Ground Control

About

"Ground Control" is a real-time strategy game set in the year 2419, where mankind has taken to the stars to fight over colonized planets. As a commander for the Crayven Corporation, you must lead an army of ground and air forces on the distant world of Krig-7-B, in a war that is more than just a brush-fire conflict. The Anthology edition includes the original game and the Dark Conspiracy expansion, with 45 single-player missions across two factions and various environments. The game is known for its unique blend of 3D action and strategic combat.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 196 reviews

story26 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Ground Control is a classic RTS that emphasizes tactical gameplay over resource management, offering a unique experience for players.
The game features a compelling sci-fi story and allows for significant customization of units before missions, enhancing strategic depth.
Despite its age, the game still provides a challenging and engaging experience, with many players enjoying the nostalgia and tactical elements.

The game suffers from outdated graphics and poor pathfinding, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
There is no save option during missions, making it difficult to progress through longer levels without repeating sections after failure.
Many players have reported technical issues, including crashes and compatibility problems with modern systems, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.

story
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
9%
The game's story is generally engaging, with a character-driven narrative that evolves through well-voiced briefings and mission interactions, although it suffers from a lack of depth in the sequel and expansion. Players appreciate the tactical customization of units and the long campaign length, but many find the gameplay mechanics outdated and the difficulty spikes frustrating, particularly in later missions. Overall, while the story has its moments and keeps players interested, it is often overshadowed by gameplay issues and a lack of saving options.
- “The story gets better as you go on.”
- “Furthermore, I really like the way in which characters vocalize themselves in pre- and post-mission briefings, with the respective commanders giving very well voice-acted diary entries after every engagement that gives you some deeper insight into them as people, as well as having terse interactions with their sinister superiors before each new mission, which are really nice little details that showcase excellent writing on the game's part.”
- “The game succeeded wildly in hooking me into the story, through its excellent voice acting and deep gameplay mechanics.”
- “Unfortunately, GC2 lacks this, giving players extremely bland boxes of text to read in-between missions during the loading screen.”
- “While the expansion does continue the story, it ends on an even bigger cliffhanger than the base game, and the events of it go largely unaddressed in the sequel, which takes place a good two hundred years after the fact.”
- “The story also doesn't offer much.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
48%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its age, yet some players find them still enjoyable and impressive for a title released nearly two decades ago. While comparisons to newer games highlight significant improvements in visual fidelity, the game's aesthetic and audiovisual elements maintain a nostalgic charm that resonates with long-time fans. Overall, despite the outdated graphics, many players appreciate the solid gameplay and engaging story that overshadow visual shortcomings.
- “The visuals still impress me even today, 15 years later!”
- “Graphics and visuals are really cool for a strategy game from 2000; the Crayven and Order units' design are so good, and I love the sounds.”
- “The graphics were amazing for the time period (compare to C&C Generals which came out the next year; also an amazing game!)”
- “Graphics and gameplay are also horribly dated.”
- “Sadly, the game is really outdated in many aspects - graphics, controls, and lack of save option during a mission.”
- “Graphically, the first game is of course inferior to the second, with Operation Exodus essentially being a quantum leap in overall looks and detail (compare 144p with 1080p on YouTube and you get the general idea).”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting its dated mechanics and graphics, which can lead to frustration, particularly during intense combat and unit micromanagement. While some appreciate the tactical depth and interesting missions, others find the gameplay slow and lacking in nuance compared to modern titles. Despite its age, the game still offers solid mechanics and enjoyable multiplayer features, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of classic tactical gameplay.
- “Interesting missions and fun gameplay!”
- “But gameplay, gameplay is still very good and I am enjoying this game again a lot.”
- “Just... an immortal classic that goes to show that, despite the graphics being dated (though workable), solid tactical gameplay mechanics and decent UI design can keep a game going well beyond its heyday.”
- “The story is decent even if the graphics make it quite dated, but the gameplay itself becomes a slog from the sheer size of most campaign maps to the fact that you're going to watch most shots your units take miss completely.”
