Thats the magic of post processing and global ilumination or also called volumetric lightning my friend. That's why even on ps1 textures you have a sense and feel of space and profudity. I learned all this stuff a few years ago messing around with unity and unreal, the importance of the scene building, lightning setup, climate, etc, they are more important than graphics in to contribute to have a live scene that's intriguing and make you wonder for every corner. i remember downloading the best quality assets, 4k textures, pbr shaders, all that good expensive stuff, but if you dont know how to setup properly the scene, and create a interesting atmosphere, its feel like dull, like if the assets are on a shelf, zero interest. So at the end of the day, graphic fidelity and quality in therms of texture and shaders, all that, is the final touch of a game.

@@alan138 You're right. I think, ordinarily, those effects are extremely expensive, so the devs recognized that in an open world setting (and third person character), people tend to pay less attention to close up textures and details. That allowed them to craft something much more immersive than high end games with AAA budgets. It does become more noticeable in the early dungeons, but even then, only if you are consciously looking for it.

The fire and smoke paired with the looks. Really feels comfortable. But enshrouded just adds what I miss in valheim. More freedom in building and more deco.

What having a good Environment Artist does to a mfer

The magic of ART-STYLE

Totally agree. I have 1500+ hours in Valheim and eagerly await the next biome. That being said, to me, the reason you can't compare those two games is because their intended gameplay experiences are inherently different. I think calling Enshrouded a survival game does it a disservice because people go into the game expecting and comparing it to Valheim. I certainly did. It was such a shock when I played the dem that I wrote a whole KZfaq reply to a video stating how it just didn't have the same environment or feel to it. It felt empty and disconnected. Well, it turns out there is a reason for that. Enshrouded is much more Breath of the Wild than Valheim. Once you start playing it like an open world adventure game with an added (best in the business) building system, the game completely transforms. But you don't HAVE to do anything. You don't have to make and use food. If you skip food in Valheim you did a thousand horrible deaths. You don't have to build in Enshrouded. If you don't build in Valheim then...you dead. The progression into new biomes aren't abjectly terrifying due to the design of being under geared and homeless when you enter the new biome. In Valheim, just taking a boat ride to try to locate a new biome puts you in hyper vigilant mode, and for good reason: serpents can kill you and force multi hour corpse retrievals and move too close to a plains biome and you are mosquito food with an even more difficult corpse retrieval. In Enshrouded, at least at this point it's developmental, none of that is even in the design. What is in the design is an open world absolutely stuffed with amazing locations that you find on your way to a quest....only to be sidetracked for hours as you make your way to that original quest marker, just like BotW.

@@Mhantrax spot on , completely agree, two very different games, just yesterday I was telling a friend who's a huge zelda fan that he'd love it, he said 'ah I'm not really into valheim style all the survival and cooking'...so I told him none of that is necessary and its not really a survival game, so now he's interested.

@@Mhantrax I feel this 100%. I hopped in Enshrouded hoping it would be like a custom map version of Valheim with Dark Souls-like dungeons, but it does feel more like Breath of the Wild for sure. As much as I love Zelda though, this game lost my interest not too far in. Mostly because the building for me felt very limited in comparison and also, since the game starts you off at the bottom of a pre rendered map, hopping in a public server was a mistake, as I quickly realized the first few areas were completely looted and world progression was already pushed outwards. On top of that, building a base feels very detached. Yeah I can fast travel, but the further in game you go, the further you feel away from a main base unless you're trying to dispurse outward in smaller camps, or build a base further out but with the consequence of the area being overleveled. In Valheim, the world is eternally explorable since it's procedurally generated. You get the gist of the biome and know what's in it, but the layout is always different. In Enshrouded and BoTW, you really only explore the map once unless you play again at a later day in life after forgotten. So I mean having a static map is cool and all, but it's easily exploitable by veteran players (which I'm sure by NOW there are some lol)

​@@MhantraxI think we can distill your comparison between the two games a bit. In Valheim, all of the game mechanics matter, in Enshrouded they don't. A good game design is one where the development effort you are spending on the game is impactful to the player. The Enshrouded engine has a lot of cool capabilities, but they aren't always put to use in service of the gameplay. By comparison, BotW, ToK, and Valheim, or any other great game, the resources and time spent developing the game went into things that were gameplay centric. It makes no sense to build an amazing voxel engine, if the gameplay that you then implement on top of it, doesn't really lean into it. They spent an enormous amount of time on that technology and the building systems.... but gameplay wise, building is highly optional? What?

