Obsidian Entertainment has once again said “honey, I shrunk the kids” with the Game Preview release of Grounded 2, following up the success of their original, pint-sized survival game. Let’s talk about what makes Grounded 2 different to its predecessor, and what players will be able to expect from their next miniature adventure.
Set two years after the events of Grounded, the teenagers Max, Willow, Pete, and Hoops once again find themselves shrunk. Moments before ‘formerly evil’ corporation Ominent were set to place a statue of the teens in Brookhollow Park to commemorate the two-year anniversary of their return, an explosion erupted, followed by another disappearance of the teens.
Though Grounded 2 is a sequel, it takes into consideration that some players might be experiencing the world for the first time, or might need to brush up on their controls. Players learn through doing, as the game takes you through a basic but thorough tutorial. There are also a few difficulty levels to choose from, each one making survival harder, from the amount of damage you take, down to how often you need to eat and drink food to sustain your tiny body.
Grounded 2 also introduces the Omnitool, crafted by Ominent themselves, which serves as a replacement for individual axes, shovels, hammers and other such gathering tools. Players will be able to upgrade the Omnitool with Science points and various materials. Certain materials can only be gathered once the Omnitool has been upgraded, like Mega Milk Molars being collectable when the hammer function is upgraded. While this is a nice addition, it does take away from the inventory management system that some players really enjoy, so we’ll see how that’s received.
One of the major new features of Grounded 2, and part of the whole reason the sequel was developed, is the buggies. This gives players the ability to find (or steal, let’s be real) certain bug eggs which can be put into the new hatchery and grown into rideable buggy companions. Though Grounded had smaller bugs you could keep as pets, the ability to ride an ant or spider into battle was one that players wanted from the start. During an interview with Obsidian, they let me know that the scale of Grounded just wasn’t big enough for bugs that could sprint across the map, so the setting of Brookhollow Park, a significantly larger playing field, was necessary for a sequel, and for the inclusion of buggies.
Yes you can pet the buggies, and name them too. There are currently only two buggies available, the red ant and the orb weaver, but there’s definitely more to come. I directly asked Obsidian for a lady bug mount, so if they add one, you’re welcome. The buggies themselves are a fun edition, and can be used in many ways. They have their own separate inventory meaning you can take them on long haul gathering journeys. You can also load bigger items like grass planks onto them. I only spent time with an ant buggy during my playthrough, but they also pack a punch. They have a bite which you can use for gathering and cutting down grass, but also for attacking any nasty crawlies who want to turn you into food.
It seems like Grounded 2 is going to allow for more in-depth class structures, with a wide variety of weapon and armour types ranging from giant smashy hammers to bug fang Wolverine-style claws, to poison darts and ranged combat. This is in addition to mutations and the collectible Milk Molars, allowing for upgrades to things like health and stamina. You can really take the time to figure out a combat style you enjoy the most. I haven’t gotten the chance to play co-op, but I imagine being able to form a solid team with your friends and each having a different combat style could make for some really fun battles.
“Grounded 2 is going to allow for more in-depth class structures, with a wide variety of weapon and armour types”
Speaking of combat, some fights are really rough. Even from the very start of the game, you can encounter the nastiest of bugs and get defeated in one hit. This includes the O.R.C. Weaver in the first ant hill, where you find your buggy egg, which trapped me in a tunnel and killed me almost instantly. There was also a mosquito that came out of nowhere and killed me with my back turned. The world of Grounded 2 isn’t kind. You really need to focus on gearing up to brave the world, but even playing on the easiest difficulty, I felt I was unfairly dying a lot.
The setting of Brookhollow Park will be about three times that of the backyard from the first game. There is a variety of new things to find, including a few new creepy crawlies like scorpions and giant caterpillars, but also two new biomes to explore. One of which is a frozen tundra style biome, which is actually just the spilling of an overturned ice cream cart, and a spooky ant hill that looks like it might be spilling toxins. There are also audio logs to find, which delve deeper into the story, as well as some environmental storytelling with dead bodies. Eek.
Personally, my time playing through Grounded 2 felt really familiar. Obviously, the premise is almost exactly the game as Grounded, and when shrunk down to the size of an ant, all grass looks the same, be it in the local park or the backyard of a mad scientist. There’s definitely a lot more to explore, and I’m sure new and exciting content updates will help the game stand apart from its predecessor. Perhaps playing co-op with some friends will help the game feel more unique as we explore the new land together and build our personalised playstyles. But for now, Grounded 2 feels a little bit empty, like the foundations have been laid, but we’re still missing a lot.
Even though at its base level, Grounded 2 feels very similar to the first game, it’s clear the team have big things planned. The addition of a significantly larger environment to play around in, as well as all the possibilities for fun buggies with different abilities, means there’s a lot of room for new ideas. It will be exciting to see the player feedback while the game is in its preview stage and to see the development over time. The release of the public road map will really help keep players excited for what’s to come, so be sure to look out for that.
Grounded 2 is available from tomorrow in Game Preview for Xbox Series X|S as well as in Early Access through Steam.
About the Author
Hayley Louise
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Hayley spends most of their time gaming, but when they're not doing that you can find them doing all kinds of nerd-adjacent things like playing board games, building Lego, reading books and talking nerdy to everyone who will listen.
