"Ground Branch" is a tactical, realistic shooter game where players join the elite paramilitary arm of the CIA's Special Activities Center/Special Operations Group and lead other special operations forces on deniable ops worldwide. The game features a unique "True First-Person System" for enhanced world immersion and awareness, and runs on the Unreal Engine 4 for a true-to-life tactical experience. Players must approach gameplay with caution and strategy, as the game is deliberately unforgiving with its calculated and challenging mechanics.
The game features impressive graphics and immersive environments, providing a gritty atmosphere that enhances gameplay.
Players appreciate the lack of monetization practices, allowing full access to content without additional costs, and enjoy the humor and lighthearted moments during gameplay.
The gameplay is praised for its realism and tactical mechanics, with extensive customization options that contribute to an engaging experience.
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, which frustrate players, especially on lower-spec systems.
Many users criticize the lack of a structured narrative or progression, making the gameplay feel repetitive and hollow.
The game is described as buggy and clunky, with numerous technical issues that detract from the overall experience, including input delays and AI performance problems.
gameplay
2,652 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The gameplay of "Ground Branch" is characterized by its emphasis on realism and tactical mechanics, offering a blend of immersive gunplay and extensive customization options. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic nature of the gameplay, criticisms arise regarding the lack of content, repetitive gameplay loops, and AI performance, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows promise with its solid mechanics and potential for future development, but it currently requires further refinement and additional content to fully engage players.
“In conclusion, great game with surprising optimization and fun gameplay.”
“Very engaging tactical gameplay, the AI are well crafted and the gunplay is superb.”
“The gameplay is indeed extremely realistic; you will most likely always die if you get hit once.”
“This game has been in early access since I was starting in middle school and they don't even have basic shooting mechanics like gun recoil implemented... oh but thank god they let you change your ready stance with the scroll wheel!”
“Instead, it feels like a hollow marketing tactic, promising gameplay that simply doesn’t exist.”
“The gameplay loop becomes very boring very quickly; I would definitely give this a lot more time in the oven, seeing as it is in early access.”
graphics
1,412 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
53%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are decent and provide a gritty, immersive atmosphere, they often feel dated compared to modern titles. Some users appreciate the attention to detail and customization options, while others criticize the optimization issues and graphical glitches that can detract from the experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are serviceable, there is significant room for improvement, especially in terms of clarity and performance on lower-end systems.
“The graphics and environments are solid, providing a gritty, immersive atmosphere that complements the gameplay.”
“The graphics are astounding and the gameplay tactical and as fast as you want to make it.”
“The game has beautiful graphics and unlimited customization for not only your gun but your operator as well.”
“Graphics lighting and textures are dated (looks like some of my old Rainbow Six games).”
“The graphics look dated, and the landscape looks very janky in almost every level.”
“The graphics are outdated and the AI.”
story
1,262 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that there is no overarching narrative or context to the missions, making the gameplay feel hollow and repetitive. While the tactical gameplay and customization options are praised, the lack of a structured campaign or engaging story elements detracts from the overall experience, leaving players wanting more depth and variety in mission objectives. Many hope for future updates to introduce a meaningful storyline or mission progression to enhance immersion and replayability.
“Like many modern indie tactical shooters, this game focuses heavily on gear, weapons, and customization but completely neglects progression and story.”
“To be fair, I didn’t expect a full-fledged campaign, but I was hoping for at least some sense of progression or context—something to make the missions feel meaningful rather than just shooting at randomly placed enemies.”
“I hope they make a campaign or story-oriented co-op missions with this game.”
“There’s no story or context to explain why you’re taking down these bad guys, which makes the gameplay feel hollow.”
“There is no reason, story or context to anything you do, thus it feels empty and pointless.”
“At its current state, there's hardly any incentives to keep playing, with no progression or even a slight hint of a story.”
optimization
600 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
63%
19%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback from players, with many expressing frustration over persistent performance issues such as stuttering and low frame rates, even on high-end systems. While some users note improvements in optimization over time, particularly with recent updates, others argue that significant work is still needed to enhance performance, especially for lower-spec PCs. Overall, the game shows potential but remains hampered by optimization challenges that detract from the experience.
“In conclusion, great game with surprising optimization and fun gameplay.”
“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 has benefited from several patches, including some dedicated to optimization and is much smoother than during its initial release phase.”
“I get that it's 'early access', but it's been like that for years and the developers should have optimized the game by now.”
“The game itself is simple enough, however it is just very poorly optimized, whether it be the stuttering FPS which plagues it, which I suspect is memory leakage, or the grainy ads picture for most magnified optics, which messing around in settings does absolutely nothing.”
“Game has been out for a while and still poorly optimized; please do not give these people your money.”
stability
314 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
1%
93%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting it as "buggy" and "clunky," particularly in its early access state. While some players find it playable and enjoyable despite the glitches, many express frustration over issues like AI behavior, input delays, and various visual and gameplay bugs. Overall, while the developers are actively updating the game, the consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to reach a more polished and stable experience.
“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.”
“The game is buggy as hell and the worst input delays I've ever experienced.”
“Game freezes every time I load into a friend's game, or it kicks me out every 5 minutes, unplayable.”