Agreed. They aren't the same game. I hated having to constantly eat in Valheim. Not a fan of survival games. I also hated how finicky building was in Valheim. Flattening terrain or shaping terrain was so frustrating. Emshrouded is perfect for me. I get to build all I want and RP in peace. Food is important for fights. It helps a ton when gathering, too. But when you're back at your base... no reason to eat in Enshrouded.

Yeah going hard afk for 30 mins with some lumps of ore 😂

@@razorhunter5571😂😂😂 tell me about it. I just afk and watch KZfaq till then

the stress of a full boat of iron and a serpent spawns behind you

the feeling when you carrying all of the ores you mine from the island to your home base.. unforgettable

Why did you feel it was necessary to mention the pandemic? It had nothing to do with video games.

Enshrouded actually does a great job in this regard because you only really download around 11 GB

And at >2gb you can get ~50+ hours in one playthrough. Amazing optimization

@@olliep6794 tbf Gamefiles need a lot more space as soon as you start exploring your first map and needed space adds up with every new map you discover. Hasn't really to do with optimization and rather with no pre generated map and low res graphics ( which does by no means meant low quality) But I agree, downloading 2 GB and having amazing immersive fun for that many hours is indeed great 👍

Just shows how lazy some companies are with optimization man fr, so much content in 2 gigs based on other games you'd think it's impossible lmao but it's clearly not.

@@WeAsOneRise yeah because there's no maps or high res graphics that need much space lol. That's not optimization, that's design choices 🤷🏼‍♂️

Ye plus enshrouded is like arcade valheim,the fighting is to quick in enshrouded,plus no raids on your base,making your base nothing more then decoration.

What do you mean? It's possible in Enshrouded to aim with a bow like in Valheim (you can aim with RMB and let the arrow fly with LMB).

The tree falling is a stupid mechanic, completely ilogical, out of this world, i don't like it.

@@GecaaaHUN thats not like valheim, in Valheim Holding down the primary attack button draws the bow back, improving accuracy and damage when the arrow is released, in Enshrouded you draw with the secondary attack (a default full draw) and fire with the primary (a default distance), I prefer the valheim mechanism, the power is determined by draw strain (like a real bow) , Enshrouded is a predetermined distance as soon as you press the primary attack, the challenge in Enshrouded is learning or guessing what the predetermined distance is whereas in valheim you have to learn or guess how long you draw whilst considering your stamina and the arrow fall...maybe this isn't the case on the console version of valheim because I'm not sure how it would work but on PC its great, really responsive and you can fire quickly if an enemy is close by.

@@tincustefanlucian7495 I assume you're joking, trees falling down when you chop them down is illogical?? You can't be serious. On a serious note its one of the best features I've seen in any game in years, we've use the mechanism as a defence, we grow then on a hill and when enemies are attacking from below we cut them down and let them roll down ontop of them, also when you're in a multiple troll fight in a forest and hiding behind trees and the trees are taken out by the trolls.. its brilliant. Also how a felled tree will sometimes catch on other healthy trees and lodge into them or possibly damage them or even take them out aswell..the whole tree mechanics is just fantastic

​@@tincustefanlucian7495I agree. It's cool for the first few times then it became an unnecessary gimmick...

its garbage

for your millenial ass, sure. for us its amaZing@@14k46

@@14k46garbage is your life, that game is perfect.

yup. too bad for @14k46 maybe he just cant beat the game lol

@@Daveruz no need to attack him because he thinks a game is garbage 😂

You forgot that digging outside your limited base ring in enshrouded is pointless, considering the moment you log off the land goes back to being untouched.

its not pointless you obviously dont know how to use the mechanics right, instead of going all the way around somewhere you can now dig to the top @@thuff86

​@thuff86 id rather have that. You'd render whole sections of the valheim map unusable after too much terraforming and building. The game turned into a slideshow until you moved to a new section.

