Introduction

I’m always down for an open world RPG with crafting, exploration, and progression — it’s not a genre I love quite as much as I once did after playing so many of them, but I still can’t pass up a chance to try a good one. Developer Keen Games sent us here at SunsetNerdVerse a review copy of Enshrouded — thank you for the code — and after hearing so much positive buzz around this Early Access title, I was genuinely excited to see what the hype was about. I won’t lie though — it took me almost several days to get Enshrouded running on my PC. My setup isn’t cutting-edge, but I’ve played heavier games like Oblivion Remastered and Elden Ring without issue, so the struggle with Enshrouded was unexpected. I’ll get into the specifics later, but the short version is: it took some real work. Once I was finally in, though, the real question became — is Enshrouded being overhyped, or is this genuinely a Breath of the Wild killer? I’m going to find out in our Enshrouded review for PC!

Gameplay

The comparison I kept hearing about Enshrouded — that it plays like Zelda: Breath of the Wild — is accurate in a lot of ways. You build a character using a surprisingly robust creator, then step out into a wide open world to either save it or just build houses. Honestly, Enshrouded doesn’t push you to accomplish anything immediately — my first playable hour after getting the game running was spent wandering aimlessly and exploring whatever caught my eye. As someone who loves an RPG that isn’t constantly grabbing you by the hand and telling you where to go, Enshrouded earns an immediate plus for feeling like a genuine open world experience.

The freedom extends to combat too. Enshrouded gives you an armada of weapons to choose from — twin swords, giant hammers, wands, cleavers, bows — and nothing felt weak or unsatisfying to use. My personal go-to is always dual wielding when the option is there, but I genuinely enjoyed experimenting across the whole arsenal. Enemies aren’t passive either — they’ll flank you, rush you, and try to overwhelm when the numbers are in their favor. Enshrouded makes you feel like a warrior but holds you to that standard in equal measure.

To become that warrior, you’ll need to level up properly — and the skill tree here is massive. It’s split across three main paths — warrior, mage, ranger — alongside core skills and additional abilities woven throughout. Tinkering with it and finding ways to push my character toward something powerful was one of the more satisfying parts of the game.

What I genuinely loved most about Enshrouded is how it makes you feel like you’re constantly growing as you play — not just by grinding through enemies, but by discovering new locations, finding lore books, and completing quests. Every piece of exploration contributes to your progression. That’s how an RPG should work, and Enshrouded nails it.

That freedom does come with a cost, though. Early on, Enshrouded isn’t always clear about what it actually needs you to do. I stumbled through several main quests purely by experimenting with available systems rather than following any obvious direction. I appreciate open design, but a bit more clarity on the critical path — at least in the early hours — would have gone a long way.

The other minor gripe is combat, which is functional but vanilla. Despite the variety of weapons and skills available, the core loop is dodge, attack, and repeat. Compared to other RPGs in this space, Enshrouded doesn’t push its combat to particularly interesting places. I can live with it given the breadth of other systems on offer, but it’s a noticeable gap.

Now — about those technical issues. My PC isn’t high-end. I’m primarily a console gamer — no judgment from the PC Master Race, I respect the dedication — but it’s not a terrible machine either. Enshrouded simply would not run properly until I dug deep into settings and made adjustments I’ve never had to make for other modern games. A quick look at Reddit and various forums confirmed I wasn’t alone — plenty of other players ran into the same walls. Worth knowing going in.

Graphics

I’ll be upfront — I can’t speak to Enshrouded‘s visuals from personal high-quality experience, because the settings compromises I had to make to get it running mean I didn’t see the game at its best. That said, I did my research. Videos and screenshots from players running it at high settings show a genuinely gorgeous game — environments that look almost next-level in places, particularly the water physics and the sweeping open plains. Even at lower settings, Enshrouded holds up reasonably well. It’s not a bad-looking RPG by any measure — I just wish I’d been able to experience it the way it was intended.

Sound

Enshrouded‘s music is solid but not particularly memorable. Most tracks fall into familiar RPG territory — the expected epic battle theme, the appropriately mysterious ambient music in darker areas. It all fits and nothing feels out of place, but the OST doesn’t push beyond what the genre has already done plenty of times before. Average, functional, and forgettable is probably the most accurate way to put it.

Story

What genuinely surprised me about Enshrouded is how novel-worthy the story is. There is a remarkable amount to discover and read in this world for any RPG fan willing to go looking for it. The base premise has you playing as a Flameborn — yes, that does carry a Dark Souls-adjacent ring to it — thrust into a near-destroyed world called Embervale. As you dig deeper, you uncover layers of lore around The Shroud and older entities that may have accelerated the world’s downfall. Honestly, if Keen Games announced they were publishing a novel set in the world of Enshrouded, I would be first in line to buy it. The narrative depth here is genuinely impressive and one of the game’s most underappreciated strengths.

Overall Impression

My biggest wish for Enshrouded is a console release — I need to play this on PS5 or Xbox where the technical headaches simply won’t be a factor. Enshrouded isn’t perfect, and the setup friction is real, but the depth it delivers and the way it delivers it make it one of the better RPGs I’ve played in quite some time.

Conclusion

Enshrouded might not be the true next Breath of the Wild — but what it offers is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. There’s a lot to love here, from the deep, interconnected gameplay systems to a story that has my inner RPG nerd hungry for more. Combat is a little simple and the technical barrier to entry on PC is genuinely frustrating, but this is still an Early Access title with real room to grow. I wholeheartedly recommend Enshrouded to RPG fans — and I genuinely believe that by the time it hits full release, it could be something truly special.