Summary
Groundedis a rather unique game where players need to face off against spiders, gather resources, and survive in their own backyard at the size of an ant. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the title was originally released in early access in 2020 for Xbox and PC, later released in full for those same platforms in 2022, and nowGroundedis coming to Switch, PS4, and PS5 in April 2024.
Serving as a video game based around the shrunken children trope popularized by the 1989 feature filmHoney, I Shrunk the Kids,Groundedhas a similar premise where four teens wake up to find themselves shrunken in a backyard, but unlike the film they have no recollection of how they got there. Due to their small stature, small areas of the yard turn into huge landscapes to explore, making an everyday area into agreat adventure game for the Nintendo Switch. However, Grounded’s incoming debut on Nintendo’s hybrid console is actually rather ironic.
Grounded is Picking On Someone Its Own Size on the Nintendo Switch
On paper,Groundedis a great fit for the Nintendo Switch since it gives players an adventure that is easy to pick up and play anywhere they want, either by themselves or with friends in co-op mode. However, though it is true thatGroundedmay fit well on the Switch, it’s also understandable that some fans may have reservations about the game hitting the hybrid console, as it wasdesigned with the Xbox One, Series X/S, and PC in mind rather than the Switch’s own specifications. However, that’s where the ironic nature ofGroundedgoing to the Switch comes in.
Grounded Has to Cut Down on Itself to Fit the Switch
Many games likeGroundedhave to make sacrifices in terms of graphical fidelity in order to make the jump to the Switch in particular, which makes it easy to say that Obsidian Entertainment is “shrinking"Groundedto make it fit the smaller device. TheSwitch will also have the smallest screenthatGroundedcan be played on to date, truly making the former Xbox exclusive into a small-scale adventure. As ironic as this is, however, it’s understandable as to why players are concerned about the potential sacrificesGroundedwill need to make to work on the console at all.
Eagle-eyed players may have already spotted it when looking atthe Nintendo Direct Partner Showcasetrailer, butGroundedon the Switch does seem to be running at a lower resolution than its Xbox counterpart. According to an analysis fromNintendo World Report, it appears to run at 960 x 540, which is just a bit better than other low resolution games on the system such asCrash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled.Groundedwill likely rely on resolution scaling for important moments to keep the game looking good.
What’s most surprising is thatGroundedcurrently appears to handle 60 FPS fairly decently, dropping in specific instances such as dynamic combat moments. It’s certainly a curious choice on Obsidian Entertainment’s end, making some players hope that there will be different performance modes that they can choose between if they are seeking more frames or a clearer quality picture.
It’s hard to say if there will beperformance settings on Switch, but considering how prominent games for the system such asPokemon ScarletandVioletstruggle to run well, it would be welcome. It can easily be said that the Switch is lagging behind the competition in terms of graphical performance, and there is a chance thatGroundedproves that even more once it launches this April - even if early signs are fairly promising. Still, even with how much smaller the Switch version ofGroundedmay be, players are bound to have a fun time gathering resources, building a base, and uncovering the secrets as to what shrank them in the first place as they make their way through the adventure.
Grounded
WHERE TO PLAY
The world is a vast, beautiful, and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunken to the size of an ant. Explore, build, and survive together in this cooperative survival-adventure. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?Uncover the mysteries while playing through the story!How did you wind up so small? Who did this to you? How do you go home? These are all answers you will uncover as you play through the story.Nowhere is safe – not even your base: Creatures can be found roaming the yard in a multitude of environments, such as the depths of the pond, the caverns of the termite den, and even the sweltering heat found in the sandbox. You can even attract them to different places in the yard by activating the MIX.R devices. However, the more you interfere with the creatures in the yard, the higher the chance that they come knocking at your own door, so you better prepare.