@@thuff86 I have used the digging (outside limited base ring) in Enshrouded to bypass land barriers and create my own custom routes and access areas I could not otherwise.

True, but you can always place roof on your trenches or dig into rocks or underneath stuff in Valheim to provide a roof for as you dig deeper into the ground.

Both of em give a good dopamine hit

Looks are nice, but looks ain't everything. Amiright?

Valheim has "Hildir quests" since moths, but not at the same level as Enshrouded.

@@bodid50 What exactly are you getting at though?.

The key difference is that Valheim has soul and Enshrouded doesn't

haha i agree. Valheim is great

And dungeon music is creepy asf

had the same thought

You meant what he did with the rake in Enshrouded? Might didn't know you can change the angle 🤷🏼‍♂️

At a guest I'd say it's because he was paid by Iron Gate to try to paint Valheim in the best light. The bias is so thick it becomes unconvincing by the two minute mark.

@@davidcooke8005 Or they have a personal bias that supports Valheim.

@@davidcooke8005 Why are Valheim's evasions rubbish?? (before I say I've never played, I have 800 hours on Steam)

well said :)

i feel like valheim almost requires you to play with someone. just for all those funny moments

Uhh no, they're literally competing in the exact same space. Calling Enshrouded 'quest based' is like saying Starfield is a deep RPG akin to Baldurs Gate. Neither Enshrouded nor Valheim has much of anything going on there. Same exact competing space.

@@derpderpin1568Baldurs gate is shit 😂

why are yo usaying that?@@br5073

Disagree. When you open the map on each game, Valheim has only a few icons on the map. The enshrouded icons overlap each other. Valheim is less "structured" and maybe allows more freedom. Enshrouded is more quest based for sure though. @@derpderpin1568

​@@derpderpin1568That's not true. Enshrouded does have quests, have you even played the game? The quests are more like mmo (wow) quality fetch quests though. Been a while since I played Valheim but I can't remember any quests. I didn't get that far in Valheim, other games got my attention so I quit. Enshrouded at least has quests from the very beginning.

*best survival game of 2021

Still in early access, huh

@@psevdonim481 early access just means devs are updating and adding new content before launching game complete and then optimisation,where as Valheim requires no optimisation and content is always been added and improved. This compared to some of the trash games that come out now by big studios that are crap and run like its been released on Atari( old game console form the 80's).

@@michaelvial125 after the ashlands game will end right?

​@@thealpha3270no, they planning to add content on sea aswell since not much to do there except sailing to another part

I never build moats in valheim because of that anymore. it's just more fun when the mobs can get in.

Enshrouded has a default setting of snapping. It is on a 2x2 grid. Turn it off and you can build anything in any way, working with as little as a 1x1 block. You can repair and rebuild any structure in the game. I recommend watching a couple videos on building in enshrouded. It can do everything Valheim can, except build off the 90-degree plane, and also offers more. Unfortunately, the game doesn't tell you much in terms of building and repairing and leaves many players lacking in the fundamentals.

keep in mind, enshrouded isnt out yet and will have options for difficulty later and they are considering ways for enemies to attack bases or near it on the website for voting. everyone is comparing a game already released over years of work to a game that came out less than 2 months ago that announced its not done but it is currently playable

@@sanjayw9878valheim is early access just like enshrouded. there's still at least a complete biome waiting to be done.

​@@babstra55hasnt valheim been in that state longer though. I say let Enshrouded cook. It may even surpass it some day. Who knows.

💯

One IS better than the other

@@SWBGTOC That was a struggle.

