Developer Obsidian Entertainment, best known for RPGs like The Outer Worlds, is set to branch out - or rather - shrink into, the survival adventure genre with their upcoming title Grounded. In the game, players are shrunk down to about one centimeter tall and must traverse their way through a backyard filled with hungry insects as they try to figure out what made them so small. Grounded first debuted at X019 and was recently highlighted during Xbox' Games Presentation.
After taking one look at the game, it's clear Obsidian took some creative inspiration from the 1989 Disney film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The film tells the story of a group of kids who sneak into their father's lab to retrieve a lost baseball and accidentally shrink themselves with one of his inventions. They're then thrown in the trash by mistake and must make their way through their now jungle-like backyard and get back to their house.
Obsidian Senior Progammer, Roby Atadero confirmed the game's inspiration in an interview at X019 when asked specifically about Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Atadero said that they based the game on stuff they grew up with and that, "everyone has had that fantasy of, 'what if we were small?'" It's clear the game pays homage to the film, from the oversized stalks of grass and toys scattered across the yard to the bugs serving as the characters' main adversaries.
Does Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Matter In Grounded's Plot?
Although the aesthetics and environment are similar between the game and film, players shouldn't be expecting any Rick Moranis cameos anytime soon as Grounded follows its own original story. Players will have the choice between four playable characters, Max, Willow, Pete, and Hoops; similar to the four children who get shrunk down in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. They will then be able to team up with friends to scavenge the area looking for materials, build a home base and craft weapons, and defend their stronghold against the world of insects ready to destroy your base. Grounded borrows the core concepts and feel of the original Honey, I Shrunk the Kids but expands on the world to create more exciting survival action with unique biospheres.
While the game may not be a continuation of the Disney film franchise, it does feature an A+ cast of voice actors. Ozioma Akagha, who recently voiced Alyx Vance in Half Life: Alyx, will voice the character Willow. Charlet Takahashi Chung, best known for voicing D.Va in Overwatch, will play the role of Hoops. Max Mittleman, the voice of Saitama in the One Punch Man English dub, will play Pete. Rounding out the four playable characters is Luke Youngblood, who famously played the role of Magnitude on Community, as Max. In addition to those four Silicon Valley star, Josh Brenner, who will voice the role of BURG.L, your robot companion who assists players throughout the game. Last, but certainly not least, the voice of Wendell, a character yet to be introduced in trailers, will be voiced by Shazam! himself, Zachary Levi.
There's no telling what role Wendell might play in terms of the story of the game, but given the prominence of his voice actor, he'll likely have a large impact on the story. Wendell could potentially be the game's main antagonist, which would be another deviation away from Grounded's inspiration, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Grounded released on July 28th and will be available on Xbox Game Pass, the Microsoft Store, and Steam.