- “At the end, I chose to cheat my way through it because the glacial pace of the gameplay coupled with the lack of a save feature was just too much to handle for me.”
- “Micromanaging units during intense combat can be frustrating at times due to game mechanics.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
11%
16%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting the grim and atmospheric elements that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as outstanding, memorable, and well-suited to the game's sci-fi theme, effectively complementing both the story and gameplay. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere and is considered one of its standout features.
- “The soundtrack is outstanding and complements the story and gameplay very well.”
- “The science fiction theme, memorable soundtrack, the reactions of your units; it's all just in such a perfect place that they've found the brilliant balance of making an amazing game.”
- “Every time I boot this game up, it either crashes immediately, freezes my entire system to where I have to end the process or just restart my computer. It boots up but only displays a black screen the whole time despite hearing that the game is running with the intro cinematic, main menu music, and whatnot. Or I successfully get into the game after 50 tries, including multiple computer restarts, only to find out that my previous session's progress was not saved at all, and I would have to start the whole game from the beginning again.”
- “Music is also ok.”
- “Loved the atmosphere (I've always been a fan of sci-fi), the lore, soundtrack, and the graphics were (they still are, especially Ground Control 2) amazing.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which hampers its performance on contemporary gaming PCs. Users have reported persistent stuttering on older Windows versions, and those who have upgraded find the game unplayable, with some unable to even launch it. Overall, it appears to be in dire need of updates to improve its compatibility and performance.
- “Windows 8 and 7 already had a lot of problems with stuttering that some people could fix with a bit of tinkering, but for those who upgraded like me, it's no longer playable; it doesn't even start.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is severely lacking, with frequent crashes, system freezes, and issues such as black screens during startup. Players report significant frustration due to lost progress and buggy mission completions, often requiring multiple attempts to successfully launch and play the game.
- “Every time I boot this game up, it either crashes immediately, freezes my entire system to where I have to end the process or just restart my computer. It boots up but only displays a black screen the whole time despite hearing that the game is running with the intro cinematic and main menu music. After 50 tries, including multiple computer restarts, I end up finding out that my previous session's progress was not saved at all, and I would have to start the whole game from the beginning again.”
- “Also kind of buggy, with missions that sometimes arbitrarily seem not to finish or progress, forcing you to replay them, and with the game forgetting my campaign progress when I exit.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that the game avoids the frustrating element of friendly-fire incidents, which can often lead to unintended humor, particularly with artillery units. This absence of comedic mishaps is seen as a positive aspect, allowing for a more serious gameplay experience.
- “Mercifully, the game lacks this annoying quirk, and none of your units (except for the artillery) will engage in hilarious friendly-fire incidents.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as missions are lengthy and often require replaying easier sections to reach the more exciting combat encounters. This repetitive nature can detract from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- “Missions are long, and with the brutal combat and overwhelming forces, you'll sometimes be forced to redo the easier or tedious parts of a mission to get to a grandiose battle again.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game includes in-game advertisements promoting other titles from the developer, which are notably absent in the GOG version. This has led to mixed feelings among players regarding the intrusive nature of these ads.
- “When you start the game, there are ads promoting other Rebellion games in their store, which I don't see in the GOG version.”
- “The monetization strategy feels intrusive, especially with the constant ads for other games right at the start.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its captivating sci-fi elements, rich lore, impressive soundtrack, and stunning graphics, especially noted in Ground Control 2. Overall, players find the immersive environment to be a standout feature.
- “I loved the atmosphere; I've always been a fan of sci-fi. The lore, soundtrack, and graphics were amazing, especially in Ground Control 2.”
- “The atmosphere is captivating, blending sci-fi elements with an incredible soundtrack and stunning graphics.”
- “The immersive atmosphere truly enhances the experience, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”