Enshrouded – Review

Enshrouded, released in January 2024, is a voxel-based survival adventure game set in a world ravaged by a mysterious corruption known as the Shroud. Players must explore, gather resources, build shelter, and fight mutated creatures to survive and unravel the secrets of the Shroud.

Strengths:

  • Unique Blend of Genres: Enshrouded combines elements of survival, exploration, crafting, and combat, offering a diverse gameplay experience.
  • Beautiful Voxel Art: The game boasts stunning voxel art graphics, creating a vibrant and immersive world despite its blocky aesthetic.
  • Engaging Building System: The building system allows for creative freedom, letting players construct intricate bases, villages, and even fortifications.
  • Dynamic Day/Night Cycle: The day/night cycle adds a layer of challenge and realism. Exploring at night requires light sources and increased awareness of lurking dangers.
  • Non-Linear Progression: Players can choose their own pace and focus, prioritizing exploration, combat, base building, or unraveling the story’s mysteries.
  • Co-op Mode: Playing with friends adds another dimension to the experience, allowing for teamwork, resource sharing, and shared exploration.

Weaknesses:

  • Early Access Roughness: As an Early Access title, Enshrouded still suffers from some bugs, performance issues, and missing features.
  • Repetitive Combat: While the combat system is functional, some players find it repetitive, especially during extended grinding sessions.
  • Inventory Management: The inventory system can feel clunky and limited, particularly when carrying a large variety of resources and crafting materials.
  • Story Vagueness: The narrative is currently shrouded in mystery, which might leave some players wanting more concrete details and direction.
  • Grindy Progression: Certain aspects of the game, like resource gathering and base building, can feel grindy, especially for solo players.

Overall:

Enshrouded offers a promising survival experience with stunning visuals, diverse gameplay mechanics, and a unique setting. However, its Early Access status means it’s still rough around the edges, and some aspects might feel repetitive or grindy. If you’re patient with development hiccups and enjoy exploration-focused survival games, Enshrouded is worth checking out. However, if you prefer a more polished experience with a clear narrative direction, you might want to wait for further development before diving in.