Grounded is a survival video game that offers players a unique and immersive gaming experience. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a renowned game development studio known for creating some popular titles such as Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game was initially released in early access for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One in July 2020. This allowed players to get a taste of the game and provide feedback to the development team to improve the overall experience.

Grounded received positive early access reviews, with players praising its unique setting and survival gameplay. Obsidian Entertainment used this feedback to further improve the game before its full release, which took place on September 27, 2022. The full release includes new features, such as additional creatures, expanded base-building options, and improved graphics.

A Game of Survival and Uncertainty

Grounded is a unique survival game that immerses players in a backyard micro-world as they take on the role of a shrunken protagonist (Willow, Hoops, Max, or Pete). Players can choose to play in first or third-person as they navigate the challenges of staying alive as an ant-sized character. The game’s setting, which features a variety of bugs and insects native to North America, adds to the realism and immersion of the experience. Players must manage their hunger and thirst by hunting and gathering food and water from the insects around them while also avoiding the deadly predators that hunt them. The game also includes an accessibility option for players with arachnophobia, allowing them to tailor the spider scariness to their comfort level. 

A Thrilling Storyline and Plot

Players assume the role of one of four teenagers, Pete, Max, Willow, or Hoops, who wake up to find themselves shrunken down to the size of a small insect and trapped in a backyard. As they explore their surroundings, they come across recordings left behind by a scientist named Dr. Wendell Tully, who invented the SPAC.R, a device that can shrink objects and people. The teens soon discover that they are, in fact, in Dr. Tully’s backyard and find the SPAC.R, but it malfunctions, causing an explosion in a nearby oak tree. The explosion leads them to an entire miniature lab built inside of the tree, where they meet Dr. Tully’s robotic assistant, BURG.L.

Unfortunately, the explosion damaged BURG.L’s memory, and the teens must recover its memory backup chips stored in Dr. Tully’s labs scattered across the backyard to repair the SPAC.R. BURG.L assists the teens by providing them with blueprints and knowledge on how to survive in the wilderness and defend themselves from hostile insects.

Engaging Gameplay with Multiple Twists and Turns

As players journey through Grounded, they will discover new and exciting areas in the backyard. The game’s difficulty will progressively increase as players progress, introducing more formidable enemies to challenge them. To survive, players must scavenge resources from the world around them to construct a base that will protect them from hostile enemies, especially at night when some insects become more aggressive. To defeat enemies, these resources can also be used to craft various tools, traps, and weapons, such as axes, spears, and bows and arrows.

Players must also manage their stamina carefully, as the playable character can become exhausted during prolonged combat. The game can be played solo or with up to four players in cooperative multiplayer mode. As players explore the backyard, they’ll encounter various challenges that test their resourcefulness and combat skills. By managing their resources effectively and utilizing the tools and weapons at their disposal, players can overcome the dangers that lurk in the backyard and emerge victorious.

Grounded Features a Unique and Interesting Plot. 

The game takes place in a suburban backyard, where the player character has been shrunk to the size of an ant. The player must navigate this new miniature world and survive against the various obstacles and creatures in the backyard.

The game’s plot is centered around the player’s quest to uncover how they were shrunk and how to return to their normal size. As the player explores the backyard, they will come across various clues and puzzles to help them piece together the story. The narrative is well-written and offers a unique and engaging experience.

One of the highlights of the plot is the way the game handles the relationship between the player character and the other inhabitants of the backyard. The player will come across different ants and bugs with their personalities and agendas, and the player must navigate these relationships to survive and progress through the story.

Interesting Characters to Interact With In the Backyard and Lab

Grounded features a variety of friendly and hostile characters that you will encounter throughout the game. One of the main characters players will encounter is BURG.L, a sentient robot who has malfunctioned due to an explosion and is stranded in the backyard. Players will interact with BURG.L to gather information and learn more about the story. Another friendly character that players will come across is the Ladybug, a helpful character that provides valuable resources and information.

Players will also encounter various hostile creatures, such as spiders and ants, which will threaten the player’s survival. These creatures will require players to defeat them with strategic combat and stealth techniques. Along with these, players will also have to fight against other insects like Wasps, Centipedes, and some robotic entities. The characters in Grounded are diverse and well-designed, each with unique personalities and agendas. They add depth and complexity to the game’s story and gameplay, making for a more immersive and engaging experience.

Conclusion

Grounded gameplay is well-designed, providing a good balance between exploration, survival, and combat. The game also provides players with a sense of discovery and wonder as they uncover the secrets of the backyard micro-world. Grounded is definitely a game worth checking out if you enjoy survival games, unique settings, and a challenge.

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