The hardcore shooter Ground Branch impresses in terms of tactical options. But that alone does not make a good game. Our impression of the strengths and weaknesses.
(Tactical options and realism are supposed to lead Ground Branch down the long overgrown path of classics like SWAT and Rainbow Six. Will this work in Early Access?)
The tactical shooter Ground Branch has been available in Early Access on Steam since 2018, but flies quite low under the radar even among enthusiasts. On average, only a few hundred tacticians play at a time, peaking at 603. That’s really quite manageable, even for the niche genre of hardcore shooters.
But why does Ground Branch have such a shadowy existence? Are we missing out on a real diamond? After all, Steam users celebrate the game with strong 89 percent positive ratings! We played it for you and find out which hardcore type should take a closer look.
What is Ground Branch about?
Ground Branch is a tactical shooter in the spirit of the old Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. No wonder, after all, an ex-developer of both series is on board at Blackfoot Studios. SWAT 3 and 4 also struck the same chord back then as Ground Branch does today.
The scenario is unused for a tactical shooter, we play as the paramilitary arm of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Special Activities Centre/Special Operations Group (SAC/SOG). In simpler terms: We are members of the Ground Branch, which conducts covert operations against terrorists on behalf of the US intelligence agency CIA. However, you should not expect a real story. At least a campaign mode with a whole series of smaller missions is to be integrated.
The star is the variety of tactical options. We can freely modify our operator. In other words: customise clothes, weapons and tactical equipment. Yes, we even determine each individual pocket on our combat waistcoat ourselves, which has an influence on the types of ammunition and grenades we bring along.
We play PvP or PvE modes, two in number so far. In Intel Retrieval we have to hack a laptop. Or in Terrorist Hunt, we go hunting without an additional objective in order to defeat all terrorists on one of the nine large maps so far.
We experience the whole thing either all alone against the AI, in 8v8 PvP mode or together with a team of eight players against the computer opponents. When playing with humans, clear communication is key, which resulted in exciting battles in our sessions. AI teammates à la SWAT and Rainbow Six are to follow at some point, even with the possibility of assigning commands and waypoints to them in action.
The levels consist, for example, of a huge passenger plane, a picturesque forest area, a remote warehouse or even a large city reminiscent of US metropolises. A huge tanker is also represented. The levels have a convincing structure, but they also have a big problem. But let’s first look at the positive aspects of Ground Branch.
Moving pictures of Ground Branch can be seen in the trailer:
Where are the strengths of Ground Branch?
Everything in Ground Branch that has to do directly with our character already feels very good in Early Access. The movement functions let us, for example, lean to the side, vary our running speed and perform a particularly fast tactical sprint. Properly internalised and used, this allows us to control the battlefield and minimise the danger to our own virtual lives. This is fun and can inspire tactics nerds.
The weapon play of the 30 guns of the type assault rifle, submachine gun or DMR as well as the personalisation options also speak for Ground Branch.
We screw two sights on the assault rifle at the same time (keyword angled offset Picatinny adapter), use silencers for quiet operations, vary the magazine size and also give ourselves an advantage on the night variants of the maps with a laser pointer-torch hybrid. Night-vision sights and hand grenades are also available.
In the field, we choose fluidly and quickly between three stance variants using the mouse wheel. If we aim from the hip directly forwards, we are quickest in the visor view, but we annoy our team mates because we keep aiming at them. And the small community likes to insist on tactically correct behaviour. So we aim the barrel either up or down, which costs us milliseconds when aiming, but potentially saves our colleagues’ virtual lives. That’s a very cool implementation!
Low position
Middle Position
However, the shooting itself seems rather undemanding compared to other hardcore shooters like Squad or Insurgency: Sandstorm. This is because the weapons have very little recoil. But don’t worry, it doesn’t make Ground Branch easy by any means, because the often sprawling maps are teeming with enemies.
