Posted on: July 1, 2011
d3vanderv
Verified ownerGames: 638 Reviews: 10
Virtually unknown classic
Aside from C&C Red Alert (my first PC game ever), this relatively unknown gem is probably my favourite RTS overall. It is somewhat similar to the recent Dawn of War II games, in that you only have a limited number of forces at your disposal. You can call in more troops via a dropship using requisition points that slowly regenerate over time. If your army is too large however, the points only regenerate as you kill enemy units, limiting the size of your army. Battles take place on a variety of locales, and are fought over strategically important control points. These locations provide a new location for your dropship to land new units. Lose all your control points and you lose the mission. There is no base building aside from creation of basic turrets to defend your dropzones, and even these are quite limited. Battles are fought and won with units, ranging from standard infantry to tanks, artillery, and gunships. There are three races in total, two human and one alien. In the campaign you get to play as two of the races, with the third being your primary adversary. Each side has similar types of units, but they differ pretty dramatically in strengths and abilities. Gameplay is quite fun, although it can be quite hard. All of the units have two firing modes/morph abilities, which increases their flexibility. Units also gain veterancy, which encourages you to keep your forces alive. Buildings and defensive weapons can be garrisoned by infantry, and if I remember correctly, certain types of terrain offer defensive bonuses if you place units there. The AI tends to send continuous hordes of units at your army until you capture their dropzones, which makes for often hectic and intense battles. A few missions have you working alongside AI allies, but they are largely useless. Graphically, the game is quite impressive for its time. You have much more control over zooming and panning than in most games, including 360 degrees of rotation. It is very cool to zoom in on your marching infantry, and then pan skyward to view the impressive skybox in each map. Units are rendered well, and have decent textures and animation. The game has all the usual explosions and weapons fire effects, and even is a bit gory when infantry succumb to weapons fire. Overall, I would rate this game a 9/10 (five stars rounding up). If you are seriously into RTS games, and don't mind trying something different you will enjoy this game. For me, moving away from the standard base building mechanic was a breath of fresh air. It is great fun to use snipers to kill enemy units, or send in gunships to devastate ground forces. Another highlight is upgrading your dropship, which turns it into a powerful superunit in its own right, capable of defending a hotly contested control point, or as fire support for your army. Ground Control 2 is an extremely underrated RTS, and for 5.99, it is a steal.
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