My interest in Everwind, an upcoming sandbox RPG that draws heavy inspiration from Minecraft yet introduces first-person combat reminiscent of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, began when I first saw its trailer and the success of its Kickstarter campaign. As the demo began to soar up the Steam Next Fest charts, my curiosity intensified. It didn’t hurt that the game is published by Bohemia Interactive, the creators behind iconic titles like DayZ and Arma 3, with Ylands being a less celebrated parallel. Eager to explore further, I tried out the demo, and I must say, it holds significant promise.
Developed by Enjoy Studio S.A., Everwind presents a cooperative adventure centered on gathering resources, crafting equipment, and exploring various islands amid the skies and seas using your upgradeable airship. The game’s mechanics feel distinctly Minecraft in nature right from the start. Players can break and place blocks, create essential tools like axes and pickaxes, repair their gear, don some armor, and enjoy a hearty serving of mushroom soup. In a unique twist for survival games, you begin your journey by fighting skeletons instead of punching trees—yes, you read that right; you’re swinging a lead pipe in self-defense!
Currently, combat appears to be one of the game’s weaker aspects, especially for the standard warrior class. Although I’ve heard mixed reviews about multiplayer capabilities, I haven’t tested that feature myself. The demo offers only basic melee combat, which feels a bit rudimentary. You can time your attacks with dodges, block oncoming strikes, and utilize shield bashes for openings, yet I would like to see more nuanced enemy AI behavior. While Minecraft focuses on knocking foes back, Skyrim integrates a richer pacing in its battles. Everwind seems caught between arcade-style fun and deeper complexity, which makes the experience feel somewhat disjointed.
Gameplay Experience
As someone who has always enjoyed Minecraft but hasn’t always stuck with it, I found aspects of this demo quite appealing. The intriguing concept of floating islands is a nostalgic pull for me, enhanced by the prospect of upgrading my airship’s size, speed, and altitude compounding my goals in an impactful way. Controlling the airship is also satisfying; I landed softly on the beach after spotting a watchtower on an otherwise desolate island, then quickly built a dirt bridge to reach the shore.
Imagining the thrill of sourcing specific materials to enhance my airship’s engine while also getting sidetracked by dungeons and caves—my favorite parts of Minecraft—is thrilling. However, the sheer number of items and recipes presented at the start felt overwhelming, with the demo’s tutorial being both too brief and overloaded. Nevertheless, the game mechanics were largely intuitive; engaging in activities like opening chests, crafting tools, eating food, and chopping wood felt seamless, thanks to my prior experience with Minecraft. I completely lost track of time while playing Everwind, which is an excellent indicator of its potential.
This game showcases enormous potential but also substantial risks. So far, however, Everwind appears to be on the right track. With nearly 1,000 positive reviews on Steam already, the demo indicates a promising start.