Enshrouded – Must-Play Co-op Survival Game With Noticeable Cracks

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• DEVELOPER: Keen Games GmbH
• PUBLISHER: Keen Games GmbH
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Survival / Adventure
• RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2024
• STARTING PRICE: 29,99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

After spending around 70 hours with Enshrouded, I can confidently say that this is one of the best survival games I’ve played in a long time. It’s a game that absolutely thrives when you’re playing with friends, and in that setting, it easily stands alongside titles like Valheim. At the same time, even with all the praise I can give it, there are some pretty noticeable issues that the game still hasn’t fully addressed.

What Enshrouded does exceptionally well right from the start is its sense of exploration. The world is massive, filled with different biomes, secrets, and constant reasons to move forward. The game has grown significantly throughout early access, and that steady expansion is very noticeable. You begin with absolutely nothing and gradually work your way up to taking on high-level enemies, bosses, and more complex quests. There’s always something pulling you forward, whether it’s a new area, a new crafting unlock, or simply the curiosity of what’s around the next corner.

Fluid movement, smart systems, and building that ties it all together

Using tools like a glider and grappling hook makes movement feel fluid and fun, and it’s often tied into light puzzle-solving and platforming, especially when unlocking fast travel points through altars. The Shroud system is another standout mechanic. Certain areas are covered in this dangerous fog that limits how long you can stay inside it, with more dangerous variants blocking your progress entirely until you upgrade your Flame Altar or defeat specific bosses. It’s a really smart way of gating progression without making it feel artificial, constantly moving you toward growth.

Another major strength is how the game supports different playstyles. The skill system allows you to shape your character into a tank, mage, assassin, or something in between, and this really comes into play in multiplayer. Everyone in your group can take on a different role, whether that’s fighting, exploring, gathering, or building. It naturally creates this cooperative dynamic where everyone contributes in their own way, and that’s where the game feels at its best.

Building is also deeply connected to that loop. As you explore and unlock new craftsmen and assistants, you gain access to more building options, decorations, and functional structures. The system is flexible and encourages creativity, letting you design your base however you want. It ties nicely into the overall progression, making exploration feel meaningful beyond just combat and loot.

Gorgeous and relaxing

Atmosphere is another area where Enshrouded excels. The world is genuinely beautiful, with strong environmental design, detailed locations, and a soundtrack that complements everything perfectly. It’s the kind of game where you can just exist in the world, relax, and enjoy the experience, especially after a long day. On a technical level, it also performs well, with enough settings to accommodate different systems, so you’re not constantly worrying about performance issues.

That said, this is where the cracks start to show. One of the biggest problems is progression, particularly when playing in multiplayer. Experience gain can feel slow, and if your group isn’t progressing together, the gap becomes very noticeable. On top of that, certain rewards and progression elements aren’t shared unless you’re physically present, which is honestly frustrating. Being on the same server but missing out on progress just because you weren’t nearby doesn’t feel good, and there’s no real option to adjust that.

Combat, while enjoyable at first, also has its limitations. It’s fairly simple at its core, with different weapon types offering advantages against certain enemies, but over time it can become repetitive. The stamina system doesn’t help either. It drains quickly, especially if you’re not properly rested, and environmental factors like rain can make it even worse.

Blocking also consumes stamina, which makes fights feel more restrictive than they should. It’s manageable, but it definitely needs better balancing because it can become frustrating rather than challenging.

Repetitive enemies and fetch quests, saved by rewarding exploration

Enemy design is another weak point. While the game introduces new enemies as you progress, there’s still a noticeable lack of variety, and many enemy types repeat across different biomes. Combined with fairly basic AI, combat encounters start to feel predictable over time. You’ll still die a lot, which is clearly part of the design, but it can get tiring when the challenge comes more from repetition than from meaningful variety.

Quests don’t help much in that regard either. Despite the large number of them, most boil down to simple fetch objectives: go here, collect this, kill that. They serve their purpose in guiding exploration, but they rarely feel surprising or memorable on their own. Despite these issues, the core loop of Enshrouded is incredibly strong.

Exploration is consistently rewarding, and that’s what keeps you coming back. Whether you’re sneaking into a dangerous area for better loot, discovering hidden locations, or just pushing further into the unknown, the game always gives you something worth your time. It never really feels like you’re wasting time, which is one of the most important things a survival game can achieve.

The amount of content already in the game is impressive, and the fact that it keeps growing makes it even better. From farming and animal husbandry to expanding your base and optimizing your build, there’s always something to do. It’s clear the developers are committed to improving and expanding the experience, and that ongoing support makes a big difference.

The final verdict

In the end, Enshrouded is an excellent survival game with a fantastic foundation. It’s immersive, rewarding, and incredibly fun, especially with friends. But it’s not without its flaws. Combat can become repetitive, progression systems need refinement, and certain mechanics, like stamina and shared progression, can be frustrating.

I believe that while Enshrouded is simple at its core, its mechanics and surrounding systems are easy to grasp, it delves into surprising depth through its resource management and survival elements, which allow the game to expand naturally. This balance already places it among the best in the genre, and if it continues to improve at its current pace, it has the potential to become something truly special. One comment sums it up perfectly: 50% exploration, 30% combat, and the rest survival.

Review copy provided by the publisher