The Indie Informer

My partner and I are both gaming enthusiasts. However, the space is a big one, and we tend to gravitate towards different ends, which is why Enshrouded feels so special. It contains and maintains a multitude of elements capable of engaging players of all stripes. My nearly 200 hours so far have been spent foraging unique environments for special ingredients that might expand my cooking repertoire.

Wandering the changing landscapes on foot, close to the ground and intent on the growing abundance, makes me feel oddly grounded and connected to the beautiful land. When the sun glides into the sky to illuminate the glens or falls into dewy darkness to reveal glowing nighttime plants, I can’t help but stop and appreciate how charmed I am by every realm. Lands closer to my starting base feel increasingly homely and familiar while going farther abroad vibrates with newness.

When I catch the barest whiff of a new kitchen upgrade — cooking station, oven, butter churner, etc. — I will go to the ends of the earth to obtain it. This is where my partner and I team up, as taking on missions often goes so much smoother with at least one other person. Enshrouded is, first and foremost, a multiplayer game. We approach any mission’s location slowly at first, taking in the size and security level. Being a more stealth-built character, I take to the rooftops while my partner, fully armored, heads down the major to draw agro. Taking care of every hostile NPCs this way, I then slip through every building looking for loot and my ultimate goal: Cooking gear.

Back out our base, I install the new apparatus, obtaining new recipes and processing options and set to making everything I can. Occasionally, I’m missing one crucial resource to finish a dish and I set off again, whether to the tropical forest, sun beaten sands, or dense woodlands, to locate a brand new herb. My approach me be slightly left to the typical experience, but I think it illuminates how open the player’s journey can be in Enshrouded.

The awe-inspiring part of all of this is that all of the desperate paths are tied together in a compelling loop to create a coherent game with the potential to appeal to vast audiences. Virtual engineers can delve into raising up intricate constructions. Fighting enthusiasts can throw themselves into taking on the shroud and all the enemies housed and molded by it. Home decorators can scour the land in search of fetching adornments and new resources for furniture. And basically anyone who appreciates a grand adventure will enjoy the world.

I am nowhere near done with Enshrouded, despite my triple-digit hour count. It is going to be a fixture of my off time. I’m almost dreading the day when I will have climbed every slope and uncovered every recipe. I’m enchanted. Some of that is getting to enjoy a wonderfully unfolding adventure with someone close to me and getting to have those shared moments and memories.