Xbox Game Studios has a lot of different titles in development right now. Whether it’s Arkane’sLeft 4 Dead-like FPSRedfall, Bethesda’s spacefaring adventureStarfield,or Playground Games' fantasy RPG revivalFable,Xbox fans of all kind have something to look forward to in the coming years. These kinds of story-driven games with realistic graphics aren’t all that the Xbox Series X has to offer, though. There’s alsoGrounded, the survival game from Obsidian Entertainment. While the premise ofGroundedis familiar to anyone who has seenHoney, I Shrunk The Kids,its delivery is special, especially within the greater Xbox environment.
InGrounded,players take control of kids who have mysteriously been shrunken down to the size of insects. Players must use the resources found in their own backyards to craft shelter and weapons that’ll help them survive attacks from insects. AlthoughGroundeddoesn’t take players to new, fantastical worlds, it cleverly uses the real world to create compelling challenges and objectives for players, all while developing a unique aesthetic that blends thrills and whimsy.Groundedisa unique title in the Microsoft librarythat ought to encourage similarly creative endeavors at Xbox Game Studios and beyond.
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The Distinct Identity of Grounded
Grounded’s sense of scale lends it a special atmosphere. Plenty of games feature giant spiders and other bugs as enemies, butGroundedis different. Hostile bugs may look huge, but the player is the one whose size has been meddled with. The bugs and environmental details work together to make the player feel very small, which makes exploration inGroundedfeel different from other sandbox or survival games where players are the right size for the world around them.The player’s scale inGroundedpits the odds against them, which makes overcoming battles and building elaborate structures feel all the more rewarding.
There’s also a unique blend of tones at the heart ofGroundedthat makes it stand out. On the one hand,Groundedcan be frighteningthanks to the spiders, wasps, and other hostile creatures that lurk in claustrophobic spaces, waiting to attack and eat players. On the other hand,Groundedis pretty whimsical. Rather than having realistic graphics, it uses a slightly cartoonish art style that supports the theme of childhood adventures. Its environments are also filled with playtime objects like literal sandboxes that lighten the environment and give the game a sense of humor. The balanceGroundedstrikes between these real-world elements makes it a great way to look at familiar environments, and a compelling survival game concept overall.
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Grounded’s Value on the Xbox
Groundedisn’t just unique and valuable because of its own qualities; the broader state of Xbox game development makes it a breath of fresh air. Many Microsoft games in development share the same genres. For instance, there are all kinds of ambitious RPGs in development at Xbox Game Studios, including Obsidian Entertainment’s ownAvowed. The Xbox is also rich with FPS games fromHalo InfinitetoRedfall,andMicrosoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzardmeans it’ll have access toCall of Dutytoo. Microsoft’s high quantity of IPs is valuable, but it could use a little more variety.
As a survival game,Groundedalready stands out from its peers, but the details of its survival concept make it even more unique among the rest of Microsoft’s library.Grounded’s lore rubs shoulders with few other Microsoft properties, which makes it precious. So far, the response toGrounded’s Early Access periodhas been positive, so hopefully Microsoft takes that as a sign to approve more projects that push boundaries and bring creative ideas to the table.
Groundedis available now in Early Access for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
