Grounded 2

Grounded 2 already has a clear advantage over its predecessor, taking everything that worked well in the original while making smart changes to various mechanics, making things more natural and easier to live with. I can’t wait to see where it heads over the coming months, as it feels like Grounded 2 could be another essential title for Obsidian and Xbox. [Early Access Review]

For me, Grounded 2’s world is attractive enough to spend dozens of hours in it. Unfortunately, this world’s content, mechanics, and optimization seem to be downsides. If rummaging through soda cans and chasing ladybugs doesn’t intrigue you, it’s better to wait until closer to the release date. Maybe in six months, it will be in excellent shape and deserve attention.

The ant-sized thrills of Grounded return in a sequel which lays exciting foundations for the future. There's work to do but, already, an exciting adventure to have. [Early Access Review]

Because of its stronger starting point, Grounded 2 should wind up the bigger, better, buggier-in-a-good-way survival game. Its best new toys make survival gameplay much smoother and more enjoyable; the adolescent spirit that truly makes Grounded stand out in a sea of survival games is still on full display here, too. It will take some time for Creative mode to catch up and eventually surpass what the first game did for those who like to play this game more like an interior decorator than a hunter-gatherer. All of that means Grounded 2 is a good early-access game that improves on its previous version in some big ways, while still earning the label of being an in-progress experience. [Early Access Score = 70]

I definitely recommend Grounded 2 — whether you enjoyed the first game or just love survival titles with deep crafting systems. Even if you're not usually into this kind of game, I believe it's well worth a try for its unique concept — unless, of course, you’re terrified of giant ladybugs. [Early Access Review]

Grounded 2 doesn't stray far from its predecessor, and in the crowded survival-crafting genre, it struggles to stand out. Still, for fans of the series, it offers just enough to be worth a look. [Early Access Provisional Score = 75]

Quotation forthcoming. [Early Access Review]