Enshrouded Review
Out Now
Version tested: PC (RTX5090, 9800X3D, DDR5 32GB)
In a genre often defined by survival mechanics and crafting loops, Enshrouded emerges not just as another sandbox title—but as a blend of exploration, base building, and action RPG elements. Over its early access run since January 2024, the developers have improved many systems, while retaining a uniquely welcoming approach to survival gaming. Let’s break down what sets Enshrouded apart.
Enshrouded unfolds across Embervale, an expansive, voxel-crafted world filled with crumbling ruins, lush forests, fog-shrouded lands, and a sense of endless wonder. The game excels at turning exploration into a joy rather than a chore, with deep locations that reward curiosity and even double as mini-dungeons—with combat, secrets, and loot loops that are satisfying to uncover. Players routinely find themselves drawn off the beaten path by visual cues and environmental intrigue, often losing hours to hidden wonders.
The building system is nothing short of stellar—widely regarded as “the best building system in the survival genre”. Its voxel-based construction tools allow immense creative freedom. Whether you’re building a humble shelter or dreaming up a mountaintop village, the system feels intuitive and robust. Coupled with meaningful crafting mechanics and base development, it’s a system that feels both rewarding and accessible.
Combat in Enshrouded is serviceable but possibly the game’s weakest link. It’s fluid and offers variety—melee, magic, and ranged archetypes; dodging and parrying—but lacks the depth or enemy diversity to sustain long-term engagement.
The talent and archetype system encourages customisation between melee, magic, or ranged builds and brings in traversal tools like the glider and grappling hook, adding movement depth. Still, progression and combat rely on fundamentals rather than innovation.
Enshrouded supports up to 16 players, and Enshrouded leans more toward casual co-op rather than competitive survival. There’s no need to micromanage hunger, thirst, or fatigue; the game prioritises smoothness and shared adventure—much like Valheim’s approach, but with fewer restrictions. Players can contribute to quests even while offline, though there’s still room for richer multiplayer systems.
On the visual front, Enshrouded consistently dazzles. The world—shrouded mist, sunrise-tinted landscapes, ruined towers—can be breathtaking. However, graphical fidelity comes at a cost. Even on high-end rigs (e.g., RTX 5090 with DLSS), everything cranked up, and the game looks impressive, but expect lower fps without some DLSS intervention.
The devs are constantly improving the game, and it continues to evolve. The Wake of the Water update introduces dynamic water systems, a lush tropical biome, irrigation tools, rivers, water wheels, swimming progression, fishing mechanics, and new aquatic enemies.
Verdict:
Enshrouded is an imaginative survival-world builder that thrives on exploration and creativity. Its world is stunning, its tools for building are top-tier, and the freedom it grants players is rare in modern open-world survival titles. While the combat has room for improvement and performance wobbles remain, the game’s expansion roadmap is compelling, and community response is strong. If you crave sandbox exploration with aesthetic and mechanical depth, Enshrouded offers that in spades—especially as it just keeps growing.
Score:
8.1/10
Please don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
The code was provided free of charge for my honest and unbiased review.
Pros
- Pros Cons Gorgeous, expansive world that makes exploration feel magical
- Outstanding voxel-based building system allowing true creative freedom
- Accessible survival mechanics; smooth and enjoyable for co-op play
- Constant development, with new updates like water, fishing, and aquatic biomes planned
Cons
- Combat can feel shallow, with limited enemy variety and combat depth
- High PC specs needed to run game at full throttle
