Grounded 2 Early Access Review: Obsidian’s Survival Sequel Delivers Big Ideas on a Small Scale

[July 29, 2025 | Earthtechy Gaming News Desk]

If you ever dreamed of being the size of an ant and turning a backyard (or now, a park) into your personal battleground—Grounded 2 is going to blow your tiny, bug-fighting mind. The shrunken survival-crafting sequel is finally here in Early Access on Steam and Xbox Game Preview, and let me tell you: even in its unfinished state, Obsidian Entertainment has clearly built something ambitious, chaotic, and downright exciting.

After spending several hours riding giant insects, building grass-based fortresses, and getting swarmed by dragon-like butterflies, I can confidently say that Grounded 2 is already shaping up to be one of the best survival games of 2025—even if it’s still crawling with a few bugs (pun very much intended).

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🐜 Small Heroes, Big World

Just like in the first game, you and up to three friends are once again shrunken teens trying to survive in an oversized suburban wilderness. Only this time, you’re not confined to a backyard. You’re now exploring an open-world park filled with giant ice cream carts, labyrinth-like cobblestone gardens, and volcanic zones made from a toppled-over grill.

From the moment I jumped into the park, the sense of scale was instantly more impressive than before. Watching bees buzz overhead like helicopters and spiders stalk me from behind a blade of grass still hasn’t gotten old—and that’s coming from someone who’s been through Grounded 1 from start to finish.

But what truly sets Grounded 2 apart isn’t just its setting—it’s how it evolves the survival genre in smart and substantial ways.

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⚔️ A Crafting RPG That’s Finally Growing Up

One of the biggest changes you’ll notice right away is the introduction of actual character builds and class-like playstyles. Whether you want to turn your nerdy teen into a swift rogue wielding daggers or a tanky brute smashing enemies with a two-handed club, the new armor and mutation systems let you specialize with purpose.

You’re not just surviving anymore—you’re strategizing, experimenting, and tailoring your character to the world’s challenges. And thanks to a revamped mutation system, those changes aren’t permanent. You can adapt your loadout on the fly, whether you’re sneaking into an ant hill or facing a horde of hostile bugs sent by a mysterious villain.

Combat also gets a much-needed overhaul. Enemies now block and dodge, forcing you to time your attacks and even break through their guard with charged power hits. It’s no longer button-mashing survival—it’s survival with strategy.

And let’s talk about the omni-tool—this one’s a game changer. Instead of juggling shovels, hammers, and axes, you now get one all-in-one tool that does it all, doesn’t take up inventory space, and never breaks. It sounds small, but trust me, it’s one of the most welcome quality-of-life upgrades I’ve seen in a survival game in years.

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🐞 Mount Up: Ride or Die, Bug-Style

Now for the real star of Grounded 2’s Early Access: mounts.

Yes, you can hatch and ride giant insects—and it’s every bit as awesome as it sounds. Early on, you’ll earn access to a red soldier ant mount, which serves as your personal exo-stallion. It can sprint across the map, carry a huge inventory of materials, chew through obstacles, and even help in combat. Later, you unlock an orb weaver spider that climbs webs and scares off enemies with a terrifying roar.

Once I got my ant buddy, my whole experience transformed. No more trekking endlessly back and forth on foot. No more struggling to carry building supplies. And when things got hairy, I could charge into battle mounted up like a bug-sized knight.

If there’s one thing Grounded 2 nails, it’s making you feel powerful in a powerless world.

A Stronger Sense of Purpose in the Backyard

One of the major shifts in Grounded 2 is how the game frames your objectives. While the original let players loose with minimal direction, this sequel gives you a defined questline and character roles right from the start. Whether you pick Misha the Fighter, Peter the Wizard, or Brick the Builder, each comes with unique passive traits and abilities that meaningfully impact how you explore, fight, and build.

As someone who loved the open-ended nature of the first Grounded, I didn’t expect to enjoy the added structure this much—but it works. Having character classes gives the game stronger RPG vibes, and the new systems feel more tailored to your playstyle. Want to punch bugs into oblivion? Misha’s your girl. Prefer slinging elemental spells from a distance? Peter’s got you covered. This design choice makes co-op even more rewarding, especially when you coordinate roles with friends.

Building, Mounts & More: What’s New in Grounded 2

Let’s talk about one of the coolest additions in Grounded 2 Early Access—mounts. Yes, you can now ride red soldier ants and orb weaver spiders. Not only do they look awesome, but they’re incredibly practical for traversing the huge backyard environment. They even come with perks: orb weavers let you shoot webs and reach high places, while soldier ants offer brute strength and stability.

Then there’s the revamped base-building system, which allows you to construct on almost any surface—hilltops, tree branches, you name it. Though you’re currently limited to one main base, the creative freedom feels vastly improved, especially with the inclusion of zip lines and launchers. Plus, with the omni-tool, you can seamlessly swap between tools without digging through your inventory. It’s a small quality-of-life change that makes a big difference during intense exploration or combat.

If you’re a fan of customization and survival crafting, the early access version already delivers a satisfying loop. You’ll gather resources, level up, tame mounts, and explore zones like the ice cream cart biome—which, yes, includes melted sprinkles and dairy hazards. It’s fun, it’s weird, and it’s very Obsidian.

The Bugs (The Bad Kind)

As exciting as all this is, Grounded 2 isn’t without its early-access growing pains. Players have reported various performance issues, including FPS dips, texture glitches, crashes, and audio bugs. Even on high-end setups, you might notice stuttering or delayed hit detection, especially during fast-paced battles.

Some reviewers also noted issues with companions getting stuck in geometry or falling through the world entirely. And while mounts are a fantastic idea, they sometimes bug out (pun intended) and disappear, or their movement gets janky on uneven terrain.

Still, that’s the nature of early access—and to Obsidian’s credit, they’ve committed to a roadmap of major updates every 4–5 months. If Grounded 2 follows the same trajectory as the original, you can expect the game to evolve significantly with each patch.

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What to Expect Next

According to Obsidian, Grounded 2’s full launch will be “a while away,” which means this early access period is more than just a sneak peek—it’s a long-term development phase shaped by community feedback. Based on the content already available, there’s massive potential here for deeper combat, bigger biomes, more mounts, and expanded story content.

If you’re looking for a survival game that blends Honey, I Shrunk the Kids nostalgia with RPG mechanics and dark humor, Grounded 2 is shaping up to be your next obsession. Just know that it’s a bit rough around the edges—for now.

Grounded 2 Early Access: Quick Facts

• Release Date: July 29, 2025 at 10 a.m. PT
• Platforms: Steam Early Access, Xbox Game Preview (Xbox Series X|S), Xbox Game Pass
• Playable Classes: Misha (Fighter), Peter (Wizard), Brick (Builder)
• New Features: Mounts (red soldier ant, orb weaver), omni-tool, one primary base, advanced base-building, story progression
• Next Major Update: Expected within 4–5 months
• Early Access Issues: Performance bugs, occasional crashes, mount glitches

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Final Verdict

Grounded 2 doesn’t just build on the original—it mutates it. From dynamic mounts to a deeper story and class-based gameplay, this is a bold new step for Obsidian’s backyard survival universe. While performance bugs and missing features are part of the early-access trade-off, the foundation is solid—and, more importantly, fun.

So if you’ve been waiting to shrink down and battle bugs with your friends again, Grounded 2 Early Access is live now. Dive in, grab your omni-tool, and prepare to get dirty.