Obsidian Entertainment has big ambitions for Grounded 2’s small world

Obsidian Entertainment has been an incredibly versatile game developer over the years, even venturing outside its RPG comfort zone with the original Based. As a survival adventure game where you are narrowed and explore the hidden and vast world of a backyard, it has become a beloved success, and it has evolved even further throughout its period of early access. But now developers have major projects to Founded 2which has new features and a greater range which was too large for the original to contain.

Shortly after the revelation during the recent showcase of Xbox games alongside Summer Game Fest 2025, I was able to play at the opening of the suite, which sees the familiar crew for teenagers, now a little older and wiser, shrunk to survive a new little world hidden in the city park. Even as a new iteration of a familiar premise, which is essentially the survival gameplay of Rust Through the whimsical Darling, I narrowed the children,, Founded 2 Already shows a certain promise like the greater and better suite.

Founded 2Which will also be launched in early access, already feels like a larger game, even from the limits of the tutorial area. To begin with, the emphasis is more important on the construction of the experience of the four adolescent scales and the way they integrate into the greatest history. It is not quite Yellow Jackets Regarding the drama for adolescents, but the crew exploring the small world of the park has a colorful language and jokes at their disposal. There is a generally stronger feeling of personality in Founded 2which is reinforced by a writing more focused on characters and opportunities to admire the tradition of the company responsible for city experiences.

The experience of playing Founded 2Like the games of origin and other survival games, consists in bringing land resources together and acquiring knowledge to stay alive. In addition to collecting materials to build weapons, armor and structures, you will also have to keep your characters in nourished and hydrated. You will also have to defend yourself against the different wandering creatures, such as ants and spiders. The accessibility option for arachnophobia is also back to make them less disturbing for players. Fortunately, you can now use a Dodge to avoid attacks – a first for the series – and the fight is generally more responsive and fair.

Founded 2 Feels like a more well -balanced and refined version of the original, which is a solid game in its own right. An excellent addition with which I was able to play was the new ant, Buggy support, as the developers call it. You can get on a friendly ant that can attack enemies, move faster in the world and even collect equipment much faster than human scavengers.

Shortly after my practical experience, I sat on a round table with the Director of Gaming Chris Parker and the producer Miles Winzeler of Obsidian Entertainment, who explained how the early access comments of the players helped the game in his current state. In order to fully implement their vision of earth, however, they would need a new game.

“Almost everything in Founded 2 Comments from the comments from the community we had gathered in the first match, “said Parker.” We had to look at what was important to work with the future. People always want more to do. They wanted to have the strollers, which was enormous and our most requested functionality at the door Founded 1. We then had to work on new creatures, armor and weapons, among others. How can we further develop our progression systems? So that was all the things we have taken from the start to Founded 2. “”

Founded 2 I felt like a more achieved game, which has exploited years of work on the original. In addition to a more developed history campaign focused on children’s help to survive the Brookhollow Park part that they must explore – which is more than three times the size of the original card – the game will also be launched with creative mode, which was a popular functionality which allowed players to focus on exploration and construction of structures as they please.

“We always try to challenge the ladder and how we can create a feeling of fear and mystery by having something that is supposed to be normal but it is now this gigantic thing,” said Parker. “It’s always fun when creating this game.”

I really took the additional reach of Founded 2. Not only as a narrowed person trapped in the field of a park but also for new features and ideas at work for the future. With the game that will be released in July for early access, Founded 2 already invested in the return visit to this little world with great ambitions.

Founded 2 Will be published in early access on July 29 for Xbox Series X | S and PC, and will be available for Game Pass subscribers.