Recent reviews by h a e

I'm doing my part

5/6/2024: review changed :)

1/2/2025: this game sucks up so much internet bandwidth so that a 2-gamer household cannot play different online games at the same time. I cannot express how much frustration I feel when I can't play online games with my friends because someone in their house is playing Helldivers 2. No shade to the people that want to play, this game just should not be taking up so much bandwidth that it's impossible to play anything else. This is a known issue for at least a YEAR. With no mention from devs. This game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dogwater coded with dogwater anti-cheat MALWARE. Makes so much sense that it didnt win GOTY. You guys have failed spectacularly. I will never reinstall this trash game. Worst money spent in my life. Goodnight.

"No son, we have Breath of the Wild at home."
I had high expectations for a Valheim-esque survival but unfortunately, this is not it. The survival aspect is especially weak as you can collect food without it spoiling, have no weight limit to your inventory and no decay to your base. You can build and receive buffs for being "sheltered" but, that's as far as it goes to consider it "survival." What the game wants you to do, is explore its giant map and storyline thus falling into an adventure rpg rather than a survival experience.
Unfortunately, the story is also weak, as it's revealed to you by reading pages found on your journey with no voice acting, leaving you with a wall of text to decipher. The environment is beautiful at a glance but, as you explore, it feels same-y and predictable. No climate changes to pressure your character, just the "shroud."
My main irritation to this gaming experience, were the puzzles. I'm going to sound like a hater, I don't like puzzle games. This game wasn't marketed as a puzzle game, yet I found myself doing multiple puzzles in order to get better loot or advance the story. This is where I have no choice but to compare Enshrouded to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild franchise. Taking a step back and looking at the game as a whole, it's the wish dot com of LoZ:BotW. Not to mention the chest opening is the same, the stamina UI is the same, the glider mechanics are the same, the combat style is the same....I'm also given lackluster puzzles that would make Link weep.
This game is good if you're looking for a very casual experience with little punishment for mistakes. But for me, I was hoping for more of a challenge and received puzzle :|