflection and the [[spoiler: real Konrad]] dies as a personal sacrifice on his part allowing Walker to break out of his psychosis. For all we know everything that happened in the entire game might very well have been in Walker's head.
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* What if the dead [[spoiler: Konrad]] was just an imagination forged by Walker's already damaged psyche and that the [[spoiler: so called imaginary Konrad was actually the real one]] and was trying to help him break out of his illusion? Shoot the reflection and the [[spoiler: real Konrad]] dies as a personal sacrifice on his part allowing Walker to break out of his psychosis. For all we know everything that happened in the entire game might very well have been in Walker's head.head, even the "truth" might very well have been conjured up.
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* What if the dead [[spoiler: Konrad]] was just an imagination forged by Walker's already damaged psyche and that the [[spoiler: so called imaginary Konrad was actually the real one]] and was trying to help him break out of his illusion? Shoot the reflection and the [[spoiler: real Konrad]] dies as a personal sacrifice on his part allowing Walker to break out of his psychosis. For all we know everything that happened in the entire game might very well have been in Walker's head.
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* Why can Walker [[spoiler:shoot the American troops coming to rescue him at the end?]] Well, he's shot at people like them for the entire game.
* Walker hits his head pretty badly when he falls out of the skyscraper early in the game. A concussion like that would probably not be good for his mental well-being. All the subsequent injuries probably don't help.
* Walker hits his head pretty badly when he falls out of the skyscraper early in the game. A concussion like that would probably not be good for his mental well-being. All the subsequent injuries probably don't help.
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*** And this kind of reaction is ''[[http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/spec-ops-is-critical-of-war-and-players-of-war-games-an-interview-with-the exactly the kind the dev team wants you to have]]'': "During the 'White Phosphorus' scene, Walker buries his guilt and casts blame on Konrad and the 33rd, all in an attempt to keep going. Our hope was that the player would do the same -- cast the blame on us, the designers."
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[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
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* What significance does Walker shooting the mirror [[spoiler: with the imaginary representation of Konrad looking back at him]] have for Walker's situation? The mirror represents [[spoiler: Konrad being a reflection of his inner chaos that he has to overcome or be destroyed by it, "We can't live this lie forever."]] and by shooting it he [[spoiler: defeats his inner demons, the illusion of Konrad is shattered in a manner similar to Fight Club.]]
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* What significance does Walker shooting the mirror [[spoiler: with the imaginary representation of Konrad looking back at him]] have for Walker's situation? The mirror represents [[spoiler: Konrad being a reflection of his inner chaos that he has to overcome or be destroyed by it, "We can't live this lie forever."]] and by shooting it he [[spoiler: defeats his inner demons, the illusion of Konrad is shattered in a manner similar to Fight Club.]]]]
** Arguably, it would have made more sense for him to [[spoiler: get the BittersweetEnding by NOT shooting the mirror and ending the cycle of violence.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Fridge Horror]]
* The typical shooter game-isms of regenerating health, endless hordes of enemies, and slow-motion murder can all be explained by [[spoiler: Captain Walker being trapped in Hell or Purgatory after dying in the copter crash. Presumably, events proceeded a little differently at first.]]
* The reason that the 33rd is so gung ho to kill you? [[spoiler: By the time that you've exited the Nest, you've murdered dozens of them. OF COURSE, they're going to shoot at you on sight and try to throw everything they've got at you.]]
** [[spoiler: Not to mention the stuff that happens at the Gate.]]
[[/folder]]
** Arguably, it would have made more sense for him to [[spoiler: get the BittersweetEnding by NOT shooting the mirror and ending the cycle of violence.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Fridge Horror]]
* The typical shooter game-isms of regenerating health, endless hordes of enemies, and slow-motion murder can all be explained by [[spoiler: Captain Walker being trapped in Hell or Purgatory after dying in the copter crash. Presumably, events proceeded a little differently at first.]]
