GROUND BRANCH

About

GROUND BRANCH is a multiplayer tactical shooter game. It was developed by BlackFoot Studios and was released on August 14, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

GROUND BRANCH is a tactical shooter where you lead elite paramilitary forces through covert global operations, emphasizing strategic, unforgiving gameplay. Its unique True First-Person system enhances immersion by aligning player view precisely with character movements and environmental awareness. The game revives late '90s and early 2000s tactical realism with no compromises.

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+14

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,709 reviews

gameplay528 positive mentions

optimization65 negative mentions

The gameplay is engaging and fun, especially when played with friends, with strong gunplay mechanics and tactical depth.
The game offers a refreshing lack of monetization, with no microtransactions or grinding, allowing players to jump right into the action.
The humor and absurd situations that arise during gameplay enhance the multiplayer experience, making it enjoyable and lighthearted.

The graphics are often criticized as outdated and poorly optimized, leading to visibility issues and a lack of immersion.
The game suffers from significant performance issues, including bugs, glitches, and poor AI behavior, detracting from the overall experience.
The lack of a compelling story or varied mission objectives results in a repetitive gameplay experience that feels more like a tech demo than a fully developed game.

gameplay
1,462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The gameplay of "Ground Branch" has received mixed reviews, highlighting its strong emphasis on realism and tactical mechanics, which many players find engaging and rewarding. While the gunplay and customization options are praised for their depth and authenticity, the overall gameplay experience is often described as lacking in content and polish, with issues such as AI behavior and repetitive mission structures detracting from the enjoyment. Players appreciate the potential for a rich tactical experience, but many express a desire for more varied gameplay modes and improvements to core mechanics as the game continues to develop.
- “The gameplay itself is really great, and even better if you can get a few friends together.”
- “The gunplay mechanics are some of the best in the genre, but 2005 era NPC AI and a community full of boomers mic spamming make it virtually unplayable.”
- “The gameplay is enjoyable, but stressful at times.”
- “The game also didn't live up to my expectations in terms of gameplay; the graphics were horrible even on ultra settings, and for some reason the weapon magnifier keeps 'morphing' around the screen, making it very hard to actually aim.”
- “What I initially thought would be an immersive, fun to play PvE/online co-op game just turned out to be a single-player experience with very little refined gameplay and graphics, and disappointing AI.”
- “The gameplay is not fun and is just annoying.”
story
788 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The game's story aspect is currently minimal, with no traditional narrative or campaign mode, leading to a repetitive experience focused primarily on tactical missions. Players express a desire for more engaging content, such as a structured storyline or varied mission objectives, as the existing gameplay often feels like a tech demo rather than a fully fleshed-out game. While customization options for weapons and missions are praised, the lack of a compelling story or progression system detracts from overall immersion and replayability.
- “The game offers a range of weapons, gear, and equipment that players can use to complete their missions.”
- “Every mission feels real, challenging you to think, plan, and act like a special operator.”
- “The cooperative missions require precise coordination, where each player's role and expertise are crucial for success.”
- “Ground Branch's campaign will feature 12+ missions, but as of now, there is only one demo mission. You'd think after seven years of development, there would be more missions, but that's not the case apparently.”
- “The game is more of a milsim tech demo than a game, lacking missions and entertainment. Without any real story mode, progression, or unlocks, it gets boring too quickly.”
- “There is no story, lore, or progression that comes from doing missions; basically, you gain nothing from playing.”
graphics
767 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the realistic details and immersive environments, while others criticize them as outdated or poorly optimized. Many users note that while the graphics can be impressive on high settings, they often suffer from issues like grainy textures and visibility problems, particularly at distance. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics have potential, they require further refinement and optimization to meet modern standards.
- “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay feels great, and the attention to detail in map design contributes to the immersive experience.”
- “The graphics are amazing and the gameplay is so much fun.”
- “The graphics are top-notch and the gameplay is smooth and intuitive.”
