Heart of Darkness Behind the AI and Storytelling of Spec Ops: The Line

Artificial intelligence is heavily employed in video games for the purposes of non-player characters that can either assist or oppose the player in a number of ways. Combat-driven video games such as first or third-person shooters provide an ample backdrop for innovation in both technology and design. So what happens when you come to make a shooting game aiming at defying modern conventions? Not just deviating from expectation, but making us question the very games we play and the choices we make as players. In this instance I'm going to look at a game that did just that, Yager Development's critically acclaimed 2012 third-person shooter: Spec Ops: The Line.