* The reason that the 33rd is so gung ho to kill you? [[spoiler: By the time that you've exited the Nest, you've murdered dozens of them. OF COURSE, they're going to shoot at you on sight and try to throw everything they've got at you.]]
** [[spoiler: Not to mention the stuff that happens at the Gate.]]
[[/folder]]
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*** Metal Gear Solid 2 had a similar joke on behalf of the player, the villain told you to turn the game console off, which most people think is just a 4th-wall breaking joke but it is actually true. You the player could not stop the bad things that happened in the story, you couldn't spare Raiden from his fate of being a puppet. If you wanted to avoid that all you had to do was listen to the villain and turn the game console off, by stopping and letting go none of the evils of the story have a chance to happen. However the story ends on an optimistic note in that Raiden now has the freedom to make better choices in the future despite the consequences of his (and your) actions. This simply brings up the question: Is is worth it to learn from your mistakes or to avoid them?
to:
*** Metal Gear Solid 2 had a similar joke on behalf of the player, the villain told you to turn the game console off, which most people think is just a 4th-wall breaking joke but it is actually true. You the player could not stop the bad things that happened in the story, you couldn't spare Raiden from his fate of being a puppet. If you wanted to avoid that all you had to do was listen to the villain and turn the game console off, by stopping and letting go none of the evils of the story have a chance to happen. However the story ends on an optimistic note in that Raiden now has the freedom to make better choices in the future despite the consequences of his (and your) actions. This simply brings up the question: Is is worth it to learn from your mistakes or to avoid them? them?
** [[YourMilageMayVary Of course, said mentality also involves some degree of MST3K to be applied.]] Dropping anvils is fine, but actively blaming the player for playing a product the only way that is allowed [[RageAgainstTheHeavens is dubious at best]] precisely because it brings up the issue of Real Life blame *and* makes it very clear that the person responsible for the sorry state constructed is *not* the player, or even Walker or Konrad, but [[WallBanger the developers]] for teasing at an alternative but not giving it. Which also carries the lovely UnfortunateImplication that [[spoiler: Walker literally had no choice and/or might have even been *right* to descend into the depths of monstrosity.]] [[BrokenAesop Nice Job Breaking It, Dev Team.]]
** [[YourMilageMayVary Of course, said mentality also involves some degree of MST3K to be applied.]] Dropping anvils is fine, but actively blaming the player for playing a product the only way that is allowed [[RageAgainstTheHeavens is dubious at best]] precisely because it brings up the issue of Real Life blame *and* makes it very clear that the person responsible for the sorry state constructed is *not* the player, or even Walker or Konrad, but [[WallBanger the developers]] for teasing at an alternative but not giving it. Which also carries the lovely UnfortunateImplication that [[spoiler: Walker literally had no choice and/or might have even been *right* to descend into the depths of monstrosity.]] [[BrokenAesop Nice Job Breaking It, Dev Team.]]
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*** Metal Gear Solid 2 had a similar joke on behalf of the player, the villain told you to turn the game console off, which most people think is just a 4th-wall breaking joke but it is actually true. You the player could not stop the bad things that happened in the story, you couldn't spare Raiden from his fate of being a puppet. If you wanted to avoid that all you had to do was listen to the villain and turn the game console off, by stopping and letting go none of the evils of the story have a chance to happen. However the story ends on an optimistic note in that Raiden now has the freedom to make better choices in the future despite the consequences of his (and your) actions. This simply brings up the question: Is is worth it to learn from your mistakes or to avoid them?
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* In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped. This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The player is as insane as Walker.]]
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* There are several instances where Walker's actions and reactions are closely related to those of the player, tying in with the deconstruction of modern war games:
** In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped.This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by By now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The endings, as the player is as insane as Walker.]]]]