- “The graphics are absolutely horrendous; the gameplay is good, but having the gall to charge for this MS Paint-looking piece of trash is annoying because most of the time you die from an enemy that you can't even see because he's so far away. The poor graphics don't let you see him.”
- “The graphics are very mediocre, and while I almost always turn the settings down to the lowest anyway to get the absolutely most fluid gameplay possible, the game runs very poorly.”
- “The graphics look dated, and the landscape looks very janky in almost every level.”
optimization
325 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
61%
20%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from players, with many noting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, leading to frame drops and stuttering. While some players report improvements and smooth performance on higher-end hardware, others express frustration over persistent optimization problems that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is still in development, and while there are signs of progress, further optimization is needed to enhance accessibility and performance across a wider range of systems.
- “The backend work to make the game as optimized in an alpha state as possible must've been significant.”
- “The game has benefited from several patches, including some dedicated to optimization and is much smoother than during its initial release phase.”
- “This game is very well put together, impressed with its optimization so far, graphics are on point, movement is good and some missions are the dogs dangly bits like bin laden compound.”
- “The game is not very optimized at all, so expect a bunch of frame dips.”
- “Main issue is the game is incredibly poorly optimized and runs like sh~t.”
- “The performance is terrible, the multiplayer isn't that fun.”
stability
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting a variety of bugs and glitches that affect gameplay. While some players find it enjoyable despite these issues, others describe it as a "buggy mess" with frequent freezes, AI problems, and overall poor optimization. Despite being in early access, there is a general hope that ongoing updates will address these stability issues, but many feel the game is currently not polished enough for its price.
- “The game runs great on a low-end system and the content doesn't get stale.”
- “So well polished, runs great.”
- “- no framerate drops, no freezes, no server-side lag spikes, no desync, and (so far) no hackers.”
- “It has been a buggy, junky mess for years, and the devs have borderline abandoned it.”
- “The game itself is fun if it wasn't for zero audio on AI, buggy server use, and the lack of brain on any of the AI patterns.”
- “Game is buggy as hell and the worst input delays I've ever experienced.”
replayability
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
64%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its customizable maps, mission editors, and mod support that enhance replay value, especially in co-op play. However, some users express concerns about the current lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and poor AI, which detracts from the overall experience. While there is potential for high replayability through various settings and community-driven content, the game still requires significant improvements to fully realize this aspect.
- “Already has tons of replay value - especially with the mod-friendly community.”
- “The primary mode of play consists of a series of highly editable maps where you can change the objective, time of day, AI difficulty, and number of enemies. It makes the game very replayable and enjoyable, giving you a lot of freedom in certain aspects.”
- “Each of these maps has different potential insertion points and enemy spawns that have a degree of randomization, making the replayability of each map extremely high. You can also change the time of day, weather, and fine-tune the specifics of the enemy AI before heading into an operation.”
- “I cannot recommend this game until they add something with an ounce of replayability.”
- “There are limited maps, missions, and game modes, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and reduced replayability after spending many hours in the game.”
- “It's just lacking in any real replayable content; an hour of gameplay and you have seen it all.”
humor
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a major draw, particularly when playing with friends, where absurd situations and funny interactions arise from the game's mechanics and AI behavior. Players enjoy creating ridiculous weapon customizations and engaging in humorous team dynamics, often leading to hilarious moments during gameplay. Overall, the game's blend of tactical realism and comedic elements fosters a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the multiplayer experience.
- “It is actually hilarious that the devs are still charging $30 for this.”
- “Also, am I the only one who finds the PvP mode to be funny with friends because they say the most dumb things imaginable and then get shot over the radio?”
- “The gun customization is very in-depth and lets you come up with tons of equally funny or practical setups.”
grinding
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
56%
37%
