Kinda Funny Gamescast: Grounded 2 Review (So Far) - Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 29, 2025

Hosts:

• Andy Cortez
• Greg “GameOverGreggy” Miller
• Blessing Adeoye
• Snow Bike Mike (Blessing Adeoye)

Introduction

In this episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, hosts Andy Cortez, Greg Miller, and Snow Bike Mike delve into their thoughts and experiences with Grounded 2, the sequel to the popular survival crafting game Grounded by Obsidian and EIDOS Montreal. Despite early access challenges, the hosts provide an in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics, story, and overall gameplay experience.

Initial Impressions and Gameplay Experience

Andy Cortez kicks off the discussion by highlighting the expanded world in Grounded 2, emphasizing its larger open-world environment compared to its predecessor. He shares the game's Steam description, noting the seamless blend of single-player and co-op modes, survival crafting, weapon crafting, base building, and the new traversal system featuring buggies.

Greg Miller provides his initial take, stating, "Grounded 2 for me is so much like Grounded 1, which is I want so badly to like this game and it just doesn't click and I want somebody to love this game" (09:04). He reflects on his limited hours—about 10 to 15 hours played—and expresses mixed feelings due to his preference for genres outside survival games.

Snow Bike Mike offers a more positive perspective, appreciating the continuity of characters from the first game and the enriched narrative. He mentions enjoying the return to the Backyard Park, describing it as "just a quaint special place to go back to when you talk about survival crafting games" (07:36).

Gameplay Mechanics and Challenges

Resource Management and Exploration: The hosts discuss the resource management aspects, with Greg pointing out frustrations in navigating the game's challenges:

"There's this blend there where it's like you kind of got to go both ways here. And then sometimes really park the bus." (07:36)

Combat System: A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the enhanced combat system in Grounded 2. Snow Bike Mike praises the addition of different combat classes such as stealth assassins, bow and arrow users, and mages, allowing for varied playstyles:

"You can now be a stealth assassin. You can be the bow and arrow person. You could be a mage." (17:46)

Difficulty and Solo vs. Co-op Play: The hosts debate the game's difficulty, especially in solo mode. Greg shares his struggle with balancing progression and combat:

"Grounded 2 really, I think makes you park the bus if you're not playing co-op. [...] there's always something that wants to come after you." (16:21)

Accessibility Settings: When questioned about accessibility, Greg notes the lack of comprehensive difficulty settings in early access:

"So right now, no there's difficulty you can go in and I think it's. It must be mild, medium, hard I would assume." (16:37)

Story and Narrative Development

Narrative Integration: The sequel attempts to weave a stronger narrative into the survival crafting environment. Snow Bike Mike appreciates the introduction of side objectives and the main story, which include quests like saving the cute robot Burgle:

"They have a perfect block now that is essentially like a Perry for you, where if you block it will be repelled back kind of stunned for a second and you can get in after." (34:10)

Character Continuity: The familiarity of characters from the first game enhances the storytelling experience. Greg mentions enjoying the consistent character interactions:

"You have these fun little dialogue moments with dialogue options here that you can choose." (42:55)

Community and Development Feedback

Early Access and Ongoing Development: Both Greg and Mike acknowledge that Grounded 2 is still in early access, with continuous updates anticipated to address current shortcomings. Greg emphasizes his intention not to score the game yet, as it continues to evolve:

"I'd like to not give a score on this and just talk about it because... there's too few carrots at the end of the stick to really motivate me to keep going." (09:14)

Community Support: The involvement of the community through Discord and wikis is highlighted as essential for navigating the game's complexities. Greg shares his experience seeking help to find specific items:

"I joined the reviewer discord where I'm like, what the fuck is this? Where do I find the goddamn thing?" (24:24)

Positive Aspects Highlighted

Visuals and World Design: The detailed and immersive world design is praised, with Mike commenting on the Unreal Engine's capabilities:

"Another beautiful, detailed world, Andy. I mean, the park. [...] You can get lost in it." (41:35)

Combat Enhancements: Improvements in the combat mechanics, such as the perfect block system and diverse weapon options, receive commendation:

"When you block it will be repelled back kind of stunned for a second and you can get in after." (34:10)

Exploration and Discoveries: The game encourages exploration with hidden areas and rewarding discoveries, which Mike finds enjoyable:

"There's a bunch of hidden molars out there, the milk molars, that will give you upgrades as well." (41:35)

Areas for Improvement

Balancing Difficulty: The primary critique centers around the game's difficulty balance, particularly in solo mode, which can be punishing and hinder progression:

"I'm just going to run, which means then I'm getting tired, which I'm cutting through grass trying to get them to clip on the glass grass." (16:21)

Player Agency and Customization: The lack of extensive character customization and player agency compared to other survival games is noted as a drawback:

"This isn't my create a character. You know, that's one thing I love so much about survival games." (43:07)

Guidance and Objectives: Greg points out that while the game offers numerous objectives, the guidance on completing them can be overwhelming without adequate direction:

"All the different stands on what to do and what to use. Because I was doing that and again I missed the research finder." (26:14)

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Greg Miller concludes with a balanced view, expressing respect for the game's potential but recognizing it may not align with his personal gaming preferences:

"I wouldn't. But I will be interested for... Will I come back seriously for it? I don't know." (47:06)

Snow Bike Mike remains optimistic about the game's future, anticipating continued improvements and deeper story integrations:

"I really do want to highlight some positives, Andy, on the combat side of things." (34:10)

Andy Cortez wraps up by encouraging listeners to support the podcast and teasing upcoming content, maintaining a positive and engaging atmosphere for the audience.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Greg Miller: "Grounded 2 for me is so much like Grounded 1, which is I want so badly to like this game and it just doesn't click and I want somebody to love this game." (09:04)

• Snow Bike Mike: "You can now be a stealth assassin. You can be the bow and arrow person. You could be a mage." (17:46)

• Greg Miller: "There's this blend there where it's like you kind of got to go both ways here. And then sometimes really park the bus." (07:36)

• Snow Bike Mike: "Another beautiful, detailed world, Andy. I mean, the park. [...] You can get lost in it." (41:35)

• Greg Miller: "I'd like to not give a score on this and just talk about it because... there's too few carrots at the end of the stick to really motivate me to keep going." (09:14)

• Snow Bike Mike: "They've built that with small loadouts that you can now click on with different passive abilities." (18:02)

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Episode Introduction and Banter
• 07:09 - Overview of Grounded 2
• 09:04 - Initial Impressions by Greg Miller
• 16:21 - Discussion on Difficulty and Solo Play
• 17:46 - Combat System Enhancements
• 24:10 - Accessibility Settings and Difficulty Customization
• 34:10 - Combat Mechanics and Player Customization
• 41:35 - Visuals and World Design Praise
• 47:06 - Final Thoughts by Greg Miller

Note: Timestamps are indicative and correspond to the transcript sections provided.