Enshrouded has finally released into 1.0 after more than two years in early access, and the verdict is rather sterling. The survival RPG sandbox is currently sitting at a “Very Positive” rating on Steam and, much like fellow survival RPG Valheim, players are reporting starting brand-new Enshrouded saves just to experience the completed game in its entirety.
Developer Keen Games describes Enshrouded as “a solo and co-op survival action RPG where your freedom and creativity come first.” Set in an original high-fantasy world, Enshrouded adopts many of the core principles of the fantasy RPG genre, including a magic system and a sprawling skill tree, and these elements have received plenty of love in the 1.0 update. This is most felt with Enshrouded‘s mage class: magic was a viable playstyle during Enshrouded‘s early access period, but it was underdeveloped and just not that fun. Through smart tweaks to moment-to-moment gameplay and a slew of new mechanics, mage builds have essentially done a complete about-face, developing into one of the most effective, enjoyable classes in Enshrouded.
Magic Improvements in Enshrouded 1.0
Keen Games has openly admitted that Enshrouded‘s pre-1.0 mages were lacking, saying that they could use “a little bit of love.” Much of this love appears to have come in the form of nine new spells:
- Mana Drain
- Entangle
- Pillar of Flames
- Blizzard
- Ball Lightning
- Summon Fire Totem
- Summon Ice Totem
- Summon Shock Totem
- Summon Hollow Skeleton
What’s especially nice about these spells is how practical they are; they don’t just exist for novelty, or to pad out build-crafting systems. For example, Pillar of Flames can be extremely powerful, especially against bosses, whereas Ball Lightning is helpful for groups of enemies, dealing passive damage independently of the player. The Summon spells are part of an entirely new Summon spell category, which exists to further deepen build variety within the broader mage archetype.
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Existing aspects of mage builds have been improved as well. For example, the magic skill tree in Enshrouded has been majorly expanded and polished, including both meaningful buffs (e.g. a flat 5% damage increase for wands) in addition to more nuanced, thoughtful enhancements (e.g. chain lightning damage on critical magic hits). Smaller adjustments also make playing as a mage feel a lot better, with new moves like Aerial Wand Attack and Wand Evasion Attack making magical combat that much more fluid and seamless. Even more minute changes, like key tweaks to the magic lock-on mechanic, further contribute to magic being considerably better in Enshrouded 1.0.
… mage builds have essentially done a complete about-face, developing into one of the most effective, enjoyable classes in Enshrouded
Enshrouded’s Enhanced Mages Make for a More Rewarding RPG Experience
If you’re anything like me, then Enshrouded‘s new-and-improved magic options will be incredibly appealing. Like Enshrouded‘s other archetypes, mages need to be light on their feet, able to navigate unexpected or chaotic encounters while improvising with real-time maneuvers. What sets them apart from other builds, such as archers and warriors, is their emphasis on micromanaging. Mages can equip a number of different spells, which are distinct from basic wand attacks in terms of both utility and effectiveness, and these spells need to be individually set and selected in order to be cast.
The result of this spell-casting structure is that mage builds are naturally more tactical and granular than Enshrouded‘s other classes. “Micromanaging” might not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of fun combat systems, but this principle is actually at the heart of a lot of the best action-RPG combat sandboxes. For instance, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feature fast and frenetic real-time combat, but also a tactical pause/slowdown and combat menu, which is navigated mid-fight in order to select special abilities. Without this battle menu, these games’ combat framework wouldn’t be nearly as beloved as it is.
This isn’t to say that Enshrouded‘s other builds aren’t enjoyable in their own right—there’s a certain attractive simplicity to a ranger or tank build, for instance. However, for a certain type of player, one who appreciates a very particular sort of real-time/tactical combat dynamic, the playing as a mage will be especially rewarding. In the most straightforward sense, the proliferation and blossoming of the mage class makes Enshrouded a more robust and complex RPG, not just a better survival sandbox.
The survivalcraft genre is a massively competitive one, in large part because of its variety and consistent forward progress. It wasn’t that long ago that every survival game was trying to be Minecraft; now, they all want to be Valheim and Palworld. To stand out amidst this sea of similar-minded games, survivalcraft releases need an X-factor. Enshrouded‘s has always been its exploration and, at times, its combat, and with more sophisticated magic options in 1.0, combat could further embed Enshrouded in its niche.
- Released
-
October 15, 2026
- ESRB
-
Teen / Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
-
Keen Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Keen Games
