Enshrouded Early Access Review: A Realm of Beauty Dampened by Uninspiring Premise and Technical Flaws
Journey into the enigmatic world of Enshrouded, where breathtaking landscapes collide with a flawed premise and technical hurdles.
A World of Enchantment and Peril: Embervale Unveiled
Enshrouded, the brainchild of Keen Games, transports players to the visually stunning realm of Embervale. Every nook and cranny of this meticulously crafted world exudes beauty, from the lush forests and towering mountains to the tranquil rivers and ancient ruins. However, this enchanting facade is perpetually overshadowed by the ominous presence of the Shroud, a deadly fog teeming with malevolent creatures.
The Shroud: A Double-Edged Sword
The Shroud, Enshrouded’s defining gameplay mechanic, presents a duality of challenge and frustration. While it adds a unique layer of complexity, forcing players to meticulously plan their explorations, it can also become a tedious obstacle, particularly during extended ventures through the fog. The relentless time pressure and limited visibility often detract from the joy of exploring Embervale’s otherwise captivating landscapes.
Building: Enshrouded’s Resplendent Beacon
Despite its shortcomings, Enshrouded shines brightest in its building mechanics. The game boasts a remarkably robust and user-friendly building system that empowers players to construct elaborate structures with remarkable ease. The intuitive controls, diverse building materials, and malleable shapes unlock limitless creative possibilities. Building in Enshrouded is an immersive experience, effortlessly consuming hours as players experiment with diverse designs and layouts.
Exploration and Combat: A Tale of Contrasts
Exploration in Enshrouded is a rewarding endeavor, unveiling hidden secrets, diverse biomes, and an array of creatures. However, the combat, while solid, suffers from repetitiveness due to the limited weapon variety and uninspired enemy design. The “clunky soulslike” combat system, while challenging, fails to deliver the depth and satisfaction found in dedicated action RPGs.
Technical Difficulties and Quality-of-Life Hiccups
As an early access title, Enshrouded is not immune to technical issues. Players may encounter crashes, save file corruption, and performance problems, particularly on less powerful machines. Additionally, the game lacks several quality-of-life features, such as the inability to automatically un-pin recipes after crafting or the absence of an option to split item stacks into specific quantities. These oversights can be frustrating and detract from the overall gameplay experience.
Conclusion: A Promising Foundation in Need of Refinement
In its current state, Enshrouded is a game with immense potential. It boasts a stunning world, an exceptional building system, and solid combat mechanics. However, the uninspired premise, technical difficulties, and lack of polish prevent it from reaching its full potential. If Keen Games can address these issues and continue to refine the game, Enshrouded has the potential to evolve into a truly remarkable survival crafting experience.
Call to Action: Embark on an Imperfect Yet Enchanting Journey
Despite its flaws, Enshrouded offers a captivating world and engaging building mechanics that may entice survival crafting enthusiasts. If you’re willing to overlook the technical issues and uninspired premise, there’s still enjoyment to be found in exploring Embervale and unleashing your creativity. However, if you demand a polished and immersive experience, it may be wise to wait until Enshrouded receives further updates and improvements.