PLATFORM: PC, PS4, XBOX ONE (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The latest in a long line of Souls-like games, Mortal Shell very much wears its influences on its sleeve but makes enough changes to feel new and exciting. Players are cast as a frail, withered husk of a human, able to withstand no more than a single blow from even the weakest of enemies. To gain power, you’ll need to possess the bodies of various corpses – the mortal shells of the game’s title. Four fallen warriors can be found, each with individual skill trees that can be upgraded using the game’s answer to souls (which, naturally, are dropped upon death but can be reclaimed on your next attempt). Inside a shell, your health and stamina bars become much longer, although any finishing blow from an enemy will knock you out of your body…
There are tons of useful items to find, and using these items builds up “familiarity” which reveals additional effects, rewarding players who take the time to explore the environment and experiment with what they find. The world itself isn’t as big as those seen in other games, but it’s wonderfully oppressive and atmospheric. It’s also full of secrets, which will suit players of an inquisitive nature.
Mortal Shell isn’t the easiest game to get your head around. It leaves players to make sense of the game’s world all on their own, and it’s also brutally difficult until you manage to snag a few upgrades. Having said that, it’s absolutely worth persevering with. When it all clicks, Mortal Shell reveals its true form as a genuinely excellent Souls-like. It strips away some of the more cumbersome aspects of similar games and throws in a few new twists that are sure to please genre veterans, and four available “shells” effectively equals four different characters to play with. It doesn’t overstay its welcome either, which is always appreciated!
