Grounded 2 First Look: Major Expansion Revealed

In a thrilling announcement for Grounded enthusiasts, Obsidian surprised attendees at last weekend's Xbox Games Showcase with the reveal of an unexpected sequel, simply titled Grounded 2.

Obsidian confirmed that Grounded 2 will follow a similar development path as the original, launching into an early access phase where it will evolve over time with direct input from the community. This early access period begins remarkably soon, in fact, next month. I had the opportunity to preview a small portion of the game during the Xbox Games Showcase in Los Angeles, and my main takeaway, which I offer as a high compliment, is that this is unmistakably a larger and more refined version of Grounded.

Based on the brief segment I played, it's admittedly challenging to detail all the ways Grounded 2 diverges from its predecessor. While I was given the option to jump into a later stage, I chose the tutorial to brush up on my Grounded skills, which had gotten a bit stale.

Consequently, much of the tutorial felt pleasingly familiar. It features the same cast of kids—now two years older—who have been shrunk to insect size due to the dubious experiments of a corporation called Ominent. Suffering from a touch of amnesia after the shrinking process, they remember little of their original mission, though they do recall the broad strokes of their previous miniature backyard survival experience. Many skills, however, must be relearned. You'll still analyze objects to discover new crafting recipes, gradually constructing armor, weapons, tools, and other essential survival gear. You'll scavenge the initial areas for sustenance, like mushrooms for food and dewdrops for water, to stave off starvation. You'll also confront various insects and creatures, perhaps nervously jabbing at them with a rudimentary spear. All the core mechanics that made the original game a hit are present and accounted for, ready to welcome back fans who simply wanted more.

It's incredible that the original Grounded launched without a dedicated dodge mechanic!

The new features were subtler in this early-game demo, but I did experience a few. A new Omni-tool, for example, consolidates all your essential gear into a single, multi-purpose item, freeing up precious inventory space. I didn't have much time to explore its full range of functions, but I did use it to chop down massive blades of grass, replacing the need for a separate axe. Another welcome addition is a dedicated dodge button for combat, which felt so intuitive I momentarily forgot it wasn't in the first game. While these are quality-of-life improvements, they promise to significantly streamline the overall experience in the long run. It's astonishing that the original Grounded launched without a dedicated dodge mechanic!

The most substantial new system I got to test was the Buggy feature—essentially, creature mounts. I had the chance to ride a large ant, and it was... surprisingly awesome? Who knew riding a giant insect could be so entertaining? Beyond the simple joy of galloping around on my ant steed, the Buggy system includes several practical functions. You can sprint across the terrain or switch to a slower gathering mode, where your mount automatically collects any resources you pass, saving you the trouble of manual harvesting. Buggies can also assist in combat or chew through obstructive foliage. At one point, I charged through a mite nest, brandishing a glowing mushroom torch while my ant handled the dirty work of dispatching every mite that lunged at us.

In a post-preview interview, I was told that the Buggy mounts were a primary reason for creating a sequel, among other factors. The original game's world was never designed to accommodate the speed at which mounts travel. Consequently, the map felt too confined to make Buggies a genuinely useful feature. The only way to incorporate these highly requested rideable insects was to build a significantly larger game world.

And that's precisely what Obsidian has done. Grounded 2 is set in Brookhollow Park, which the developers state is approximately three times larger than the original backyard. I believe I only saw the most minuscule, introductory section of this new park—a gentle, welcoming area designed to ease both newcomers and veterans back into the world of Grounded before they embark on their ant-riding journey into the vast unknown.

I still have many questions about what Grounded 2 offers to justify a brand-new title rather than a major expansion to the existing game. From a purely mechanical standpoint, I'm not entirely convinced that rideable bugs alone are a compelling reason. However, Grounded has always placed a strong emphasis on narrative, and this sequel introduces a completely new story. It allows Obsidian to age its protagonists, advance Ominent's sinister plot, and substantially expand the universe. And let's not forget, the first Grounded was an absolute blast in its own right. So, yes, I'm ready for more of that experience, now with the added bonus of bug riding. Ride like the wind, from a bug's perspective.