The reviews overwhelmingly indicate that grinding is either minimal or non-existent in this game, with many players appreciating the immediate access to weapons and gear without the need for tedious unlocks. While some mention that the gameplay can be tedious or requires teamwork, the absence of grinding is seen as a refreshing change from other titles in the genre. Overall, players express that they can jump right into the action without the burden of extensive grinding.
- “No grinding, no leveling.”
- “You can trial all of them from the start, so no grinding to unlock anything.”
- “There's no skills to unlock, no grinding for equipment, no pay-to-win.”
- “If you are looking for a Call of Duty or Battlefield experience with level grinding and unlocks, then this is not the game for you.”
- “The difficulty is well-balanced, and grinding doesn't progress anything.”
- “The negatives: the development of this game is slow and tedious, and that is being gentle to the dev team.”
monetization
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
6%
88%
The game is praised for its complete lack of monetization, with no microtransactions, DLC, or pay-to-win mechanics, which many players find refreshing in contrast to modern titles. However, some users express concerns about the game's performance and optimization, suggesting that while the monetization model is commendable, the overall execution and gameplay experience may still feel lacking or unfinished. Overall, the absence of cash grabs is seen as a significant positive aspect, contributing to a more authentic gaming experience.
- “No microtransactions.”
- “No microtransactions, no 'unlocks', no nonsense, at an extremely fair price.”
- “With buying the game, everything else comes already unlocked - for free, no need for microtransactions, which is nice.”
- “It's a cash grab and nothing more.”
- “Currently it just feels like a cash grab for a product that will more than likely never get finished.”
- “No bs kit restrictions, no endless unlock grinding, no microtransactions or pay-to-win crap, no sci-fi 'special abilities' stuff.”
atmosphere
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
50%
11%
The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its immersive and intense environments, realistic sound design, and tactical tension that enhances gameplay. However, some critics point out that certain maps feel bland or lifeless, lacking the dynamic elements needed to create a truly engaging atmosphere. Overall, while the game shows potential for a gripping atmosphere, it currently suffers from inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere of the special forces is conveyed here in such a way that your heart races when you enter the building, understanding that there could be an enemy around every corner.”
- “The game’s audio design complements this atmosphere, with realistic gun sounds, subtle environmental cues, and effective use of radio chatter.”
- “The lighting, shadows, and atmospheric effects further enhance the immersive experience, creating an unparalleled sense of tension and realism.”
- “The maps feel extremely dead and silent, bland or otherwise lacking atmosphere.”
- “The bones for a solid tactical shooter are there; however, the game feels like a prototype, levels feel very bare and there is a lack of atmosphere to them, they don't feel like real places.”
- “This game will fail 100% - games like this need atmosphere beyond the guns - this is a concept demonstration.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of a proper soundtrack and ambient sounds, leading to a sterile and lifeless experience. While some enjoy using external music or podcasts to enhance their gameplay, others express disappointment over the minimal in-game audio, which includes only menu music and limited sound effects. Overall, players are calling for a more engaging and dynamic musical score to elevate the game's atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack, the feeling of duty to the planned mission and your team, and the levels were just perfect.”
- “The menu music is great.”
- “I've had a great time using it as secondary media for music, podcasts, and news I want to listen to.”
- “There's no music score or anything like that aside from the main menu music, so get used to a lot of silence.”
- “The game has no soundtrack and ambient noise; it makes the game almost feel sterile and lifeless.”
- “I understand the hardcore simulator-like approach, but as there is no music, no voice acting, mission briefings, background story, interesting ambient sounds, or anything that gave it some life, everything feels somehow empty, dead, and meaningless.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of emotional responses to the game, ranging from discomfort due to overwhelming sound effects and technical issues to nostalgia and joy from engaging gameplay and a supportive community. While some aspects, like realistic weapon customization and tactical gameplay, evoke positive feelings, others, such as frame rate problems and awkward mechanics, detract from the overall experience. Ultimately, the emotional impact varies widely, with some players feeling deeply connected and others frustrated.
- “Heartbreaking gameplay”
- “Its been a very long time since a game has made me feel this way, very happy customer.”
- “Rainbow Six nostalgia: heartbreaking potential.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the reviews highlight impressive level, weapon, and character design, they do not provide specific insights into character development, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in the game.