“But overall the game is extremely buggy and clunky.”
replayability
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its potential due to features like randomized objectives, varied enemy placements, and extensive customization options, while others criticize it for limited content and repetitive gameplay. Many agree that improvements to AI and the addition of more maps and game modes could significantly enhance replay value. Overall, while some find it highly replayable, others feel it currently lacks sufficient content to keep players engaged long-term.
“There is endless replayability and it has more features and configurations than the original tactical shooting games of our past, plus Steam Workshop integration!”
“The inclusion of this co-op mode significantly enhances the game's replayability, offering a much-needed space for friends to have fun together without the issues that come with PvP.”
“Each of these maps has different potential insertion points and enemy spawns have a degree of randomization to them, so the replayability of each map is extremely high when you also factor in the ability to change the time of day, weather, and even fine-tune the specifics of the enemy AI.”
“Its replayability is pretty much zero.”
“There are limited maps, missions, and game modes, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and reduced replayability after spending many hours in the game.”
“I'm aware the game is early access, however in its current state, the replayability is incredibly low and there are many much-needed quality of life changes that must be implemented to get the game on par with its competitors.”
humor
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its hilarious moments, particularly when playing with friends. The combination of absurd AI behavior, funny loadout customization, and entertaining voice lines contributes to a lighthearted atmosphere, making it enjoyable even amidst the game's tactical elements. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, creating memorable and amusing experiences for players.
“Also really fun to mess around with friends in private death match and animations are hilarious.”
“So if you're looking for a game that's both hardcore and hilarious, Ground Branch is the one for you.”
“It's absolutely hilarious to slap a 6x scope onto a fully automatic shotgun and snipe terrorists across the map.”
monetization
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
5%
89%
The game is praised for its lack of monetization, with no microtransactions, DLC, or pay-to-win mechanics, allowing players to enjoy all content without additional costs. Reviewers appreciate the absence of predatory monetization practices common in modern games, highlighting the game's fair pricing and complete access to customization options upon purchase. However, some express skepticism about the game's long-term development, fearing it may become a cash grab despite its current offerings.
“Ground Branch lacks the nonsense that most modern games have, such as predatory progression, microtransactions, and other gambling mechanics. Instead, it offers great gun customization and realism!”
“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.”
“My guess is this is another early release cash grab that will get abandoned over the course of time once they determined they made enough money and or get bored.”
grinding
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
55%
37%
The reviews indicate that the game features minimal to no grinding, with all content and equipment unlocked from the start, allowing players to jump right into gameplay without tedious leveling or unlocks. However, some users express that while the lack of grinding is refreshing, the overall experience can still feel tedious and requires teamwork, particularly in solo play. Overall, the game is praised for its realism and accessibility, but some players desire more depth in terms of grinding elements.
“It feels like how PC shooters used to play back in the day, before all the flashy nonsense developers have added into games over time like battle passes and rainbow unicorn weapons. There's no grinding out weapons here.”
“You can trial all of them from the start, so no grinding to unlock anything.”
“There's no grinding; you get everything unlocked and you can choose to play training, solo missions, or my favorite, which is a multiplayer server.”
“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.”
“Aside from that, the game is pretty tedious and not fun, and really requires a team to communicate, something you just won't find playing solo.”
atmosphere
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
47%
12%
The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intense immersion, realistic environments, and effective use of lighting and sound design that enhance tension. However, many others criticize the lack of variety and life in the maps, describing them as bland or dead, which detracts from the overall experience. While there are strong elements of atmosphere present, particularly in certain environments, the game still requires further development to fully realize its potential.
“The attention to detail in the terrain, structures, and lighting elevates the overall atmosphere, immersing players in a world that feels tangible and authentic.”
“The sound design and atmosphere the game already has in place is amazing, for both the guns and ambient map noise, which really sets the mood for jumpscares, because when the AI hunts you, they'll often do it in complete silence, and walking down a pitch black corridor slowly approaching an open door and suddenly hearing a shout or three bullets entering your spine really made me jump... on multiple occasions.”
“Excellent tactical shooter with an atmospheric tension few other games offer.”
“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
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
79%
6%
The game's music aspect is widely criticized for its lack of a substantial soundtrack and ambient sounds, leading to a sterile and lifeless experience. Players note that aside from the main menu music, there is little to no audio to enhance gameplay, resulting in a feeling of emptiness. Many reviewers express a desire for a more engaging musical score, suggesting that the addition of a well-crafted soundtrack could significantly improve the overall experience.
“The menu music is great.”
“The soundtrack, the feeling of duty to the planned mission and your team, and the levels were just perfect.”
“The voice changers and songs were amazing.”
“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
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its nostalgic elements and the wholesome nature of its community. Many feel a deep sense of immersion and realism, with gameplay evoking feelings reminiscent of tactical experiences in films like "Zero Dark Thirty." However, technical issues, such as frame rate problems, have also led to frustration, impacting the overall emotional experience for some users.
“It's been a very long time since a game has made me feel this way, very happy customer.”
“The community of this game is wholesome.”
“It's realistic and the community is wholesome as well.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight impressive character design, noting that it contributes significantly to the overall experience, alongside strong level design and graphics. However, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of narrative or growth, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in the game.