Enshrouded Review - First Impressions

January has been an excellent month if you are a gamer fond of survival crafting games. With the early access release of Palworld and Enshrouded, now is the perfect time to check out one of these fantastic games. If you are more interested in high fantasy or a game with more of a historical setting, rather than the punchy gun-filled catch-’em-all world, enshrouded has quickly become a new favorite. Here is a quick review snapshot of my impressions of the game so far.

The Story

You are a flameborn, one who survived in a cauldron-like chamber past a devastating plague that destroyed civilization. You wake with nothing and are tasked by an ancient power to learn what happened to the world and figure out a way to restore the land. As you explore you find scrolls and books from the past that depict the struggles of your predecessors. So far it has been a typical mystery-shrouded story of a chosen one but the world has been interesting so far and I have hope that more will be unveiled later as you progress.

Enshrouded starting area flame

Crafting Items

I won't lie. I am a fan of crafting games. I honestly enjoy spending hours wandering the lands, gathering mats so that I can make that new shiny recipe. Enshrouded provides a pretty standard experience, gifting you new recipes automatically when you pick up the related materials, or when you unlock support characters and related tools and crafting benches. The only gripe I have is that you must have the materials in your backpack to craft something. After several hours exploring, my backpack was full of crap and I had made several trips back and forth to store my animal fur, string, rocks, and metals away in a storage box. I had to rearrange my entire life if I wanted to craft the next set of armor.

Crafting dinner over an open flame

Building Your Base

Enshrouded uses voxel-based building to make building your base a snap. It was easy enough to gather materials needed, convert them to building mats and architect my way to a nice-looking house. You can also easily change the landscape and dig anywhere. Did you accidentally slide down the side of a cliff and die, leaving your entire collection of items precariously perched on the tiniest ledge? No problem! Simply grab a pick and dig your way down. Do you want a secret tunnel system or hidden treasure trove? It may take some time and stamina, but you can be as creative as you want.

Building a hidden treasure trove and Home Base

The Shroud

The spore-filled miasma that pools in ravines and in underground caves and elixir wells provides an interesting layer of complexity. Once you have submerged yourself into the shroud, you have a small amount of time to find your way out of it before you succumb to the creepy colorful mist and its denizens. It limits the amount of exploration you can do and in some areas, keeps you out entirely until you improve your flame altar.

Venture into the shroud if you dare

Combat

Combat has been moderately challenging for me and there is a large amount of customization that you can do with the vast talent tree. It includes sharp and blunt weapons, bows, magic and healing spells. The talent tree and number of different weapons allows you to play in a style that you are most fond of. I would like to commend the developers on well-tuned hitboxes. I've been able to jump over or fall under attacks, and several moves have wide-reaching arcs that extend beyond 180 degrees.

Retriving my tombstone after a tough fight

One Million Players

In just four days after its release, Enshrouded reached more than 1 million players. For an early access game, it seems fairly polished, runs smoothly and has so much to offer already. The journal and points of interest provide many things to explore and building, crafting, puzzle solving, and combat give you a myriad of options for things to do in game. For early access, the map is about 24 square kilometers and the developers have said that this is only one third of what they have planned for full release.

Better With Friends

You can easily transfer your character between worlds, whether that is a single player world, or a multiplayer game. With different combat styles and classes, as well as multiplayer-specific talents, Enshrouded is better with friends! EVLBOX now offers dedicated servers for Enshrouded and you can find more information at the link below.