From the Toysit archive
Ground Control and Ground Control II: Operation Exodus
Explore the two Ground Control PC games through their maps, squads and dropships, then invent a paper expedition with changing weather.
The play at a glance
A landscape to read, a team to arrange
Armored figures stand against a sandy horizon in the old Ground Control image, with brilliant beams stretching across the scene. The PC games turn that distant landscape into a space the player can inspect from different angles: a map of objectives, units and places to reach. Toysit’s 2004 story brings together the original Ground Control and Ground Control II: Operation Exodus.
From the briefing to the landscape
In the original Ground Control, the mission briefing gives the player objectives and a map before a force arrives by dropship. Squad tabs make the preparations visible: which groups will travel, where they fit in the dropships, and what equipment is available. The manual also offers an automatic configuration option. It is a game of deciding what to bring, then seeing that choice take shape on the ground.
The camera provides another kind of choice. A broad view shows the terrain; a closer view reveals the units moving through it. The small tactical map marks objectives and shows where the camera is looking. A player might pause their attention on a ridge or a distant landing area, then return to the overview to understand its place in the mission.
What the sequel changes
Ground Control II: Operation Exodus keeps the science-fiction landscape and dropship imagery while using its own reinforcement system. Its manual describes Acquisition Points spent on incoming units, support and dropship upgrades. Landing zones and the minimap help organize those arrivals. The two games therefore have related visual ideas but different preparation and reinforcement rules.
The complete report below preserves the 2004 announcement, including the Northern Star Alliance story, the multiplayer pitch and the gift download of the first game. Those details capture how the sequel was introduced.
Try a terrain-and-weather route story
For an original paper activity, imagine a peaceful survey team delivering three observation flags across an unfamiliar planet. Draw a plain, a ridge and a river, then place a flag destination in each area. Add a landing spot and a team marker.
- Trace a route and name something the team hopes to observe at each stop.
- Make two weather cards: sunshine and fog. Turn one over before the next destination.
- With sunshine, describe a distant landmark. With fog, choose a nearby feature the team can follow and redraw that part of the route.
- Finish with a field-note sentence: “We changed our route because…”
The story borrows the pleasure of reading a landscape. Its survey mission and weather rules are Toysit ideas, separate from the games’ official scenarios.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete earlier product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Version 2 multiplayer online release marked by gift download of the original 3D real-time tactical strategy RTS PC game
Vivendi Universal Games is distributing the video game Ground Control for free online. The giveaway celebrates the June release of Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus, the next installment in the venerable Ground Control franchise of PC real-time strategy (RTS) games, now available at retail stores nationwide.
Released in 2000, the original Ground Control was one of the first real time strategy games to combine classic strategy elements with incredible 3D technology previously seen for action games. The focus of its gameplay was on tactics, strategy and the art of battle; the end result produced greater realism, faster-paced action and an unparalleled player experience that was an instant hit among fans and press alike.
Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus is the next installment in the Ground Control franchise. In a departure from traditional RTS games, Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus focuses on tactical combat with minimal time spent on resource management. Instead of harvesting resources and building bases, the game keeps the action hot and heavy by immediately rewarding players for accomplishing objectives. Additionally, the unique multiplayer drop-in mode allows players to instantly join an ongoing game at any time, for any length of time.
Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus chronicles the ongoing conflict between the Northern Star Alliance and the Terran Empire. Having lost the war in space, the NSA retreats to their home world and forces the Terran Empire to engage in a savage war of attrition on the ground. As a commander in the field, players can command a task force consisting of infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft alone in the single player campaign or with other players via LAN or Internet.
Developed by Massive Entertainment, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus features one of the most compelling 3D graphics engine in the RTS genre, allowing for outstanding graphics with incredible levels of detail.
Massive Entertainment develops games and interactive entertainment products for a worldwide market. Its world acclaimed PC game Ground Control, launched in 2000, established Massive Entertainment as one of the most innovative developers in the real time strategy genre.
Vivendi Universal Games is a global developer, publisher and distributor of interactive products for all major platforms including PCs, video game consoles, and the Internet.
The original Ground Control is accessible for online download through FilePlanet.com.
Sources and editorial notes
The original-game and sequel manuals support the separate accounts on this page. Selected interface pages and diagrams were reviewed; no game or online service was tested. The retained image’s exact edition and authorship remain unverified. FilePlanet’s free-download promotion and the multiplayer services described in the archive belong to the period report, not a current access offer.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site image reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Ground Control Field Commander’s Handbook — Publisher-hosted Anthology PDF: original-game mission and management text, PDF 11 and 14–17; loadout and squad diagrams on PDF 15 visually reviewed.
- Ground Control II: Operation Exodus manual — Publisher-hosted booklet: PDF 19–22 supports minimap, Acquisition Points and dropship reinforcement descriptions; minimap page visually reviewed. Other sampled text included PDF 11–13 and 25.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete historical account retained, including its original claims and wording.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.