Ground Control at GameSpot

Today, Sierra Studios and Massive Entertainment dropped by to demonstrate the latest version of their 3D real-time strategy game, Ground Control. The game is set for release later this year, but it already looks stable and promising.

Since the last time we saw Ground Control, Massive has cleaned up the interface, the front end, and the briefings. As before, there are two sides to the conflict in Ground Control: The Craven Corporation and the Order of the New Dawn. On the Craven side, you play as Commander Sara Parker, who receives her briefings from a superior officer. While they speak, your mission goals appear on a 3D map of the level. Massive is trying to convey a story and personality, so during briefings, the characters onscreen will not only be engaged in formal briefings but will also talk back and forth and even get into arguments.

Before you start the game, you must select your squads and load them onto transports. Then, you can configure your squads, selecting special weapons and equipment, such as rockets and med kits, respectively, or just accept a default loadout. Then, you start the mission, as your transports land at designated drop zones and unload your troops.

You will not control individual units but will instead control squads of units. The reasoning behind this, according to Massive, is that everyone groups their units before they head into battle anyway, so why not just have them command units at a squad level throughout the game? During the missions, you will be represented in the game by the command APC, which can carry troops and repair vehicles, as well as engage in combat. However, if your APC gets destroyed, you will need to restart the mission.

The game is in full 3D, which not only makes the game look good but adds more realism. Higher ground results in longer sight, shadows improve your stealth, and facing will be important because armor is thicker on the front side than on the back. Ground Control also has friendly fire, so if you fire artillery into a mix of bad and good guys, you can hurt your own. Speaking of artillery, the artillery units are very impressive, spitting out shells that fly high into the air in a lazy arc before crashing down to the ground with great explosions and an excavation of dirt and debris. The detail in the game is fairly high; you'll see shells being pumped out of cannons as tanks fire and infantry recoils from the blast of their rifles.

There will be no buildings in the missions; the gameplay is strictly tactical. You won't build troops either, although in certain missions you might get set reinforcements if you meet mission goals. You will carry squads from mission to mission, and they will gain experience. Experience will bring with it better accuracy and speed, but not more overt enhancements in hit points and damage. Massive wants to reward you for having more experienced units but not penalize you too much for having raw recruits.

The interface is undergoing many changes, but it looks like Massive will provide icons at the bottom of the screen for each of your squads. The icons will flash when a squad is in combat, and you can double click on a squad to jump to it immediately.

Ground Control will have 15 missions per side and three tutorial missions. The different environments in the game will include desert, jungle, snow, volcano, grasslands, and mountains. We were given a build of the game, and we will be bringing you a preview in the next few weeks. For now, view these screenshots.