Grounded 2's 'Harmless' Serpent: When Good Intentions Meet Primal Terror (and Why We Need a Noodle Filter)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Obsidian's Grounded 2 introduced a massive 'harmless' snake for transport, but its terrifying appearance has players like Polygon's Josh Broadwell (and me!) wishing for an ophidiophobia filter, much like the game's excellent arachnophobia options, to make this unique feature truly enjoyable for everyone.
Right, so picture this: you're shrunk down to bug-size in the backyard, everything's a threat, from angry ants to colossal spiders. You're constantly on edge, weaving spells (or, you know, crafting gear) to survive. Then, Obsidian Entertainment, those cheeky wizards, drop a massive new update for Grounded 2, the "Toxic Tangle." You're expecting new creepy crawlies, maybe some gnarly fungi, but what you *don't* expect is to stumble upon a colossal, red-and-yellow patterned serpent that looks like it just slithered out of your darkest primal fears.
That's precisely the chaotic energy Josh Broadwell at Polygon perfectly captured in their recent piece, "Grounded 2’s snake might be harmless, but he’s terrifying." And mate, I reckon they hit the nail right on the head. My own internal wizard, who usually just shrugs off digital dangers, almost spontaneously combusted when I first saw the images. It's a proper jump scare, but with a lingering sense of dread, even after you learn the "truth."
Broadwell's experience, detailed in the Polygon article, paints a vivid picture. Imagine growing up in Florida, where identifying deadly snakes is apparently part of the elementary school curriculum (bloody hell, talk about real-world survival skills!). You'd think that would make you immune, right? Nah. Broadwell describes running into this gargantuan creature, whose "spines on its back for some ungodly reason" just amplify the nightmare fuel, and his immediate, primal reaction was to bolt. Forget peeping at weaknesses; the only weakness he cared about was his own suddenly compromised bladder.
And here's the kicker, the true moment where Obsidian pulls a fast one on our collective fight-or-flight response: this terrifying behemoth is *harmless*. Not only that, it's a bloody bus! Yes, you heard me. A giant, red-and-yellow, spiny garter snake is Grounded 2's new public transport system, ferrying your tiny self around the Toxic Tangle like some kind of scaly, silent tram. It's their version of Studio Ghibli's Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, except, as Broadwell wisely points out, the Catbus doesn't remind you of cold-blooded killers, it reminds you of a whimsical Cheshire Cat. Fair dinkum, the gap there is wider than the Grand Canyon.
Now, on one hand, this is peak Obsidian. They're always pushing boundaries, twisting expectations, and generally making us question our sanity in the best possible way. The sheer audacity of designing something so viscerally terrifying only for it to be a benign taxi service is a stroke of twisted genius. It embodies that "what happens if we..." experimental spirit that makes indie (and indie-at-heart) games so compelling. It's a clever way to integrate movement, add a unique environmental "feature," and inject a dose of memorable absurdity into the world. You *will* talk about the snake bus.
But what does this mean for us, the tiny adventurers navigating this perilous lawn? Well, for those of us (or perhaps specifically, those of us with ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes) who find these slithering digital horrors a bit too real, it presents a bit of a pickle. Broadwell, bless his reptilian-averse heart, recounts how even after knowing it was harmless, his stomach still tied itself in knots. He wishes, quite reasonably, that Obsidian and Eidos Montreal (who worked on the update) had extended the same brilliant consideration they gave to arachnophobia.
And this is where the clever observation comes in. Grounded has an absolutely phenomenal arachnophobia filter. You can turn spiders into anything from slightly less spidery spiders, to cute orange blobs, or even just disembodied eyes. It's a genuinely thoughtful accessibility feature that acknowledges that fear, however irrational in a game, is real and can ruin a player's experience. So, why no snake filter?
"Give me the noodle, Obsidian. Please," Broadwell pleads, yearning for a "vaguely snake-coded thing or even just a globby noodle slithering around the map." And honestly, I'm with him. If we can turn terrifying eight-legged beasts into adorable orange fuzzballs, why can't we swap out a spine-laden garter snake for a friendly, perhaps even cuddly, segment of pipe, or a wobbly tube? Something less likely to trigger a primal scream response when you're just trying to get from point A to B.
It's a subtle point, but an important one about game design and player empathy. We celebrate developers who push the envelope, but true innovation often means making those experiences accessible to *everyone*. The "what happens if..." mindset should extend to "what happens if a player has a genuine phobia triggered by this seemingly innocuous design choice?" It's not about making games "easier," it's about making them *playable* for a wider audience.
So while I genuinely applaud Obsidian for the audacious, almost chaotic genius of the snake bus – it's a bloody brilliant concept – I'm also gently skeptical about the oversight. Here's hoping the wizards at Obsidian are tinkering in their digital laboratories, brewing up a "noodle filter" spell. Because a game as wonderfully creative and genuinely fun as Grounded 2 deserves to be enjoyed by every shrunk-down adventurer, even those whose guts tie themselves in knots at the sight of a harmless, terrifying reptile. My gut feeling is they'll sort it. They usually do.
*Original Source: Polygon, article by Josh Broadwell*
Tags: Grounded 2, Obsidian Entertainment, Game Design, Accessibility, Player Experience
Original article: Polygon