Enclave was first released for XBOX on July 19, 2002 and was released for Windows PC on September 12, 2003. A few years later, on May 22, 2012, the Wii port followed. Publisher TopWare Interactive and developer Ziggurat Interactive now released an improved version for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on June 29, 2023. At a later date, there should also be a PlayStation 5 version. However, the versions are already playable on the current consoles thanks to backwards compatibility. I took a look at the game for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch and tell you how I liked it.
Story and Plot:
In Enclave HD, you embark on a heroic journey set 1,000 years after the events of the original Enclave. You take on the role of an aspiring adventurer whose mission is to stop the demon king Vatar from taking control of Celenheim. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as the once-closed rift between good and evil begins to reopen. Will you fight for the forces of light and defeat Vatar, or succumb to the temptations of darkness and help conquer Celenheim, either way, the missions are different for both sides, only a few parallel each other in some way. However, to play the side of darkness as a minion, you must first pass the side of light. It's worth experiencing both sides, with which you'll also unlock different endings. Enclave HD is fully dubbed in German and sounds incredibly great, the story is compelling and as mentioned before, both sides are worthwhile.
Controls and performance on PlayStation and Switch
The controls are simple and work very well with the controller. On the Nintendo Switch, I would urgently use a Pro Controller, since the camera control with the JoyCons is a bit tricky, but again, you get used to it pretty quickly. Every button press is precise, whether you're doing a little hop or swinging your sword. The button assignments are also good and easy to remember. The performance ran very smoothly on both consoles, the only problem was a game crash every now and then. However, I am confident that a patch will soon fix this bug. The bug occurred on both consoles, but the crash moment was not always right. The loading times are very fast on the PlayStation 4, basically non-existent on the PlayStation 5, and even on the Nintendo Switch the loading time is great with a maximum of 15 seconds.
Battles, characters and cheat function
Enclave is a third-person action role-playing game with a hack and slay combat system that still works very well and is fun, both then and now. If you also prefer the first-person view, you can activate it in the game as well. Each faction has its own characters, for example, for the side of the light you have wizards, huntresses and druids, and for the darkness, berserkers, assassins and goblins. There are six characters per faction, so twelve in total. Each character has its advantages and disadvantages and has its own weapons, so you'll not only wield the sword with shield, but you'll also be able to defeat your opponents with the bow and dagger. In the Enclave HD version there is the function to use cheats. The XBOX cheats of the time work perfectly and allow you, for example, to unlock the campaign of darkness without finishing the one of light.
Improved graphics and sound
In Enclave HD, the graphics have been overhauled, but you can't lose sight of the fact that the game is really old. Nevertheless, the improvements are clearly visible and you won't get eye cancer either. The textures are sharper, the lighting effects are coherent, and there was no edge flicker or other graphical issues on either the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch. With the new improved look, the game hasn't lost its nostalgia value, quite the contrary, the revamped and remixed music is just terrific and gives the game an incredible atmosphere. The soundtrack is great and provides plenty of catchy tunes. A collector's vinyl would be well worth it, should there ever be one.