@@SWBGTOC subjectively yes but that's about it 😉

it is a competition in terms of only 1 product can occupy your time at once. I think replay value matters the most. So far Valheim takes it. But with time, maybe valheim will never be optomized and Enshrouded will find more ways to be infinitely replayable with mods and servers like how Valheim is currently. Enshrouded is considerd better based on numbers. More players currently playing and higher 24hr peak in such a short time from release. In time it will pass the all time peak possibly

I feel so too. Valheim is great but Enshrouded has everything I always missed on Valheim.

@@sonoftristram like what ? Does Enshrouded have NPC companions ? like in Palworld. ( I don't like Palwords goofy ass NPC's )

​@@lestamon6950far less tedious resource farming, quests, very smooth gameplay, a very well designed map, a skill system, much more build options and overall a whole lot mire content. No actual NPC companions, it's nothing like Palworld at all 😂 Valheim is a great survival game but I prefer the mix with adventure and RPG elements like Enshrouded has. World is only 25% the size of what we'll get on full release..

@@sonoftristram i feel thet quests, and class systems, etc stray to far away from the survival esq theme of valheim and more into a RPG. especially with builds having no threats, like weather, raids, and such. aswell as enshrouded being the same all the time and knowing where everything is at all times being to repetitive.

@@seamusthestout462 yeah because Enshrouded is more RPG than survival. It's an RPG with survival influence and that's pretty much what even the devs themselves say about it. I like a fix handcrafted world over procedurally generated worlds. Valheim feel way more repetitive to me tbh. To Me Enshrouded has the better exploration, better movement, looks more appealing to me, has the much better build system and better combat. All just my subjective opinions here. Valheim is a great game that's never been a question here, I just like Enshrouded more.

So true

They're not exactly the same genre to be honest. The reason you will like Valheim is not necessarily the reason you will like Enshrouded. Valheim is a brutal, survival-exploration sandbox game and Enshrouded is a survival-esque RPG with sandbox elements. People like Valheim because with simple elements, it successfully makes you believe that every milestone you accomplish is worthwhile and noteworthy. One such thing is the simple act of baking bread. You have to raid Fuling villages one after another for their Barley, establish your own fortress in the deadly Plains, then invent windmill structures to process the grain. Only after updating your cookware and creating a sufficient amount of flour can you make the barley bread. It pays off, and that sort of progress means a lot to players. I think Enshrouded has a little bit of that feel too, but instead of a procedurally generated world, it mainly feels good because there are more advanced combat mechanics and dungeons. The exploration is on point when it comes to any sort of structures I think. Even though I just said a lot of good things about both games, I don't really think Enshrouded is a very complete experience at all though. It's very much a weird souls-like game that combines elements from many different open-world games and sandboxes, but ultimately feels unpolished as far as core features go. There's not much at stake, and pretty quickly the player starts to see through a lot of the design choices that exist only to artificially extend the time players spend in the game. Early access ofc and much younger, so it could change.

​@@AeyakSExcellent comment, and I agree. I am playing Valheim at present, it is far more rewarding than Enshrouded. Enshrouded is souless in comparison.

you should give it another go someday, it's a beautiful game :)

well valheim sure has less content so you got your wish there my man :D

Haha This is one of the most boring and repetitive survival games out there. And the devs don't know how to do anything other than place mobs every 10m to fill a map with extremely bland biomes

What? Fog doesn't kill you, violent waves destroy boats but not fog

food cooking to late? game is only 25% complete..end game stage will eventually be level 100.

@@michaelvial125 You can cook multiple items at the very start of Valheim. In Enshouded, its a chore until you get the cooking pot. Cooking multiple foods at once, or a stack of a single food source at once should be available at the very start. For newer players I can see that mechanic being incredibly annoying especially with stamina being a vital part of gameplay.

