That nostalgic feeling where technology still feels fantastical; the bravado that comes with not knowing any better, yet not caring what the adults think; the uncertainty and excitement of everything appearing bigger than they actually are – the early 90s, while growing up, in a nutshell. Grounded 2, just like the immensely successful sandbox survival title from 2020, captures it flawlessly. Brookhollow Park towers over the player, commonplace objects appearing like distant monuments to mark your travels, and various terrifying threats loom around its reaches, both above and underground. Yet, the call to adventure is infectious, even in early access, though there is a way to go in terms of optimization.
Set two years after the first game’s events, Grounded 2 hits the ground running. A brief opening cutscene reveals a disastrous explosion that occurred at Brookhollow Park. Dr. Wendell Tully, responsible for the original’s shrinking experiments, seemingly went berserk and tore off BURG.L’s head. You control one of the four teens from the original, shrunken down once again and attempting to unravel tech-corp Ominent’s role in all of this.
Not that Ominent is a shadowy villain that hides in the background, at least from the outset. You spend a decent chunk of time communicating with Chief Strategy Officer Sloane Beaumont over video calls. Suffice it to say that the developer nails the skeezy corporate vibe. The dialogue choices have no impact on the gameplay, but being able to distrust Ominent and their condescendingly “caring” words is nice. It’s also an intriguing contrast to the video logs recovered throughout the world from its scientists, who desperately scheme to take credit for their work (and that of others).
If that wasn’t enough, a mysterious individual is seemingly testing you from the shadows. While suspicious, they may also have the answers you seek. While the narrative pulls you in multiple different directions, it’s cohesive and well-paced, especially when balancing your overall progression. The voice acting is pretty good throughout, but I wish the teens had more unique dialogue during gameplay. If I’m going to constantly hear about how that roasted gnat meat needs salt and some chilli sauce, I would appreciate some variations (or less frequency).
Those who played the original game or any survival sandbox title will know what to expect with Grounded 2. Harvest resources, build shelter, construct a workbench for crafting better armor, weapons, and items, manage hunger and thirst, the works. As before, being shrunken down means getting creative with certain needs, like knocking down dewdrops by hitting the grass blades they’re attached to (and hoping they don’t merge with a muddy puddle).
It all remains as robust as before, and being able to hot craft ingredients for a recipe without switching tabs or temporarily setting up structures and stations while systematically adding materials to bring them to life facilitates a smoother experience. Further adding on to this is the new OmniTool, which fulfils all the required survival crafting functions. No need to repair it or craft new versions, freeing up space for gathering more materials. As you progress further, discover new parts and collect the ever-mysterious Science, you can upgrade it to tackle tougher materials, thus gaining more new resources for better weapons and armor, and venturing even further out into the park.
As tried and true as the formula can be, I appreciate when Grounded 2 forces me out of my comfort zone, like infiltrating not one but two locations swarming with ants to find a Red Soldier Ant egg for incubation. Running into an Orb Weaver to harvest some Acorn Shells for the task is also appropriately frightening, and encourages venturing to other parts or observing their patterns to hopefully harvest the material and get out. As my base develops, the threats slowly but surely escalate – ants passing through become more commonplace, which facilitates the need for better defenses.
Of course, having better armor and weapons is also required, and your usual assortment of dual claws, sabers, lances, and whatnot is here. There have been significant strides made with the combat, as you can now dodge attacks, and it feels quite responsive. Risking damage and parrying may be recommended in some cases. While discerning the tells of some bug attacks can be iffy at first, it can eventually turn into an enthralling dance as you fight for your very life.
Learning towards specific fighting styles can be beneficial, since they unlock perks or Mutations that can enhance them. You can also find Milk Molars by exploring, which upgrades health, stamina, maximum number of equipped mutations, and even the rate at which water and food drain.
However, perhaps the biggest new addition – and my favorite – is the new ant mount or Buggy. Not only does it significantly enhance exploration, but it also introduces new combat dynamics with mounted combat. You can recruit a lesser worker ant to fight alongside you, or hop off and turn it into a 3v1. The Buggy is also a game changer for gathering and transporting materials, further reducing any boundaries to building.
Mounts in survival crafting titles aren’t new. However, the many ways that the Buggy improves the Grounded experience are incredible. That being said, the mounted combat can get a bit tedious since you’re relying purely on the Buggy’s attacks rather than your own weapons. I know it’s to balance out the extra survivability, but a bit more variety outside of light attack, charged attack, and block would go a long way. I also wouldn’t mind if gathering mode’s movement speed is made slightly faster.
Aside from that, Grounded 2 has its fair share of bugs beyond the ones encountered throughout the park, though I didn’t face anything game-breaking, like a dew drop floating in the air instead of dropping down after cutting its associated grass. Mounted combat is a little finicky at times, especially when your Buggy sails over the intended target and doesn’t hit them. Whether this is due to elevation issues or something else, it could cause some occasional frustration.
Then there’s the performance, which can be fairly uneven. Running in 1440p at High quality was asking a bit too much. Knocking it down to Medium improved things, but ultimately dropping the resolution to 1080p helped more. That is, until I started venturing beyond my initial confines on a Buggy. Stutters and frame rate drops became more commonplace as I broke new ground. Granted, it’s not unplayable, and besides, I’m using an RTX 4060, an 11th-gen Core-i5 and 32 GB of RAM, so better hardware will undoubtedly be able to brute-force through.
It’s something to keep in mind, especially if your hardware doesn’t meet the recommended requirements, but you can’t deny Grounded 2’s visual appeal. Brookhollow Park is gorgeous to behold, especially at different times of day when the sun’s rays peak through the grass or when the blades sway as mademoiselle ladybug passes through. The world design is also similarly addictive – you could follow the objectives and proceed to different points at the behest of Beaumont or the mysterious individual, or set out in a direction, unfettered.
What does that crumbling doughnut hold? How about that cave opening? How terrifying is it to think you’re among friends only to see dozens of ant eyes suddenly glow red (spoiler: Very)? There is so much to see and do, and I’m excited about how much more the developer will add throughout the early access period.
If you can deal with its current optimization hiccups, Grounded 2 is an easy recommendation for those new to survival crafting sandbox titles and long-time fans. Calling it “more Grounded” isn’t too far off, but the various changes, improvements, additions, and new environments more than warrant your time.
This game was reviewed on PC.