It’s launch day, and I’ve just wrapped up my first few hours in Grounded 2. I’m sunburned, bug-bitten, and completely hooked.

Obsidian has come back swinging with a sequel that feels warmly familiar, but deeper, denser, and just that little bit deadlier. From the moment I awoke, tiny and clueless, the world felt bigger. Not just physically,  though the map is expanded for sure, but in its systems, its surprises, and its sense of danger, and Overall risk to reward.

What Stood Out?

Straight away, the game felt as though I was more equipped, with an excellent early-game loop, more tools, more variety in base building, and a heavy push towards exploration, sending me down ant nests, and stumbling into spider territory much quicker than I must say I wanted! But it all felt amazing; it was a guided journey filled with fear, fascination, and a whole load of fun

And the new areas I managed to see? Gorgeous, the game looks brilliant, and despite some issues I was experiencing with framerate drops, it did feel well polished for such a new game. The lighting across the map is stunning, and it feels as though there’s more verticality to the game now, with a strong push towards underground exploration as well.

Smarter Than Ever…

Combat feels much tighter, the AI behaviour seems to be massively improved, bugs seemingly working together, hunting me down several times, when I thought I’d gotten away, and that feeling of pure panic being chased by a spider, straight into a web… Never again!

Weirder Than Ever, And We Love It!

The tone of Grounded 2 is that perfect mix of childhood wonder and survival anxiety; it’s horrifying in the most addictive way, and amazing how unusual some situations need to feel, especially with the NPCs that I won’t spoil, because you just need to experience it for yourself to understand!

First-Day Verdict

Obsidian gets what made Grounded special, and what their audience loves. This isn’t a simple sequel; it’s the backyard reborn. I’m already thinking about how I’ll rebuild my dream base, bigger and better than ever, and what the deeper systems might unlock for me in the coming weeks. For any fans of the first game, or anyone just curious about it, I cannot recommend it more highly.

Do you have any thoughts you’d love to share on the game? leave them below in the comments, or join our Official Discord and come chat!

Thanks for Reading!