Grounded 2 needed to happen, and I’m so glad it did — because now I can ride a giant ant into battle

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Upon hearing about the release of Grounded 2, my enthusiasm was undoubtedly high… yet at the same time, I found myself questioning whether we were indeed receiving a sequel to Grounded so soon. After all, it seemed that the original game hadn’t fully realized its complete potential.

Sure thing! Grounded 2 follows up on the narrative initiated in the initial game by Obsidian Entertainment, enhances its survival gameplay features, and invites players to traverse a brand-new map that is intended to be approximately three times larger than the first game.

It wasn’t until I actually tried the early access version of Grounded 2 that I was completely convinced a sequel was necessary – and it’s the bugs! Having my very own ant companion has already transformed my gaming experience, making Grounded stand out significantly from its predecessor.

One feature to completely change the way you play

In an earlier preview, my colleague hinted that buggies were pivotal in Obsidian’s strategy for Grounded 2, and only by playing the game myself could I truly grasp the significant impact this feature has on the overall experience.

In essence, Buggies significantly alter the gameplay mechanics of Grounded, while Obsidian felt compelled to create an entirely new game that surpassed the capabilities of previous console generations to bring their concept to life.

In my experience during the early access of Grounded 2, it’s the buggies that frequently lead to frame rate decreases. Despite this, it’s still worth playing because there’s a good reason for it. Allow me to elaborate.

My first Red Ant Soldier buggy immediately opened up so many possibilities.

In the follow-up to the original, you’ll find the engaging gameplay from Grounded persisting, as you work to stay alive within the treacherous Brookhollow Community Park. This involves gathering resources, manufacturing tools and weaponry, confronting creatures, constructing bases, and continually enhancing your skills and abilities for survival.

In Grounded 2, you might initially play similarly to the first game, but trust us, that’s not what you’d prefer. Unlike the original, Grounded 2 presents you with a Red Ant Soldier buggy at an earlier stage through its narrative. A significant part of your journey will revolve around hatching your trusted companion, which we delved into in our early access review under the title “The Great Egg Heist.

If you manage to retrieve a precious egg from a treacherous nest and hatch it, you will have the ability to call upon your insect-like creature regardless of where you are on Earth.

Red Ant Soldier buggies exhibit remarkable speed, efficiently gather scattered resources without your assistance, display aggression through biting and blocking, summon nearby Red Ant Workers for support during combat, swiftly clear paths by cutting down grass and weeds, and transport significantly more construction materials than what you’re capable of.

In a surprising turn of events, the vast expanse of that enormous map seems less daunting now, and constructing your dream base no longer appears as a laborious task. Buggies miraculously simplify travel and resource gathering, and they provide a significant edge in challenging encounters (though you’re still most formidable with the right equipment and abilities).

I haven’t even tried the Orb Weaver buggy, either, which is apparently far more combat oriented.

Yes, you can name them — meet Ant-Tony and Hoopkins

It’s evident that Obsidian has given careful consideration to incorporating buggies as a significant element in Grounded 2, despite the fact that currently, there are just two types available. We anticipate additional varieties, and I’m hoping this expansion will eventually include a flying mount option.

Optionally, you could incubate several insect carriages for your personal use, but be warned, if you dare to take more than one egg, every Red Ant on this planet will be chasing you relentlessly. Remember, an Orb Weaver buggy is not something I’d wish upon my worst enemy. Moreover, each buggy you hatch recognizes the player who did it, allowing for each gamer to build their unique swarm of carriages.

As I watch, it becomes apparent that the advantages you gain, be they perks or mutations, extend to your buggies as well. For instance, with the “Perfect Parry” mutation that replenishes my stamina upon executing a flawless block, now even my Red Ant buggy can reap those benefits, making it more formidable in combat.

Grounded 2 is clearly being built around buggies, and I can’t wait to see where this goes.

You can construct nests that accommodate various bugs from multiple players, allowing for quick and safe transport of your bugs when the surroundings become too hazardous. Additionally, these nests enable you to assign unique names to your bugs, a feature that proves particularly valuable.

In a playful twist, my coworker, Samuel Tolbert, decided to call his ant-robot Ant-Tony, making it necessary for me to label mine Hoopkins, in a nod to Anthony Hopkins but with a little ant spin on the name, since one of us is essentially playing as Hoops.

By the way, rest assured, you’re welcome to give your critters a friendly pat, and the game conveniently records the number of times you do so for each one. It appears that Grounded 2 has secured the title of Game of the Year 2025, as we can confidently say now.

The highly-anticipated game Grounded 2 has been released on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass platforms, giving players early access to the game.

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2025-07-30 00:09