By fusing the voxel world used in Minecraft with Valheim-inspired visuals, Enshrouded offers an intriguing survival action RPG. In a notable change from Portal Knights, Keen Games now introduces us to his Embervale, an open world tainted by a deadly fog. Keen recently invited me to a hands-off preview of him by his creative director, Antony Christoulakis. Post-apocalyptic survival games are nothing new, but this one is promising.
Playing as Flameborn, the Enshrouded are tasked with dispelling this fog and rebuilding this world from the wreckage. There is no lengthy tutorial to get you started, but you can find help within the journal if you need it. Christoulakis calls it survival friendlier than Valheim. If you don’t eat or drink, you won’t die instantly, but you’ll lose temporary combat advantages such as improved constitution and stamina endurance.
Enshrouded also eliminates fixed class selection and enables a neutral build that can be developed across an open skill net. Skill points earned as you level up unlock new powers, and you’ll find abilities split between Ranger, Warrior, and Mage styles. For example, “Runner” increases sprint speed while reducing stamina consumption, while “Quick Charge” halves the charge time of magic projectiles. There is an extensive set of options available, but if something goes wrong, removing it and returning the skill points is certainly appreciated.
If you’re into architecture, everything is destructible to get new materials. Essential items can be crafted anywhere, but better items are available through crafting tables or NPCs. Don’t expect to find large underground caverns when tunneling, but you can terraform land to build your base. Whether you build block by block or use a pre-defined template, we think this will appeal to both those who appreciate simplicity and those who prefer to be meticulous. The Undo button also reduces potential frustration if you make a mistake.
Enshrouded uses a 25km fixed layout world instead of a randomly generated sandbox. Similar to Link in Breath of the Wild, Glide ability unlocks early for quick exploration. Local canyons, abandoned dungeons, labyrinthine fortresses and caves are just some of the highlights. I’m interested in how the Enshrouded are using lore items hidden within these areas. These items go beyond the details of past events to provide hints as to the location of unique treasures.
Be careful when approaching low areas. Many locations contain dangerous fog known as shrouds. Entering it puts you in a ‘wrapped state’, which sets a time limit for escaping, but can be extended by using items or finding flames. However, when dangerous monsters lurk at this depth, securing safe passage is easier said than done. They can spawn elsewhere, but it’s nice to know they can’t get close to your base.
Better be prepared to fight once you’re in the fog. Choose armor, shields, ranged and melee weapons using the standard equipment system. Prefer something more magical? Wands use mana as ammunition for magical spells, but wands are good for medium-range attacks. Otherwise, you can use basic attacks, shields, parries, or dodge rolls. Watching Flameborn swoop in after hiding among tall plants is a particular delight, and while the combat mechanics feel functional, they could be deeper . My hands-off presentation mostly stuck with sword and shield combos, so I wasn’t able to directly compare them, even though two-handed weapons play differently than one-handed weapons.
Each fog area also has a shroudroot causing problems and is guarded by some pretty imposing enemies. Defeating them will reward randomized higher-level loot. All of these are upgradeable, further unlocking new perks such as extra blunt damage. However, Christrakis confirmed that the fog removal resets and the world regenerates after a period of time. It’s a shame because I prefer that permanent progression, but it reduces the risk of destructive party members destroying your world in multiplayer. You can also replay quests with friends, and Enshrouded supports up to 15-player co-op.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see the Flameborn character creator. Hands-Free Sometimes we can only judge from his demo, but what we have here certainly looks interesting. Taking the more casual players into account also helps balance survival gameplay. Enshrouded will be coming to Steam Early Access later this year, and the full version will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.
