Other reviews will tell you more about what Ground Branch is, but I want to tell you what it feels like to play Ground Branch.

Ground Branch scratches a very unique itch - one for a slow, methodical, tactical shooter that at the same time feels... oddly relaxing. Let me explain:

A lot of games that emphasize realism also feel like big commitments. When you play a game of, say, Squad or ARMA, you're not just playing a fun game - you're also learning lots of complicated mechanics and killing a lot of downtime between the exciting and tense engagements. This can be really fun and rewarding, but it undeniably takes up a lot of time; in a single game of Squad you might only get into half a dozen real engagements in the space of a 90 minute round. And you may not always feel like waiting that long for the good stuff.

What Ground Branch does so well is distilling the essence of what makes realistic games like that fun, and compressing it into little bite-sized chunks of action. There's no faffing around with travel, logistics, or waiting around at firebases; rounds can theoretically take up to an hour but will usually last no more than fifteen minutes. There are some very engaging "realism" mechanics to play around with, such as weapon stances, weapon customization, gear customization, and so on, but all of it is incredibly intuitive and easy to learn and there isn't a particularly steep metagame, so no spending hours looking over guides trying to git gud. If you die (which will happen a lot), respawns are quick and you'll be back in action within minutes. All this builds up to a game that feels tense, because it's difficult and dangerous, but not stressful, because the stakes are pretty low and you don't have to be laser focused to play well.

With that kind of design, you can treat the game as seriously or casually as you want - you could choose to spend 6 hours crafting optimal loadouts for every possible engagement you might get into, or you can put three laser sights and a 6x scope on an MP7 and go wild.

From what experience I have of the multiplayer, the community definitely adds to this effect. I initially expected that servers would be full of really dedicated milsimmers, but people are, by and large, really chill and willing to accommodate new players. Nobody's gonna yell at you about your radio callouts being in bad syntax, or how your camo looks totally unrealistic; everyone' just there for a good time, and it's truly beautiful to watch a bunch of perfect strangers coordinate to clear a map with good communication and coordination.

In short? If you want a game that plays like a milsim but lets you unwind a little, pick up Ground Branch. You won't be disappointed.

Other reviews will tell you more about what Ground Branch is, but I want to tell you what it [i]feels[/i] like to play Ground Branch. Ground Branch scratches a very unique itch - one for a slow, methodical, tactical shooter that at the same time feels... oddly relaxing. Let me explain: A lot of games that emphasize realism also feel like big commitments. When you play a game of, say, Squad or ARMA, you're not just playing a fun game - you're also learning lots of complicated mechanics and killing a lot of downtime between the exciting and tense engagements. This can be really fun and rewarding, but it undeniably takes up a lot of time; in a single game of Squad you might only get into half a dozen real engagements in the space of a 90 minute round. And you may not always feel like waiting that long for the good stuff. What Ground Branch does so well is distilling the essence of what makes realistic games like that fun, and compressing it into little bite-sized chunks of action. There's no faffing around with travel, logistics, or waiting around at firebases; rounds can theoretically take up to an hour but will usually last no more than fifteen minutes. There are some very engaging "realism" mechanics to play around with, such as weapon stances, weapon customization, gear customization, and so on, but all of it is incredibly intuitive and easy to learn and there isn't a particularly steep metagame, so no spending hours looking over guides trying to git gud. If you die (which will happen a lot), respawns are quick and you'll be back in action within minutes. All this builds up to a game that feels [i]tense[/i], because it's difficult and dangerous, but not [i]stressful[/i], because the stakes are pretty low and you don't have to be laser focused to play well. With that kind of design, you can treat the game as seriously or casually as you want - you could choose to spend 6 hours crafting optimal loadouts for every possible engagement you might get into, or you can put three laser sights and a 6x scope on an MP7 and go wild. From what experience I have of the multiplayer, the community definitely adds to this effect. I initially expected that servers would be full of really dedicated milsimmers, but people are, by and large, really chill and willing to accommodate new players. Nobody's gonna yell at you about your radio callouts being in bad syntax, or how your camo looks totally unrealistic; everyone' just there for a good time, and it's truly beautiful to watch a bunch of perfect strangers coordinate to clear a map with good communication and coordination. In short? If you want a game that plays like a milsim but lets you unwind a little, pick up Ground Branch. You won't be disappointed.