Grounded 2 review

Grounded 2 Early Access Review: A Bigger, Bolder, Bug-Filled Adventure Worth Exploring

Obsidian Entertainment, in collaboration with Eidos-Montréal, has shrunk players down to ant-sized adventurers once again with Grounded 2, the sequel to their 2020 survival hit. Released on July 29, 2025, in Early Access on Steam and Xbox Game Preview, Grounded 2 takes the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-inspired formula to new heights in the sprawling Brookhollow Park. While the game delivers a captivating sandbox adventure with refined mechanics and exciting new features, its early access status means it’s not without rough edges. Still, for fans of survival crafting and open-world exploration, Grounded 2 is a delightful, if slightly half-baked, experience that’s well worth the $29.99 price tag.

A Bigger Park, A Bolder Adventure

Set two years after the events of the original Grounded, Grounded 2 drops players back into the shoes of its teenage protagonists, who find themselves miniaturized once more after a mysterious explosion at a celebratory ceremony. This time, the setting is Brookhollow Park, a 1990s-inspired suburban wilderness that’s significantly larger than the backyard of the first game. The starting zone alone rivals the entire map of Grounded 1, with diverse biomes like a frigid wasteland formed by an overturned ice cream cart and a labyrinthine garden of cobblestone steps. The world feels vibrant and nostalgic, with everyday objects like soda cans and picnic tables transformed into towering, explorable structures.

The core gameplay remains true to its predecessor: a survival crafting adventure where you chop grass, gather resources, and build bases while fending off giant insects. However, Grounded 2 introduces significant quality-of-life improvements and new mechanics that make it feel like a true evolution. The standout addition is the buggy system, allowing players to hatch, raise, and ride insects like red soldier ants and orb weaver spiders. These mounts revolutionize exploration, letting you zip across the park or engage in combat with unique abilities, like the ant’s resource-carrying capacity or the spider’s web-crawling roar.

The game also refines its RPG elements with a streamlined archetype system, letting players specialize in playstyles like warrior or mage, and the new Omni-Tool combines multiple tools (axe, hammer, shovel) into one, freeing up inventory space. These changes make survival feel smoother and more engaging, though some, like the Omni-Tool’s button-press interaction, sacrifice a bit of the tactile charm of the original’s tool-specific animations.

A Solid Foundation, But Half-Baked in Places

As an early access title, Grounded 2 is a work in progress, and it shows. While the game boasts 25–30 hours of content, including Act 1 of the story and a sizable chunk of Brookhollow Park, it lacks the biome variety and enemy diversity of the fully released Grounded 1. Areas like a volcanic fallen grill or a bush of branches feel recycled from the original, and new biomes are sparse. Enemy variety is another sore point—most foes, like ants and orb weavers, are carryovers from the first game, with only a few exciting additions like ice-breathing butterflies or scorpions.

Technical issues also mar the experience. Frame rate drops and clipping bugs, like enemies getting stuck under terrain, can frustrate, especially during intense moments like navigating a maze-like anthill chased by a lightning-wielding spider. Base-building, while still a highlight, suffers from collision issues when constructing near rocks or trees, a problem carried over from the first game. These hiccups don’t break the experience, but they remind you that Grounded 2 is still in development.

The story, while intriguing with its shady Ominent corporation and mysterious hacker sending cyborg bugs, feels underdeveloped in its current state. There’s enough to spark curiosity, but don’t expect a complete narrative arc yet. Obsidian’s roadmap promises major updates every four to five months, including new biomes, creatures like earwigs and crickets, and aquatic mounts, which should flesh out the experience significantly.

Worth the Price for Sandbox Fans

Priced at $29.99 (or available via Xbox Game Pass), Grounded 2 offers excellent value for fans of sandbox adventure games. Its vibrant world, refined mechanics, and cooperative gameplay (supporting up to four players) make it a joy to explore, whether solo or with friends. The buggy system and archetype mechanics add fresh layers to the survival formula, and the promise of community-driven development ensures the game will only improve.

However, its early access nature means it’s not yet the polished gem it could become. If you’re new to Grounded or wary of incomplete games, you might want to wait for a few updates. But for those who love crafting, building, and surviving in a whimsical yet perilous world, Grounded 2 is a fantastic adventure that’s already buzzing with potential.

Score: 8/10

Grounded 2 is a bigger, bolder take on Obsidian’s survival formula, with exciting new features and a gorgeous world that’s a blast to explore. While technical issues and limited content hold it back from greatness, its early access price and Game Pass availability make it a no-brainer for sandbox adventure fans eager to shape its future.

Available now on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass. Reviewed on PC via Steam Early Access.