East analysis of Grounded in its final version It comes two years after the release of Grounded in its test version, two years in which Obsidian has been creating content for his game. I was, like probably many, at the beginning of the game, trying to understand what Obsidian wanted to do with this little game. The plot was to adapt Obsidian’s signature RPG style to the survival genre.
Following its recent release as Game Preview Xbox Game Preview, first impressions were pretty clear: it was an entertaining enough game in terms of mechanics and gameplay within the survival genre, but it also had a lot of room to grow, especially in those promised elements that hardly appeared as promise. The idea was that Grounded would have a strong story and a lot of RPG elements along with the survival aspect.
Obsidian survival game
The initial version lacked a deep story to top the reference to that old ’80s movie, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” so the question is whether now that Grounded has reached its final form, has managed to integrate the RPG and narrative elements into the gameplay which was already good. The answer is that, as expected, Obsidian has delivered a game that, while exploring the mechanics of survival games, adventures you into a complex world with an interesting story.
Now, if we start to compare, there are things that are still similar between the initial version and this one. On the one hand, Grounded doesn’t stray from the structure of survival games in the strict sense. You choose your avatar and you have a world in which to collect materials to make things and create a safe place for yourself. You should also drink water and eat. But then in addition to this, the game has changed in the objectives that it proposes.
Before, you had no other goals than what you set out to do: improve your science and get new constructions. Now instead you have a new story that invites you to explore the map and learn the secrets of the events surrounding the fact that you’re an inch tall and trapped in a backyard surrounded by scientific bases and labs, plus horrible critters out to kill you.
And this really excited me a lot in this second opportunity with the game, to have a story. I’m not much into survival games, but I think Grounded has been able to offer something more, a story that has kept me intrigued at every moment. Although it hasn’t stopped being frustrating when basically everything wants to kill you. But that’s part of the genre.
A world in miniature
If there’s one thing about Grounded, even from its Game Preview form, it’s how fascinating it is to explore its world. The idea that you are in a garden or backyard of a house quickly turns into that experience of having a jungle in front of you with ferocious beasts of all kinds. You find yourself from puddles turned into lakes, human garbage that equals treasures, and underground caves with more treasures. In the middle of all that, laboratories full of secrets that will help you develop the story.
Graphically, Grounded is not wasted. Maybe I would have liked to be able to customize my avatar, but in everything else, everything you see looks amazing. And to that add the particularly beautiful lighting effects. The sunlight filtering through the branches of a tree in the early morning or the way it interacts with insects are constant reminders to stop and admire Obsidian’s great work in creating ambience.
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which also not only is it beautiful but it can be downright terrifying. The sounds of insects and nature along with interesting music in the moments of greatest tension, sometimes make you think of Jumanji. The creation of atmosphere is one of the great triumphs of the game.
Survival Horror?
Grounded is many times a survival horror game. It has already become clear that the basic mechanics of the game consist of you exploring the world and surviving. Besides that, the game introduces you to BURG-L, an NPC who will guide you through the story and will give you missions of different types. But like any good survival game, it tells you what to do but not how. And on the way to discovering how it’s done what you discover is that not only are you not alone but you’re down on the food chain.
Everything can kill you. Between that all you can find really scary spiders, mosquitoes that seem designed to make you afraid for life, and you can add more and more to that. Sure, there are also harmless insects like the good ant. But if you mess with them, you’ll pay dearly. Some of the most terrifying were beetles that dropped deadly acid bombs in a single hit. To feel less tormented, the game has a fairly complete craft system.
In addition to a set of starter recipes, you have the opportunity to improve by earning science points, doing side quests for BURG-L, and also identifying new materials in the small labs. If you enjoy iEndless task of collecting materials to turn them into other materials, this game will offer you unlimited fun. Among other things, you will be able to get good armor and new weapons.
Although it’s worth saying, in all the time I’ve been playing I’ve never felt particularly capable of dealing with the threats of that miniature world. This feeling was there from the initial game and I think it persists: Grounded is a frustrating game because it demands a lot from you as a player so that you can adequately defend yourself from danger. I think the key in this regard is to play it with friends, although the game’s online system at least for now is still somewhat frustrating.
Conclusion of the analysis of Grounded
I feel that Grounded was able to take advantage of its long trial period to have the content that was missing in its initial version. The quality of life changes, the fact that swimming mechanics have been addedhaving a whole new biome with new enemies, construction improvements, among other things, contributed to enriching the survival side of Grounded to make it one of the first options for fans of the genre.
But the evolution of Grounded has given this game much more to give. The narrative content of the game has enriched it in such a way that now you have an interesting story that you discover the more you explore and a real mission: to return to your natural state, escaping from the limitations of measuring an inch. Visually the game stands out for its art, graphics and lighting. Sonically it doesn’t disappoint either.
I think the big problem with Grounded is that, like any survival game, it can be very frustrating. While it offers you quests that lead you to investigate laboratories, underground or underwater caves, and other fantastic biomes, the difficulty spike is quite high and it takes a long time to adapt. and without a doubt the fact that it will take up a lot of your life is something to keep in mind. All in all, I think it’s a must-play for fans of the genre.