** Some players may complain about the railroading at the [[spoiler:white phosphorus incident]], saying they only did it because the game made them. But then, the game ''didn't'' make them do anything. A player could have simply turned off the game, like how Walker could have turned around at that point, saying it's not worth it. But both the player and Walker did it because they were so dedicated to their goal that they had to rationalize the horrible things they did. [[spoiler:Konrad even calls you out on this in the ending, saying Walker's/the player's insistence on continuing only made things worse, and he/you should have just turned around and left. "None of this would have happened if you'd just stopped."]]
** In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped.
** Some players may complain about the railroading at the [[spoiler:white phosphorus incident]], saying they only did it because the game made them. But then, the game ''didn't'' make them do anything. A player could have simply turned off the game, like how Walker could have turned around at that point, saying it's not worth it. But both the player and Walker did it because they were so dedicated to their goal that they had to rationalize the horrible things they did. [[spoiler:Konrad even calls you out on this in the ending, saying Walker's/the player's insistence on continuing only made things worse, and he/you should have just turned around and left. "None of this would have happened if you'd just stopped."]]
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** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane, Walker responds that he wishes that to be the truth. Konrad says that it would have made everything simpler, but he is ''"just as sane as you (Walker) are."'' When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination, then Konrad literally is as sane as Walker is, as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]].
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** Somewhat related to this the above point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane, Walker responds that he wishes that to be the truth. Konrad says that it would have made everything simpler, but he is ''"just as sane as you (Walker) are."'' When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination, then Konrad literally is as sane as Walker is, as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]].
Changed line(s) 6 (click to see context) from:
* In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped. This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The player is as insane as Walker.]]
to:
* In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped. This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The player is as insane as Walker.]]
* What significance does Walker shooting the mirror [[spoiler: with the imaginary representation of Konrad looking back at him]] have for Walker's situation? The mirror represents [[spoiler: Konrad being a reflection of his inner chaos that he has to overcome or be destroyed by it, "We can't live this lie forever."]] and by shooting it he [[spoiler: defeats his inner demons, the illusion of Konrad is shattered in a manner similar to Fight Club.]]
* What significance does Walker shooting the mirror [[spoiler: with the imaginary representation of Konrad looking back at him]] have for Walker's situation? The mirror represents [[spoiler: Konrad being a reflection of his inner chaos that he has to overcome or be destroyed by it, "We can't live this lie forever."]] and by shooting it he [[spoiler: defeats his inner demons, the illusion of Konrad is shattered in a manner similar to Fight Club.]]
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* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
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* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
* In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped. This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The player is as insane as Walker.]]
* In one of the endings, [[spoiler:Walker massacres a squad sent to rescue him, having finally snapped. This is closely related to the player's actions at this point; by now, the game has very resolutely shown that there is no glory in war, and senseless violence is wrong. If, after all that, the player ''still'' wants to have whiz-bang shooty fun, they are "rewarded" with the bleakest in a set of already bleak endings. The player is as insane as Walker.]]
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Added an esoteric point.
Changed line(s) 4 (click to see context) from:
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane, Walker responds that he wishes that to be the truth. Konrad says that it would have made everything simpler, but he is ''"just as sane as you (Walker) are."'' When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination, then Konrad literally is as sane as Walker is, as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]].
to:
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane, Walker responds that he wishes that to be the truth. Konrad says that it would have made everything simpler, but he is ''"just as sane as you (Walker) are."'' When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination, then Konrad literally is as sane as Walker is, as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]].thoughts]].
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
* This one crosses over with GeniusBonus. [[spoiler: At the end of the game, in Konrad's penthouse, there are two intel collectibles, one of which is a letter by Konrad to his son. In both ''[[HeartofDarkness Heart of Darkness]]'' and ''ApocalypseNow'', Kurtz's final testament to his son is immensely important to both stories, being, among other things, a justification for his actions, an explanation of how he became what he was, a sort of missionary tract to be disseminated to the rest of the world, and a burden for Marlowe/Willard to carry and deal with as they see fit. In ''[[SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', Konrad's letter to his son is a simple apology, one that takes about twenty words. It is a massive departure from the game's roots...but it is appropriate, because it is the first clue that ''The Line'' is '''not''' the story of Konrad's fall, but of Walker's.]]
