Grounded 2 Preview: Bigger and Better

Fans of Grounded were pleasantly surprised when Obsidian unveiled an unexpected sequel, simply titled Grounded 2, during the Xbox Games Showcase last weekend.

Obsidian has announced that Grounded 2 will follow its predecessor's approach by launching into early access and evolving over time with community support and feedback. That early access period starts very soon—next month, in fact. I had the opportunity to play a brief demo at the Xbox Games Showcase in Los Angeles over the weekend. My overall impression, and I mean this as a sincere compliment, is: yep, this is a slightly larger version of Grounded, and it feels just right!

Based on the very short demo I played, it’s difficult for me to detail how Grounded 2 differs from the original. I was given the option to jump into a later section of the game, but I chose the tutorial to refresh my skills, which had become a bit rusty.

As a result, much of what I saw in the tutorial was exactly what I hoped for—more of the Grounded experience. You play as the same group of kids (now two years older), shrunk down to ant-size due to the shady experiments of a corporation called Ominent. After being miniaturized, they suffer from amnesia and have little memory of their lives before. Fortunately, the teenagers do recall the basics of their last backyard survival adventure, though they must relearn many of the skills they developed previously. Crafting, for example, remains a core activity: you’ll analyze items you find, unlock new blueprints, and gradually craft armor, weapons, tools, and other gear to help you stay alive. You’ll also scavenge early areas for food (like mushrooms) and drink (like dewdrops) to avoid starvation. And of course, you’ll battle bugs and other creatures, nervously poking them with a crudely-made spear. All the core mechanics of the original Grounded are present and ready for players who wanted more of what made the first game so enjoyable.

It’s hard to believe the original Grounded didn’t include a dodge mechanic until now!

The new features were less obvious in such an early-game sample, though I did notice a few. For example, you now have an Omni-tool that combines all your tools into one, freeing up inventory space. I didn’t get to explore its full range of uses, but I did use it to slice through oversized grass blades instead of an axe. Another new addition is a dedicated dodge button in combat—it felt so natural that I nearly forgot dodging wasn’t in the first game. These may seem like small quality-of-life improvements, but they look set to enhance the overall experience significantly. Seriously, it’s wild that Grounded didn’t have a dodge button before!

The most substantial new feature I got to test was the Buggy system—essentially, mounts. I found myself riding a giant ant, and honestly… it was pretty awesome. Riding a giant bug is just fun. Beyond galloping around on my ant, Buggies come with several handy features. You can sprint, or switch to a slower gathering mode that automatically collects resources you pass by, eliminating tedious manual harvesting. Buggies can also fight alongside you or chew through grass and other materials. At one point, I charged through a mite nest holding a glowing mushroom torch while my ant handled the dirty work of chomping down every mite that attacked.

In a post-preview interview, I was told that the Buggy mounts were one of the main reasons Grounded 2 was developed, among other factors. The original game’s map wasn’t designed for the speed at which mounts travel, so implementing them meaningfully required a much larger world. The only way to add the frequently requested rideable bugs was to make everything bigger.

And that’s exactly what Obsidian has done. Grounded 2 is set not in a backyard, but in Brookhollow Park—reportedly about three times the size of the original game’s setting. From what I saw, I only experienced a tiny early-game portion of the park: a calm, welcoming area meant to help both new and returning players get familiar with the world before sending them off on their ant-riding adventures.

I still have plenty of questions about what Grounded 2 brings to the table that justifies a full sequel rather than a major expansion. From a mechanical standpoint, rideable bugs alone may not convince everyone. That said, the original Grounded placed strong emphasis on story, and this sequel introduces a brand new narrative. It allows Obsidian to age up the protagonists, advance Ominent’s sinister schemes, and expand the world. And let’s not forget: the first Grounded was a genuinely fun game just as it was. So yes, I’ll gladly take more of that experience, plus riding bugs. Ride like the wind, little hero.