The following review is of the game at version 0.1.2

It’s quite impressive the turnaround the gaming community has had towards the first Grounded, because I remember when it was revealed and people were up in arms because it was the first project from Obsidian after Microsoft bought them, and it was akin to something you would find on Steam Early Access and had a similar model. But more notably, it wasn’t a massive RPG like their previous works, mainly Fallout New Vegas, so people were mad. But as the game entered early access and grew a fanbase, people who did try it said the same thing: it was good, that’s it. It’s a mixture of being a survival game but taking elements of A Bug’s Life and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids worked well the first go around, so Obsidian is going to see if they can do it again and improve on it at the same time around with Grounded 2.

The main difference here is the choice of location, as in the first one, you were battling for your life in your backyard; here, you’re stuck in a park, which gives the game a reason to have “biome” changes when you explore the section of the park you are given. That and it gives an excuse for the developers to use real life objects as these mini biomes, that main one that stuck out to me was an abandoned Ice Cream trolly which inside contains a winter wonderland, on the opposite side you have a freshly used park grill which contains a volcanic heat area. This approach to world design helps bring the player back to the childhood awe of going outside and seeing the world from a different perspective, if that was something you did growing up.

Grounded 2 truly sets itself apart from its predecessor in how it refines the survival loop. You still begin with almost nothing, scavenging stray bits of trash, grass, and insect parts to cobble together crude tools, but progression feels tighter and more intentional this time around. The park setting isn’t just a change of scenery—it’s a structured playground that subtly guides you toward new resources and threats without outright holding your hand. Every biome feels like it has its own “tech tree” of discoveries; the winter wonderland ice cream cart, for example, forces you to adapt to freezing temperatures, find materials that don’t exist anywhere else, and contend with bugs that have evolved for the cold. Conversely, the park grill’s “volcanic” zone ramps up the heat hazards and introduces creatures that thrive in fire and smoke, making you rethink both your armor and your movement. Combat is still scrappy and a little clunky in that charming Obsidian way, but it has been tightened up compared to the first game. Weapon variety is expanded, with unique perks tied to where you craft them—grill-forged blades inflict burn damage, while ice-cart weapons can slow enemies. The result is that exploration and combat are more meaningfully linked; you’re not just wandering into new areas for the scenery, but to expand your arsenal and survival options.

Although still in early access, the multiplayer side feels surprisingly stable. The park setting lends itself to shared discovery—seeing a friend’s reaction to stumbling upon a giant forgotten soda can or a toppled lawn gnome is part of the fun. The sense of scale, when viewed from your shrunken perspective, makes even mundane park trash feel monumental, and that shared awe is a big part of the game’s charm. Resource sharing and base building also feel more balanced, with tweaks to how storage and crafting stations work, preventing the lopsided “one player does all the work” dynamic that sometimes plagued the first game. Also, while this is still a game in development, it shows. Some areas of the park are currently blocked off, replaced with “Coming Soon” signs or temporary barriers, and certain enemy types repeat more often than they should. Balance is also a work in progress—some biomes feel overtuned in difficulty, forcing you to grind materials in safer zones before progressing. And while performance is solid for the most part, particle-heavy areas like the grill’s smoke vents can cause noticeable framerate dips, even on Xbox Series X.

In its current state, Grounded 2 is less a sequel and more an evolution. It doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it builds on the first game’s foundation with a greater sense of variety, structure, and environmental storytelling. The park setting is a brilliant choice, both thematically and mechanically, allowing for distinct biomes that keep exploration fresh while grounding (no pun intended) everything in familiar, everyday objects. The survival loop remains addictive, and while there’s still work to be done on balance and content variety, Obsidian’s track record with the first game gives me confidence that this one will only improve over time.

Score: 8 out of 10 (Early Access)

Reviewed on Xbox Series X