Fighting insects in Grounded is no easy feat, and anyone who spent any time in the yard will be able to tell you that. Whether you're dodging the spindly legs of a spider or narrowly missing a swipe from the raptorial legs of a mantis, a lot of the time these encounters leave you wondering what you need to do to make sure you don't feel like your life is on the line.
Fortunately, Grounded 2 is showing no signs of reining this in. In fact, these bug battles are only going to get more challenging. Luckily, new mutations are getting added to make sure we are fit to fight back too.
During the Grounded 2 direct, Obsidian said it wanted to "add a new layer of strategy", before going on to explain that the changes it's made aren't just about tuning animations, adjusting attack and defense numbers, or tweaking both the speed of the character and insects—though that's happening too.
More importantly, though, a "rock, paper, scissor strategy involving light attacks, heavy attacks, and blocking" is being rolled out. In addition, dashing is also making its way into the game, serving as the most efficient way to get out of danger quickly or throw yourself in to get some quick attacks in. It's worth noting that almost all of the insects in the game are getting these abilities too.
In an attempt to help us defend ourselves, Obsidian is also leaning into more defined playstyles. For example, you'll be able to tailor your equipment and style to take on the role of tank, high-damage rogue, or even a sort of mage causing a lot of status effect damage. No matter your style, it seems like Grounded 2 is looking to cater to as many players as possible. Even someone like me, who actively avoids any up front danger by staying way back and hiding behind a bow and arrow.
To support these newly defined playstyles, Grounded 2 will offer passive mutations similar to the first game, alongside active mutations. Information on these and what exactly that means for our character builds is thin on the ground right now, but I imagine as we get closer to its early access release, we might hear a little bit more about it. I need all the help I can get before I'm ready to face the beasts of Brookhollow Community Park anyway.
