Enshrouded Early Access Review: A Promising Survival Crafting Game Overshadowed by Issues

Enshrouded, the latest offering from Keen Games, is a third-person survival crafting game set in a massive, prebuilt fantasy world called Embervale. Its unique selling point is the Shroud, a magical fog inhabited by fell enemies that covers large swathes of the map. Whenever players enter the Shroud, a timer starts to count down, and if it runs out, they die.

Building and Exploration: A Realm of Endless Possibilities

One of Enshrouded’s strongest aspects is its building system. It is easily one of the best and most user-friendly building systems in the survival crafting genre. Players can use various premade shapes to quickly construct walls, floors, stairs, and roof parts, and all these shapes are malleable, allowing for a great deal of creativity and customization.

The game’s world, Embervale, is also a sight to behold. It is a sprawling, meticulously crafted world densely populated with unique points of interest such as ruins, villages, wells, and ravines. The world is truly gorgeous at times, with lush forests, towering mountains, and sparkling rivers.

Combat and Progression: A Familiar Dance with Death

The combat in Enshrouded is similar to Valheim, featuring dodging, parrying, and various melee and ranged weapons. The combat is solid but uninspired, with the different weapons feeling too similar to each other.

Progression in Enshrouded revolves around exploring the world, gathering resources, crafting items, and completing quests. Players will also encounter various creatures and bandits that they must fight to survive.

The Shroud: A Missed Opportunity for Enthrallment

The Shroud, the game’s central concept, is also its weakest aspect. The constant time pressure and low visibility in the Shroud make it a less enjoyable experience compared to exploring the world above the fog. Additionally, the Shroud does not offer anything particularly unique or exciting, making it feel like a missed opportunity.

Technical Issues: A Blight on the Experience

Enshrouded is still in early access, and it shows. The game suffers from various technical issues, including crashes, save game corruption, and performance problems. These issues can be frustrating and can significantly impact the gameplay experience.

Conclusion: A Spark of Promise Amidst the Gloom

Enshrouded has the potential to be a great survival crafting game. It has a solid foundation with its excellent building system, beautiful world, and sound combat system. However, the uninspired premise, lack of meaningful differentiation between weapons, and numerous technical issues hold it back from reaching its full potential.

If you are a fan of survival crafting games and are willing to overlook the technical issues and uninspired premise, Enshrouded may be worth checking out. However, those looking for a polished and well-rounded experience may want to wait until the game is further developed.

Review Score: 7/10

Pros:

• Excellent building system
• Beautiful and expansive world
• Solid combat system
• Sense of exploration and discovery

Cons:

• Uninspired premise
• Lack of meaningful differentiation between weapons
• Numerous technical issues
• Lack of character development
• Dreary and repetitive soundtrack