The Indie Informer

Stepping back into Enshrouded for its sprawling Wake of the Water update is like visiting an old, much-loved friend. It may have been a while since we’ve seen each other, but I can easily pick back up like no time has passed. It’s comforting in a way only nostalgia can be. However, the feeling is elevated alongside my excitement to see and experience new things. Everything seems more radiant as I dove back into the title that has the potential to be my favorite survival game ever.

Standing in a swaying field, I was firmly rooted. Before jumping into the fresh content, I decided to tread familiar grounds to shake the dust off my memory. I hadn’t been back to Enshrouded’s world since it first came out in Early Access, hoping to rediscover the game anew when its full launch inevitably hits. Well, best laid plans often go astray, and I couldn’t resist a quick visit. The glen unfolding around me made that decision worth it.

Talking with the team at Keen Games, I learned the devs had put a ton of effort not only into introducing water to the game, but enhancing the elements that already existed. The field bloomed with sunlight — the result of the team’s work on shading and light. It was the same patch of grass I’d spent dozens of hours in previously, but it was hard to look away. The feeling of being exactly where I wanted to be took hold, and it was difficult to resist the urge to abandon every other game (and a lot are coming out this week!) was palpable.

I’m a creature of habit. So, without thinking as I strolled through the underbrush, I loaded up on resources. Has abundant treasures like rocks, fibres, and twigs populated my inventory, recipe prompts popped up to inform me of what I could now make. A few new ones caught my eye. Water balloons, rain barrels, and a fishing rod caught my attention and reminded me that there was a new world to explore.

With a little behind-the-scenes magic, I was able to load into a pre-saved game. My character looked like an extravagantly adorned Aztec shaman, a culture from which the creators have taken a ton of inspiration for this update. The gear was stunning, and I’m excited to earn it on my own in the future. But I had a very important mission: Find the capybaras.

Perhaps because I had thrown the developers off the rails when I asked to see one of the furry creatures during an earlier presentation, I was pleased to find a family (including one little adorable baby) at my fingertips. Disaster struck. My water-loving pets were not content, having no shelter, nowhere to sleep, and no food.

This drew me quickly to building a home. Constructing structures is not usually my favorite thing to do in a survival game. Some people are artists with walls and roofs. I’m… not. Though I have to say Enshrouded’s building controls are the best I’ve experienced, with fully made walls that easily snap together, I can get a shelter up with little effort. This particular building clothed itself in the reedy walls and grassy roof of a tiki hut — very thematic.

I was content with my perfectly fine attempt at creating a home. My cappybaras, unfortunately, remained displeased. We were both saved by the developers’ thoughtfulness in providing a previously constructed bed, feeding bowl, and special food in a nearby chest. I loaded that house with everything a Cappy could ever want and spent an inordinate amount of time petting my fuzzy friends (they plop down on the ground and smile, and it’s so cute).

Duty always calls, however. Leaving my little paradise behind, I prowled down a winding path lined with broad, fan-shaped leaves. The danger I expected found me abruptly. I discovered my powers at the same time my enemies did, though they likely found the experience less enjoyable. My main weapon, a staff, manifested fireballs, frost sheets, and, extremely effective in a water environment, lightning bolts. From seashore crabs to threatening humanoids, I blasted foes from my path, which terminated in a lake.

Eager to see how swimming felt, I wasted no time jumping in. I thought that my magical powers would somehow make me more than human. They didn’t. I ignored the low oxygen warning blaring on the screen in pursuit of a treasure chest at the bottom of the murky waterway, and I died. Enshrouded is a fair game, happily for me. I lost a few resources to the waves, but my gear and equipment stayed with me as my body resurrected near my home.

It can be difficult to judge when or if you should play a game throughout its Early Access phase. I will typically check it out at the beginning and then pick it up on its final release. If you are at all inclined to revisit this world, I couldn’t encourage you more to get your feet wet in the Enshrouded: Wake Of The Water update.