Fig. 1. Spec Ops: The Line. Courtesy of Yager Development / 2K Games, 2010.

New trailer for video game Spec Ops: The Line was presented recently at E3 Expo 2010, six months after releasing the announcement trailer. The narrative-driven third person shooter video game placed in sand-buried Dubai is being developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Games. The plot is inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s movie Apocalypse Now. It is to be released in winter 2010/2011, coming on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms.

The official website describes the story:

Once a playground for the world’s wealthy elite, Dubai has fallen victim to a series of cataclysmic sandstorms. The city’s opulent architecture lies half-buried under millions of tons of sand.  Abandoned, the city became a no-man’s-land for refugees and outlaws.

While most people have fled the now-barren wasteland before the sandstorms hit, US 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 US Army feared Konrad and his team dead until they picked up a weak distress signal and launched a rescue operation.

As Captain Walker, you and your elite Delta Force team infiltrate the treacherous region to bring Konrad home. There, you and your men will face 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 duty is done and only the line remains.
Examples of destroyed affluence, luxury and extravagance are omnipresent. Crashed fancy cars, gold made giraffes covered in dust, Dubai Mall in ruins, desperate civilians (including hijabi women), torn US and UAE flags. The use of sand appears to be a prominent game mechanic.

Fig. 2. Spec Ops: The Line. Courtesy of Yager Development / 2K Games, 2010.

According to Abu Dhabi based newspaper The National the video game will be reviewed by UAE authorities:

Government officials at the National Media Council (NMC) said they had not been informed that 2K Games was developing a game based in Dubai.

“We will have to review the game first before issuing any decision on whether to ban it or allow it,” said Mohammed al Mutawa, a video games censor at the NMC.

Before a video game is released in the UAE, the NMC assesses whether it conforms with local laws and notifies authorities if it does not, said Juma Obaid Alleem, the director of media content at the council.

“If it becomes an international matter, various avenues are taken through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow this up.“

To view the trailers visit the official website.