If you ask me, Grounded could be much more successful than it is if Obsidian would have launched it a few months later. It’s really important to hook your audience in the first few hours of gameplay, and Grounded could’ve done it much better if it had more to do at the start. That said, the game still has its strong advantages that keep you engaged with its world. [Early Access review score = 65]

Grounded has the foundation needed to turn into a great survival game, but it has a long way to go yet. The titular term comes from aviation--when a pilot finds themselves, for whatever reason, unable to fly, they are Grounded. It's a pretty apt name for the current state of Obsidian's foray into the co-op survival genre. But like a balsa wood airplane, Grounded sits at the outstretched tension point of a strong rubber band. It is pure, unadulterated potential energy, and all we can do is sit back and wait to see if that rubber band snaps or if the game achieves take off. I think it's gonna fly. [Early Access Score = 60]

Grounded has a lot going for it. It’s a really inventive setting, with some pitch-perfect opportunities for the team to deliver on “the Obsidian side” of its initial pitch in the future. Currently, however, it feels a bit sparse in terms of both available content and quality-of-life considerations. And while I really hope that Grounded grows and blossoms into the truly special adventure it could become, it’s still got a few yards to go. [Early Access Score = 60]

The early access of Grounded is highly recommendable for fans of the genre or even those who would like an entry point into "accessible" survival, who will however have to accommodate for the moment a few bugs and some sketchy narration. [Early Access Score = 75]

Grounded shows great promise, and apparently a large community is already at work helping Obsidian to hone it (which is the main point behind its appearance in Early Access). It has all the ingredients required to make it a cult hit and you can only hope that Obsidian will finish it off sooner rather than later.

Even at this early stage, Grounded is an incredibly fun adventure with exciting combat and creative survival gameplay.