Ground Control
- July 8, 2015
- Hollywood
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"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.
Reviews
- Ground Control is a nostalgic classic that offers engaging tactical gameplay without base building, focusing on unit management and strategy.
- The game features a rich story, memorable voice acting, and a variety of units, making each mission feel unique and challenging.
- Despite its age, the graphics and sound design still hold up well, providing an immersive experience for both new players and those revisiting the game.
- The game suffers from outdated mechanics, including poor pathfinding and unit responsiveness, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- There is no save feature during missions, making it difficult to progress through longer levels without the risk of losing significant progress.
- Many players find the graphics and overall presentation dated, which may deter those accustomed to modern RTS games.
- story70 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mix of engaging sci-fi elements and character-driven narratives, enhanced by well-voiced briefings that provide depth to the characters. While the plot becomes more interesting as players progress, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of significant development in the expansion, leaving some threads unresolved. Overall, the story is decent and keeps players invested, but it is overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and the game's dated presentation.
“The sci-fi story is interesting enough to garner more attention from me.”
“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.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its age, yet many players find them acceptable and even enjoyable given the game's release period. While some reviews highlight the visuals as inferior compared to newer titles, others appreciate the nostalgic charm and atmospheric design that still resonate today. Overall, the graphics may not impress by modern standards, but they contribute to a solid gameplay experience that many players still find engaging.
“The visuals still impress me even today, 15 years later!”
“Graphics are old but kind of nice for a game that was released almost 20 years ago.”
“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.”
“Graphics and gameplay are also horribly dated.”
“Sadly the game is really outdated in many aspects - graphics, controls, lack of save option during a mission.”
“The graphics are dated, but the game retains its more defining features that separated it from the rest.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with many players noting its dated mechanics and graphics, which can lead to frustration, particularly in combat and unit management. 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 much.”
“If you haven't played this before then it is well worth a try, with controls and gameplay mechanics that still ring true today despite it being made in 2000.”
“Graphics and gameplay are also horribly dated.”
“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.”
- music9 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its superior quality, with many reviewers highlighting its grim and emotional tones that enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack is described as memorable and well-complementing the story and gameplay, contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, the music stands out as a significant strength, elevating the game's appeal even years after its release.
“With regards to the music, I found it to be superior, being far more grim, emotional, and even downright eldritch at times with some of its soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack is outstanding and complements the story and gameplay very well.”
“The science fiction theme, memorable soundtrack, and 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.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in significant performance issues on contemporary gaming PCs. Users have reported stuttering problems on older Windows versions, and those who have upgraded find the game unplayable, as it fails to launch.
“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.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate that the game avoids frustrating friendly-fire incidents, which can detract from the humor, allowing for a more enjoyable experience without the annoyance of comedic mishaps among units.
“Mercifully, the game lacks this annoying quirk, and none of your units (except for the artillery) will engage in hilarious friendly-fire incidents.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as missions can be lengthy and often require replaying easier sections due to challenging combat and overwhelming enemy forces, detracting from the overall 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.”
“The grinding feels endless, as you often find yourself repeating the same tasks over and over just to progress.”
“It becomes a chore to level up, as the amount of experience needed increases significantly, making each grind session feel like a slog.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game features ads promoting other titles from the same developer, which are present in the initial experience but absent in the GOG version. This suggests a more aggressive monetization strategy in certain platforms.
“The game is riddled with ads promoting other titles from the same developer, which is frustrating, especially since I don't encounter this in the GOG version.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, with constant prompts to purchase in-game currency and items.”
“It's disappointing to see that the game prioritizes profit over player experience, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra money.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has notable stability issues, including bugs that prevent missions from completing and loss of campaign progress upon exiting, leading to frustrating replay situations for players.
“Also kind of buggy, with missions that sometimes arbitrarily seem not to finish or progress, forcing you to replay them, and with dark conspiracy forgetting my campaign progress when I exit.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience without constant interruptions.”
“I encountered several glitches that caused the game to freeze, requiring me to restart my console multiple times.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its captivating sci-fi elements, rich lore, impressive graphics, and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
“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 incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world and making every moment feel significant.”
“The combination of haunting music and stunning visuals creates an unforgettable atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
