One of Obsidian's first exclusive projects with Xbox, survival game Grounded has found a strong following due to its presence on Game Pass and wholly unique premise. Focusing on a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-esque scenario in which a group of kids are reduced to the size of ants and left to roam a large garden, it allows players to go toe-to-toe with giant spiders, build forts out of grass, and dive into a pond filled with deadly Koi-fish.
It seems the range of threats to face in the garden will be expanding as of today, with a new update to Grounded adding three fresh enemies. These will all be flying foes that will have an airborne advantage against the player, with bees, mosquitos, and fireflies all now able to descend upon survivors.
According to Obsidian's blog post announcing the update, these new enemies will do more than just pose a threat, with resources acquirable from fending them off allowing players to craft several new items. Included are bee armor, a firefly fuelled headlamp, and a mosquito stinger rapier sword. There will also be a new Weevil shield, with Obsidian teasing it can be used to defend against previously unblockable attacks.
The update will bring more than just these fresh faces to the game, however, with it also integrating some quality of life upgrades Grounded fans have been asking for since day one. Now, players will be able to put everything they have equipped into designated equipped item slots, removing them from their regular inventory. They'll also respawn with equipped items still in their possession, making the trip to reclaim their lost backpack less of a frustrating ordeal. It looks as though the devs have put a lot of thought into what players want from their experience with Grounded, and seeing as flying creatures have allegedly been requested by fans frequently since launch, it seems the team's delivering.
Grounded is merely one of the projects currently underway over at Obsidian right now, with the team also working on Avowed. The RPG is slated to be the company's equivalent to an Elder Scrolls game, focusing on a large fantasy world that takes place in the same universe at the studio's Pillars of Eternity series. Rumors have also suggested that early work on an Outer Worlds follow-up might be underway, which would make sense considering the last game set up an interesting premise for a sequel.
Grounded is out now on PC and Xbox One.
Source: Xbox Wire