Enshrouded Review

🔥 Verdict: Recommended

⚔️Introduction

Enshrouded – Does it bring something fresh to the survival RPG genre?

Survival RPGs often follow a familiar formula: gathering resources, building structures, and fending off enemies. Enshrouded, developed by Keen Games, attempts to carve its own space in the genre by mixing sandbox survival mechanics with a dark fantasy setting. With a strong emphasis on exploration, skill progression, and cooperative play, the game has drawn comparisons to titles like Valheim and V Rising. But does Enshrouded stand out as a unique experience, or does it get lost in the fog? After 84+ hours of gameplay, we break down its strengths, weaknesses, and whether it’s worth your time.

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🎮 Gameplay & Player Experience

Core Gameplay Loop

Enshrouded blends survival, exploration, base-building, and action combat, all set within a corrupted fantasy world. Players gather materials, craft weapons, and unlock skills to progress through increasingly difficult regions. The Shroud, a mysterious creeping fog that corrupts the land, acts as both an environmental hazard and a gameplay mechanic, forcing players to strategize their exploration before succumbing to its dangers.

Controls & Responsiveness

Movement and combat feel fluid, with responsive controls that have improved since launch. Traversal is a highlight, especially with the glider, which adds vertical exploration rarely seen in survival games. Combat is skill-based, with dodging, blocking, and spellcasting all playing a role. However, some attacks lack weight, making certain weapons feel less impactful.

Progression System

Enshrouded features XP-based leveling, a skill tree, and tiered gear progression. Players unlock Flame Altars, which expand crafting and base-building options. The NPC rescue system adds a layer of world-building and functionality, rewarding exploration with new crafting stations and abilities.

Difficulty & Balance

• Combat difficulty is fair but punishing. Playing solo can feel grindy and overwhelming, while co-op eases the challenge.
• Enemy AI has improved, making encounters more dynamic.
• The game offers difficulty adjustments, allowing a more casual or hardcore experience depending on player preference.

Replayability

While skill trees and co-op enhance replayability, the game’s hand-crafted world (not procedural) may limit long-term variation compared to fully randomized survival games. Still, its frequent updates and evolving mechanics keep players engaged.

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📖 Story & Narrative

Enshrouded’s story takes a backseat to gameplay, offering lore through journals, environmental storytelling, and NPCs.

• Premise: Players control a Flameborn, the last hope of a dying civilization, battling against the Shroud’s corruption in the world of Embervale.
• World-building: The lore is intriguing but lacks a strong narrative hook or deep character development.
• NPCs: Serve functional purposes (crafting, upgrades) but feel static and underdeveloped.
• Main story pacing: Slow and dependent on player-driven exploration, rather than a structured, cinematic experience.

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🎨 Graphics & Art Style

• Visuals: The game’s medieval-fantasy aesthetic is striking, with richly detailed ruins, eerie landscapes, and dynamic lighting.
• The Shroud effect: Creates an ominous, otherworldly atmosphere, adding tension to exploration.
• Performance Issues: Some frame drops in large base builds, but optimization has improved.
• UI & Inventory: Improved since launch but still clunky—NPC interactions can also be awkward.

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⚙️Performance & Technical Stability

• Runs smoothly overall, with minimal crashes or game-breaking bugs.
• Load times are fast, especially once in-game.
• Accessibility options are basic, and could benefit from further refinement.

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🎵 Audio & Sound Design

• Soundtrack: Atmospheric but not particularly memorable.
• Sound effects: Ambience enhances immersion, though combat audio lacks impact.
• Voice acting: Minimal—NPCs primarily rely on text dialogue.

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💰 Monetization & Consumer Friendliness

• No microtransactions or pay-to-win elements.
• Different difficulty modes cater to casual and hardcore players.
• Developer Keen Games has been actively improving the game based on community feedback.

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Multiplayer & Online Features

• Co-op is a highlight, making the experience more enjoyable and less grindy.
• Server stability is mostly solid, with occasional desync issues in multiplayer.
• Community engagement is positive, with regular updates and communication from the devs.

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Comparable Games

• Valheim – Similar survival and building mechanics but with a more structured world.
• Conan Exiles – Dark fantasy elements, but Enshrouded leans more into RPG-style progression.
• Breath of the Wild / Elden Ring – Shares gliding and exploration mechanics, but less refined in combat and movement.

🛑 Who Should Play?

✅ Survival RPG fans who enjoy crafting, exploration, and challenging combat.
✅ Co-op players looking for a sandbox adventure with friends.
❌ Players seeking a deep, cinematic story—this is more about gameplay than narrative.

Post-Launch Improvements

• Significant updates have improved combat balance, UI, and performance.
• Regular patches suggest the game is steadily evolving in Early Access.

Final Recommendation: Recommended

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✅Pro/Con Summary

Pros: ✔ Engaging world-building and atmosphere
✔ Skill-based combat with RPG progression
✔ Creative building mechanics with great verticality
✔ Fun and fluid traversal, especially with the glider
✔ Strong developer support and frequent updates

Cons: ✖ Some grindy mechanics remain
✖ Storytelling is minimal and lacks emotional depth
✖ UI and inventory management need further refinement
✖ Occasional performance hitches in large structures

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🏆 Final Verdict: Recommended

Final Thoughts:

Enshrouded is shaping up to be one of the strongest survival RPGs in recent years. Its expansive world, challenging combat, and intricate building mechanics offer hours of engaging gameplay, especially in co-op. While its story and UI need work, the game’s strong core mechanics and active development make it a worthy pick for survival fans. If you enjoy dark fantasy, survival mechanics, and cooperative play, Enshrouded is absolutely worth your time.

📢 Share Your Thoughts! Did you play Enshrouded? Let us know your experience in the comments!

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