​@@redspectrenine9632while I agree that the cooking pot could be available a bit earlier I can't see it being a chore early on since food buffs last longer in Enshrouded and stam as well as stam reg comes from gear, fluids and sweets that you don't have to cook and same with stat boosts + you get permanent stat increases including health and stamina from the Skilltreue while in Valheim you're nothing without the right food. Just cook a hand full pieces of meat when you're at your base and you're good to go. Cooking up entire stacks of food is by no means any necessary. I never spent longer than a few minutes to prep food for several in game days

Wtf? How is that even possible?

Because valheim is super unoptimised, no matter Linux/windows, it runs bad and stuttery in the dense woodlands.

you should def. try it, tho i've invested a coupled of hundreds hours in Valheim and reaching my first hundred in Enshrouded soon, both games play completly diffrently but are an amazing experience in their own ways, yes Valheim got water and water traveling but in Enshrouded you can fly which makes traveling much more fun than in Valheim, because in Valheim sea traveling is slow. In Enshrouded you are far more mobile. I dont think its right to compare them as a contest, they are both amazing games. And since Valheim is in EA since '21 and Enshrouded just came in EA and got as much or even more content than Valheim does at this stage, i think thats noticeable too.

@dragonlord4643 cool, it will Inevitably happen. I like to play these games with my dad or daughter or both. Right now looking at doing Sons Of The Forest next. After that, it will likely be Enshrouded.

Please don't write "EA", you are scaring people.

the game isnt even done and people are comparing it to a game that was in the works for years, they literally said it isnt done. I play both and never understood why people think getting one of something means you are against getting another of something. I had a lot of fun with enshrouded it has a similar feel but they are different games

@sanjayw9878 the one thing I wish valheim has is a magic system. I hear enshrouded has one. I'm excited about that.

Because you now have Enshrouded to do it in 😁

that's the one thing I miss too. but they'd have to recode the world generator to fix that, and it would probably be heavier to run. which would be super problematic with as dense vegetation. maybe next game they make?

@@babstra55Perhaps this is a feature of game engines. Enshrouded is developed on its own Holistic engine. Valheim is developed on Unity. Although, I absolutely don’t understand why in Red Faction (2001 !!!) it was possible to dig any cave by c4 explosives, but not in Unity in 2024

It's just the different biomes and boss locations being in different places but other than that Valheims worlds feel pretty much the same every time simply because the world gen isn't that exciting. Mistlands are a nightmare to traverse but biomes are pretty much the same in every run. Love Valheim but I prefer a well made handcrafted map that filled with interesting locations than a randomly generated one that always feels the same.

I'd argue that it hampers Valheim's replayability. All a randomly generated map means is a bland map devoid of personality. Procedural generation is nowhere near powerful enough yet to make particularly interesting maps in most cases, and it certainly applies to Valheim. It might help for game where you're expecting to play short runs over and over again, such as roguelikes (for example, Binding of Isaac or Slay the Spire), but it works against games like Valheim, where the expectation, generally speaking, is to spend longer on a single playthrough, with possible later playthroughs for people once they eventually get bored with where they were in the game. More variety is not even remotely similar to more quality. For some gameplay loops more variety, regardless of quality, is the lifeblood, but for open world survival games (particularly one where you can either respawn or are likely to survive for long periods of time), quality becomes far more important.

beta for ashlands just dropped. its gonna be awesome

​@@nawack2774 sorry than u didnt play it enough to judge :) Enshrouded u need only a few hours to play completly thru and craft all. Also the Mainquest are over in like 2-3 days of playing. not so in Valheim. Boats Ozean/Sea i dont know what u played but devinatly not Valheim before 😜

And you get to keep your stats. Sucks drawing a shitty seed where you can't find any easy swamps so you get stuck at iron unless you jump to a new seed.

Valheims water is terrible though. The swimming system is really bad. There's one monster in the water. The boats feel very very unrewarding, especially the final one. Water has no physics at all and only exists on one same height plane for the entire planet. It's really not good in any way.

Agree!

Building in Valheim is much better because it has physics and structural stability system. No floating in the air. Also it actually feels like you're building something, especially with logs and bricks.