This month, Xbox laid off hundreds of game developers, canceled projects, shut down a studio, and embraced questionable uses of AI.
The fallout from all of this has had ramifications for the rest of the month, leaving a bad taste in players’ mouths that even Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 couldn’t quell.
At a time when it has been hard to understand why I’m still playing on Xbox at all, Grounded 2 provides a much-needed, however small, respite.
This early access project has strong bones while offering clear room for growth in the future.
It’s the kind of game Xbox has been at its best when making, but also the kind I’m afraid of losing if Microsoft’s current corporate trajectory continues.
In its pursuit of AI, corporate synergy, and strategic growth, I hope Xbox doesn’t forget about games like Grounded 2.
Grounded 2’s corporation did not learn from its mistakes
I’m, of course, talking about Ominent
The original Grounded was like if Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was a survival game.
Players controlled kids who were shrunk down by an evil corporation named Ominent and had to fight to survive in a backyard, crafting with grass and fighting bugs with makeshift weapons.
Grounded 2 is similar in setup. Players control the same teens, who are now a bit older and have been shrunk down in another suspicious accident, this time in a much larger park, related to Ominent.
BURG.L and Dr. Tully from the first game aren’t around to help right away this time around, though, but in-world, the characters are much more confident in what they are doing and immediately suspicious of Ominent.
It’s a pretty lighthearted story, but the new stories and characters allow it to stand out from its predecessor.
Although I tend to play survival games for the gameplay over the story, Obsidian Entertainment’s well-trodden writing chops work to the full benefit of this game. I absolutely hate bugs in real life, but this game kept me coming back for more.
While Grounded 2 is a comedic adventure, its narrative sadly feels more relevant than ever.
Xbox executives should reflect on this series’ tale of a corporation making all the same mistakes again and again before the next time they decide to lay off developers or shut down a studio.
Then they can have a good time reveling in the 90s nostalgia Grounded 2 also does a great job of replicating.
Grounded 2 is an early access game with a bright future
Perhaps the brightest among Xbox’s current initiatives
While Grounded 2 is technically launching into early access, that now feels more like a matter of content than of game quality and polish.
The first game provides a fantastic foundation for this sequel to build on, and all the combat, building, crafting, and upgrading systems are intact and intuitive from the get-go.
I eased right into playing Grounded 2, which allowed me to focus more on the narrative and what else is new.
The main new feature of the game is bug-riding, which adds a fun new element to combat and traversal, and also makes sense considering the map is now much bigger.
If you enjoy survival games and have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you should have no problem picking up Grounded 2 and immediately having fun with it.
If a lot more content is added and the occasional third-person camera issues are tweaked in the months ahead, this game will deservedly stand as one of Xbox’s best sequels.
It’s the kind of game and success story I wish I’d heard from Xbox more in recent years.
I love that this team got the chance to iterate on a game formula that worked and made it even better.
I’m relieved Obsidian didn’t try to blow Grounded out into an AAA experience, but had the resources to refine this into an even bigger and better survival game experience.
I’m optimistic about Grounded 2’s future, even though I’m not as optimistic about Xbox’s direction going forward. It’s a shame that those two things don’t line up better.
Grounded 2 is about the fight to survive
And I hope Obsidian keeps fighting for as long as possible
Grounded 2 follows people stuck in a large, harsh ecosystem that isn’t afraid to knock them down and out at any moment.
Grounded 2 developer Obsidian similarly exists as a small part of the massive megacorporation that is Microsoft, which could lay off its developers or cancel its games at any time if it deems that move best for its shareholders.
While there’s little Obsidian can do to prevent that, it can be like the teens in Grounded 2 and fight as hard as possible to survive.
Grounded 2, even in its early access form, is a great survival game that highlights Xbox’s studio structure working at its best.
Between the latest Doom and the Gears of War remaster, a smaller team of developers has the chance to release this game, continue to build it out with the community, and endear a whole community of players to its talent.
This approach works for Xbox, which is why it scares me when I see the brand making unpredictable decisions, prioritizing growth above all else.
If Xbox can’t sell The Outer Worlds 2 for $80 or Grounded 2 doesn’t reach the same heights as its predecessors, does that negatively impact Obsidian’s place in Microsoft’s plans for future growth?
We just don’t know for now, and it’s terrible that there’s even a question like that looming in my mind as I play a great new game.
All Obsidian can do is continue to make great games like this under Microsoft for as long as they can.
As players, we need to show that we enjoy games like Grounded 2 just as much as we do Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
