This is perhaps the most predictable and convenient way to begin my review of Grounded, but let’s pause for a moment to talk about Rick Moranis’ 1989 film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. For those of you who don’t know it, the premise is very simple: a rather clumsy scientist accidentally manages to shrink a group of children to microscopic size, suffering the challenges of living in a normally safe and familiar environment like that tiny little to be garden of his house.
That’s exactly what Grounded is, albeit without Rick Moranis as a scientist. Without further explanation, you (and some friends, if you want in multiplayer) have been eclipsed and find yourself in a rather cozy backyard of an equally quaint house. The only problem is that anything we don’t normally pay attention to in our day-to-day lives because of its size is now potentially deadly. The blades of grass have become almost alien forests, the small holes into exciting caves, not to mention the critters that inhabit the garden.
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We’ve certainly been small in many other games, but never in this elaborate way. Here, every aspect of the title is based around the fact that you’re tiny, which makes the world feel huge and overwhelming. How will you deal with the new situation, especially if you don’t know exactly how you got there?
I’ve actually been following Obsidian’s development of Grounded since it released in Early Access and as a Game Pass preview game in Summer 2020. Even then it was a fun game, albeit quite buggy and a bit difficult to understand its dynamics, as well as feeling a bit lacking in content. But now, a little over two years later, it’s officially released, and the process has been quite an exciting journey, with Obsidian Entertainment continually adding content and maintaining an amazingly fluid dialogue with its community.
The result of this feedback and constant pampering over two years is a complete and polished gaming experience that begins when you press “wake up” and gives new meaning to the term “tiny”. You see the house in the distance, but how do you get there? And most importantly, how do you find food and water and make sure you have enough health and stamina? Overall, Grounded is a game in the so-called survival genre, and how you approach the challenges you face is entirely up to you. There are very good opportunities to choose the play style that suits you best.
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As I said before, Grounded was a bit unwieldy leading up to this 1.0 release, although it’s greatly improved in that regard. Yes, too much information is forced at the outset as they introduce the different systems and how they relate to each other. However, I want to say right now that it’s worth taking it all in, because this is one of the most entertaining game worlds I’ve seen in a long, long time.
The size comes from the fact that the entire garden you inhabit is now free to explore, but it’s also incredibly inhospitable. Bug-sized humans clearly have no place in the ecosystem here. Contrast this with the fact that I venture into the back of a house that I would love to live in. It’s so cozy and inviting, with bright, bold colors and a stylish design. The world of Grounded is also alive and breathing, with many animals roaming about in what seems like a believable ecosystem. It also feels very elaborate, something we’re not used to from the survival genre, and runs smoothly on an Xbox Series X in both 4K and 60 frames per second.
However, most elements are genuinely dangerous, no matter how beautiful they are, and I’m often forced to rethink when something seems overwhelming, to either give up or try something radically different. We can try to make better gear to be able to be in any environment (like killing a bed bug to make me a gas mask). There’s also the unexpected thrill of exploring mysterious anthills, fighting all manner of insects, dodging carp in ponds, and building safe overnight shelters. In addition, the game has a story which, while not the main basis of the game, is much more interesting than I expected and worth exploring in depth. Basically, it’s about getting back to your normal size, but there’s actually more to it than that.
Grounded is fun solo, and I’ve probably spent half my time in the game doing just that. However, when you play online with others, the title really shines. Being able to do things together as a group makes everything more fun, and I find that many of the harder challenges are designed for multiplayer play and are better balanced that way, as is the fact that there are so many different elements to each one In this case, it’s more convenient (and fun) to do it in a group. This is especially noticeable in base building, where you can build really creative giant forts instead of just having a couple of stacked walls with essentials inside for cover for the night.
Grounded has aged like fine wine and gained a lot by taking advantage of the two years of Early Access and Game Preview. Thanks to this we have created the fantastic game that we have today: a survival adventure that surpasses the competition from the start, both in terms of content and technology. Of course, the level of difficulty is a bit uneven in places and the start still seems too complex to me, but in the end it is a game that once again transforms a 45-year-old man (server) into a carefree teenager with a thirst for adventure in a wonderful sandbox, which could and should be explored as often as possible, both alone and with a group of friends.
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