Developer: Keen Games
Publisher: Keen Games
Reviewed on: PC Early Access
Code Received.
Enshrouded launched into early access on Steam on January 24th, a few months after a compelling demo put the game at the top of my most anticipated list. On the surface, this is yet another survival-crafting game, however, it features some unique twists that really intrigued me. It also has a great look, with a massive, beautifully rendered open world and a building system that allows you to build some fantastic-looking homes. However, the current progression system and repetitive aspects of the open world have left me wanting more.
The game starts out strong by introducing you to a vibrant world steeped in mystery. Many years ago, people discovered a magical substance called Elixir that bestows great power on those who consume it. Unfortunately, the mining of this Elixir awoke an ancient evil deep within the earth which covered most of the surface with a deadly miasma called The Shroud. Many years later you awaken in a vault and are tasked with restoring the world to its former glory. To do this you must awake other survivors and close the many Elixir Wells that are spewing The Shroud throughout the land.
The story ties in nicely with the gameplay, as you will have to navigate areas covered by The Shroud. You can only survive for a limited time in these areas and once the clock runs out you die. There are a few ways to extend your time in The Shroud, but the best option is to get in and out as fast as possible. The best loot and resources reside in The Shroud, so you must make your way through it from time to time. Otherwise, you’ll be keeping to the high ground as much as possible because The Shroud only settles in low lying valleys and caves. Looking out over a large valley and seeing the purple mist below in stark contrast to the lush green hills never gets old.
You’ll get a lot of those views because the high ground is where you’ll be building your base. As it stands the base building is simple and underdeveloped. You have a central flame shrine that provides you with a generous border to build within. You can upgrade this to expand the borders, but I never found that necessary as you don’t really need to build much to progress. You can also upgrade it to provide bonuses like extending your survival time in The Shroud, which I found much more useful.
The truth is you only need to build a single building that can house all the NPCs you will be rescuing over the course of the game. Initially I was building each character their own house, but I eventually realized putting them all into one large house was sufficient.
They don’t currently need any amenities, just a roof over their head, and they just stand there all day waiting for you to interact with them. You do need to build crafting stations to unlock some of their recipes, but that’s all they need to function. I hope this is something that will be expanded in the future. I wouldn’t mind building each character a house with a bed and other necessities, and watching them go about their day, but it’s just not necessary right now so I don’t have the motivation do it. It’s a shame because the building in the game is fun and the structures look fantastic.
The shallowness of the base progression sadly extends to the world at large. One aspect that sets Enshrouded apart is that the world is hand crafted, not procedurally generated, and you get quests with icons on the map. This makes knowing where to go easier, but also comes with the expectation that the reward will be worth the trip. For the most part, the reward is not. Within a few hours I acquired every weapon type in the game, so the best I could hope for out of a treasure chest was a higher tier version of a weapon I already had. There are some rare resources you can happen upon, but even those are limited to a handful of upgrade items. The dungeons and castles that dot the land are repetitive with reused room layouts and puzzles. Many of them require you to complete platforming sections, which are frustrating because of unresponsive controls and a reliance on auto-targeting that is sketchy at best.
The open world traversal is also lackluster with limited options, often leaving you stuck in a canyon when you want to be climbing a mountain. The wing suit is a chore to control, and the grappling hook only works on specific grapple points. I never felt more homesick for Breath of the Wild’s free form climbing mechanic than I do when I die in The Shroud simply because I can’t find a way out of it. Open world exploration is often my favorite part in these types of games, but Enshrouded makes the journey more of a necessary hassle than an exciting adventure.
Overall Enshrouded has a decent foundation but needs a lot of work around the edges. The world Keen has created is gorgeous and intriguing but lacks depth and personality. The building system can produce great looking structures that currently serve little purpose. It borrows a lot from other games but falls short of merging them into something that feels unique. Hopefully it’s time in early access allows the team to massage all the systems into something that feels more complete. Right now, however, there are more compelling games that do just about everything Enshrouded does, but better.
