The Creepy, Empty And Uncanny World Of (Dead) Tactical Multiplayer Shooter “Ground Branch”

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RND/ To imagine PC screenshot art / virtual photography of a creepy, empty and uncanny world of (possibly Undead On Arrival) tactical™ multiplayer shooter called “Ground Branch”:

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With its souless, dead eyed character models, its deep shadows, largely featureless universe, bizarre poses and janky physics, Ground Branch delights in a sinister way. Consider the delicious possibility of such an online space if such ‘features, not bugs’ – and not merely the act of shooting / t-bagging – were deliberate, and emphasized. What might existing in such a world entail – perhaps some kind of cool, spooky shit seem in felt in other, classic PC gaming titles like F.E.A.R. (In any case, why does the main gameplay focus – shooting – have to be in any way separate from the creepy weirdness of the presentation? Why are the delightfully janky Early Access aesthetics never once acknowledged for having their own unique style and appeal – and instead merely ‘AAA-polished’ away into Generic First Person Bro-Shooter oblivion?)

One detects an occurring theme developing here – of throwaway games, virtually dead on arrival. Digital ships that pass in the night, with only a few passengers on board, only to have tracelessly sunk with all hands on deck by the next cold light of a Steamy morning. The inherent obscurity and in-built obsolescence of constantly trying to appeal to so-called ‘hardcore’ (white, male) gaming audience. Where the ‘next big thing’ makes all the laughably big splash of a dime in a gaming pond the size of Lake Michigan.

Heck, the only thing apart from the (alas, rapidly fading) creepy weirdness that games like Ground Branch have going for them is the arms-race style oneupmanship of the ‘more-tactical-than-thou’ player game tags (ala ‘L33tsold1er’, ‘ColdK1ll3r_42’, ‘downsightHer0’, ‘DrM0rb1d’, ‘CallMeCap’, etc.)