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The one whose rope you shot runs for quite a good distance before the imaginary snipers kill both of them on imaginary Konrad\'s orders.
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* FridgeBrilliance:
** The soldier and civilian you have to choose to save frustratingly [[spoiler: collapse and die]] as soon as get hit the ground if you shoot the rope, which seemed to be a glitch, but it's actually [[spoiler: because they are skeletons that Walker is imagining to be real]]
** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane Walker responds that he does believe that to be the truth. Konrad says that it isn't that simple and that he is, "just as sane as you (Walker) are." When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination then Konrad really is as sane as Walker is as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]] you begin to understand that Konrad is right.
** The soldier and civilian you have to choose to save frustratingly [[spoiler: collapse and die]] as soon as get hit the ground if you shoot the rope, which seemed to be a glitch, but it's actually [[spoiler: because they are skeletons that Walker is imagining to be real]]
** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane Walker responds that he does believe that to be the truth. Konrad says that it isn't that simple and that he is, "just as sane as you (Walker) are." When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination then Konrad really is as sane as Walker is as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]] you begin to understand that Konrad is right.
to:
** The soldier and civilian you have to choose to save frustratingly [[spoiler: collapse and die]] as soon as get hit the ground if you shoot the rope, which seemed to be a glitch, but it's actually [[spoiler: because they are skeletons that Walker is imagining to be real]]
**
* The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] remnants of the 33rd
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is
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Changed line(s) 4 (click to see context) from:
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
to:
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.expecting.
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane Walker responds that he does believe that to be the truth. Konrad says that it isn't that simple and that he is, "just as sane as you (Walker) are." When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination then Konrad really is as sane as Walker is as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]] you begin to understand that Konrad is right.
** Somewhat related to this point, when asked by Konrad if Walker thinks he is insane Walker responds that he does believe that to be the truth. Konrad says that it isn't that simple and that he is, "just as sane as you (Walker) are." When you take into consideration that [[spoiler: Konrad is a figment of Walker's own imagination then Konrad really is as sane as Walker is as this "Konrad" is an extension of Walker's personality and thoughts]] you begin to understand that Konrad is right.
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Changed line(s) 3 (click to see context) from:
** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
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** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]]]
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
* What is the answer given by the [[spoiler: imaginary]] 33rd Battalion to Walker about Konrad's location? "Upstairs sir. He's always been there waiting for you." At first glance you take this to mean that Konrad has simply been upstairs on the top floor waiting for Walker to finish his mission and arrive there to meet him. It takes on an entirely different meaning when you realize [[spoiler: that Konrad is just a figment of Walker's imagination due to dissociative personality disorder and that the real Colonel Konrad has been dead for two weeks, Konrad literally has been "upstairs", namely in Walker's brain the entire time.]] Not the type of "upstairs" Walker was expecting.
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Added DiffLines:
* FridgeBrilliance:
** The soldier and civilian you have to choose to save frustratingly [[spoiler: collapse and die]] as soon as get hit the ground if you shoot the rope, which seemed to be a glitch, but it's actually [[spoiler: because they are skeletons that Walker is imagining to be real]]
** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
** The soldier and civilian you have to choose to save frustratingly [[spoiler: collapse and die]] as soon as get hit the ground if you shoot the rope, which seemed to be a glitch, but it's actually [[spoiler: because they are skeletons that Walker is imagining to be real]]
** The way Walker's sleeves are ripped perfectly to show off his arms after the truck crash. It's impossible he could've done it himself since we never leave his POV and his sleeves are just gone when he regains consciousness. [[spoiler: Actually, he probably ''did'' do it himself and doesn't remember it, thinking it's normal ClothingDamage. It's an overused look for the typical action hero, and Walker is trying to be a hero, is doing a good job of convincing himself he's a hero, and is in reality, of course, anything but.]]
