Grounded Assessment | TheXboxHub

It’s not a secret that I’ve all the time been supportive of Grounded as an idea. In one in every of my first articles for this website, I dove deep into the implications making AA video games inside AAA builders may have for Xbox’s first social gathering going ahead. Then, after I first obtained my arms on Grounded in Sport preview, I praised its potential. As I famous, I felt the sport had the potential to be one thing particular. However after my time with the sport, I made a decision to go in with a contemporary pair of eyes.

I principally shelved it, leaving it on my SSD to replace as obligatory, for over a 12 months. Now, over two years after its Sport Preview launch, I used to be in a position to bounce again into Grounded. Nonetheless, was my prediction concerning the sport prescient, or did I put my foot in my mouth? It actually wouldn’t be the primary time. In any occasion, let’s discover out.

To chop to the chase, Grounded is a good sport. Within the two years since I final performed it, a ton has modified, and for the higher. To start, the map has grown significantly from a novel if small survival map to what’s fairly simply the perfect world Obsidian has ever designed. I don’t say this frivolously. From the range of biomes to the emphasis on environmental storytelling, Grounded exhibits a aspect of Obsidian I really feel avid gamers have probably not seen earlier than. Grounded’s map is fastidiously designed, intentionally pacing out setpieces, landmarks and biomes to distinctive impact. Exploring this map is in some ways extra evocative of a sport like Breath of the Wild or Skyrim than it’s of the stunning (if generally barren) landscapes of one thing like Minecraft. Each sq. centimetre of this tiny map grown large is immersive, fastidiously designed and oozing with element.

One other space the place Obsidian has stepped up significantly is within the sport’s fight. Whereas nonetheless imperfect in comparison with a few of its first-person brawling friends (most notably Chivalry and the Dishonored sequence), the fight right here remains to be a notable step above titles corresponding to Skyrim and The Outer Worlds. Blocking, parrying and throwing weapons all play a significant function in your arsenal right here, bringing an additional stage of depth to the sport.

Additionally notable, the sport has elevated the quantity of content material considerably from its early entry launch. New tiers of weapons and armour, refinements to survival programs, a plethora of recent enemy varieties and no less than a four-fold enhance within the measurement of the map is simply the tip of the iceberg. Nonetheless, I might argue most notably right here is the enlargement of the story. Once I final performed, solely 20% of the story had been applied into the sport. Now, all the story is on the market to play, and fortunately, it’s fairly good. One of the simplest ways I can describe what’s finished right here is that if the story of the launch launch of Fallout 76 was really participating. There are restricted NPCs, and the overwhelming majority of the story’s twists and turns are instructed by way of audio recordings. Nonetheless, Obsidian’s signature sharp writing and distinctive environmental storytelling, coupled with a pleasant flip from Shazam actor Zachary Levi, make the story an interesting puzzle you need to resolve. The tip solutions are well worth the hype.

Transferring on to aesthetics, Grounded is a masterclass in artwork path. Whereas not rivalling the visible constancy of say, a Hellblade or a Final of Us, Grounded makes use of a putting color palette and an distinctive sense of scale to nice impact. The sport seems to be like a cartoon coming to life. Nonetheless, beneath the floor is a darkish and virtually horrific edge, and that is compounded by way of excellent audio work. Justin Bell’s rating (his final with Obsidian) can be appropriately atmospheric, and he leaves on a excessive word.

With all of this being mentioned, there’s one drawback with Grounded, and it’s what holds the sport again from the elusive 5/5 or 10/10: the single-player steadiness. Within the sport, I needed to drop the problem in an effort to proceed. However I used to be in a position to make it previous most partitions with ease. Even nonetheless, the problem curve feels overly excessive for the sport, particularly in decrease settings. These points come to a head within the remaining mission of the sport. With out going into too many spoilers, it’s tailored for a number of gamers, and the enemy and goal density is just too excessive for many solo gamers. I’m certain with acceptable quantities of grinding and talent, some gamers will have the ability to overcome it, however it factors to an total difficulty with Grounded’s design. As a single-player, it’s simply much less enjoyable.

Transferring on to efficiency and worth, I’ve little or no so as to add right here. The sport is sort of simply Obsidian’s most polished thus far. Past two minor crashes that occurred throughout an auto-save, the one bugs I encountered have been those you combat within the sport. Between this, Pillars and The Outer Worlds, it’s clear that “Bugsidian” is a factor of the previous. As for worth, the worth could be very truthful for the title, however clearly as an Xbox first-party title, this sport will be loved with Sport Go.

Lastly, Grounded has made some actual strides in accessibility. Whereas these single-player challenges are nonetheless an element, a plethora of choices (together with some which is able to scale back issue at a price of achievements) in addition to a wide range of quality-of-life options implies that Grounded is punching significantly above its weight on this division.

On that word, in the long run, like an ant within the sport, punching above its weight is the easiest way to explain Grounded. In lots of regards, that is the little sport that would. Regardless of a staff the a fraction of the dimensions of Obsidian’s total workers, initially middling reception and a aggressive style, Grounded has been in a position to carve out a big area of interest… and it’s not onerous to see why. Above all else, the sport is nice. A end result of a transparent ardour for the style, robust sport and world design, above-average storytelling and masterful creative path.

The teachings learnt from Grounded will probably assist enhance forthcoming Obsidian titles corresponding to Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, however an important lesson I’d argue is one Xbox’s first social gathering ought to take to coronary heart. If there’s a small devoted staff that desires to make a sport, it’s of their greatest pursuits to empower them. Not solely will this assist result in extra titles for Sport Go, it may additionally assist drive innovation inside the studio and the business writ massive. Obsidian’s gamble has greater than paid off, and if Pentiment is any indication, they could possibly be on to one thing actually thrilling right here.

Grounded is on the market from the Xbox Retailer