The Line Between Good and Bad
Orginally developed and released way back in 2002 by Starbreeze Studios, Enclave HD is an action RPG that released exclusively on the original Xbox before being ported to PC. Brought back to life by Ziggurat games for the current generation in an hd port, Enclave HD is set in the medieval fantasy realm of Celenheim, where one thousand years before the events of the game occur, a demon lord named Vatar and his Dreg’tar army all but destroyed the realm. In a desperate act to save the realm, the high wizard Zale created a rift around Celenheim, ensuring its survival and protection but now, as the game begins, the rift is closing and evil is on the rise again. I liked how the story is set up through a typical fantasy trope, with it being shown through old medieval texts and mosaics. This sets up the story perfectly for the player to let them know what they are in for. What makes Enclave HD unique for its time and for contemporary players is that the game offers two campaigns both set on either side of the war, coined the ‘Light Side’ and the ‘Dark Side’. The game purposely forces you to play as the light side (unless you want to use an old cheat to unlock the other campaign early) in order for you to truly understand the stakes at play for the realm itself. It makes sense to do this as the dark side can be viewed as mindless grunts serving their lord, whereas the light side adds the human element to the player. It’s a smart choice by the developers and one that benefits both campaigns greatly.
In the roughly 8 hour overall campaign across both sides, the player is tasked with fighting through linear based areas in a level-based structure. It’s both ironically refreshing and retro that a medieval fantasy game like this is not a massive open world game like so many today. The game really benefits from this structure as you hack, slash, shoot and block your way through hordes of enemies. The story of Enclave HD is not going to blow you away in today’s day and age of games like ‘The Witcher 3’ or ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ but it’s a serviceable tale full of your usual fantasy elements. Whether it’s orcs and goblins or mages and druids, this game fills your fantasy needs perfectly fine. Cutscenes are mostly told through the previously mentioned medieval text design but there are some in-game moments such as conversations with the queen of Celenheim or the demon lord Vatar which help flesh out their motives and desires for the player. With a game that revolves around the conflict of good versus evil, it’s important both campaigns have significant endings to them displaying these morals and Enclave HD has made a concerted effort to end both campaigns with definitive statements for each side. Of course story can only hold a linear game like this up for so long. Gameplay will always be king.
A Relic Of The Past
With this being a remaster, the gameplay has remained exactly the same as it was 20 years ago, therefore I struggled to love or even like the gameplay of Enclave HD at times. Choosing from over 12 classes over both campaigns, the gameplay loop essentially boils down to just hack and slash over and over and over. Weapons feel exactly the same whether it be a sword, dagger or axe. No attack feels significantly different to the other, creating such a stale boring loop; I just felt I was mindlessly swinging my way through levels at times. If the developers had added a lock on function for this remaster it could have swung the gameplay loop into a positive light but sadly no addition has been made. Every fight I had across both campaigns just felt like I was winning a button mashing contest, which is fun at first but incredibly tedious and boring by the final level. Ranged weapons can offer slightly more variety for players but again each weapon feels so similar, it’s hard to differentiate, especially with the enemy AI.
Enemy AI is so unbalanced it is laughable at times. Enemies can either come mindlessly charging at you in waves or stand completely still unconcerned that their impending doom is right around the corner. No attack you inflict on your opponent feels weighty, so I felt at times I was constantly staring at the health bar of both the enemy and myself. Other dated game design choices rear their ugly head as well, checkpoints in particular being a mess. Some checkpoints in levels are so bizarrely placed it makes the game quite hilarious at times, particularly when a respawn point is right next to the boss. The gameplay really lets Enclave HD down; amid its engaging story, it’s a dated design that really should stay in the past.
A Mix of Old And New
This generation of games has become obsessed with remakes, ports and remasters, with middling results. Enclave HD falls squarely in the remaster category thanks to a multitude of reasons. Graphically speaking, the game has a typical coat of high definition polish added to its visuals but that’s pretty much it. Environments and characters look exactly the same as they did on launch; it’s what we’ve come to expect in a remaster of an old game like this. Framerate differs wildly at times, dependent on setting and the amount of enemies on screen and this really could have been given some love and care.
Conversely, sound design and the musical score really seem to have been given a new lease of life. Swords clanging off a metal shield and arrows launching from the bow sound fantastic. The sound design really helps create the fantasy element for the game and it’s commendable that the developers have taken time to make it sound so crisp and powerful. What really stands out is the creation of an enhanced soundtrack with over 20 new tracks included. This is a fantastic addition to the game as the soundtrack really is wonderful. Varied for both campaigns, the music feels quintessentially medieval. The score roars loudly during combat, creating tension and excitement for the player and it really helps mask the clunky combat at times. I just wish the love and care put into the sound design and music had made its way into the rest of the game.
Verdict
I hate to use this term but Enclave HD really feels like a cheap attempt at remastering a cult classic. The story still holds up well and a fantastic updated soundtrack helps fans of the original game find reason to revisit. With dated combat, awful enemy design and AI and visuals that really have been left in the past, Enclave HD is a another lack lustre attempt to remaster in today’s era of video games. Better to have been laid to rest in the past.
