How do I enemy grid movement / collision checks

Hey guys , I've got a simple problem to explain but difficult to create.

Basically it is grid based enemy movement avoiding obstacles.

I can do the grid based movement no problem, it is getting them to avoid solids that's the issue.

I have tried collision checks with sprites, overlapping at offset checks, all with variables.

Eg spawn Sprite to left of enemy - if it overlaps solid check different direction , if not , move to that spot.

Path finding doesn't work well for it either. It's a 32x32 grid where they warp to next spot instead of smooth movement .

Wondering if you guys had any other ideas.

I'm also open to the idea of using bullet behaviour for movement, it's just the collision checking I need to figure out. Have swept the forums but its a bit of a dead end so far for figuring it out.