Mortal Shell

After about a decade of harsh but fair games that don’t hold the player’s hand. You would think that the masochistic fad would have faded from the gaming industry spotlight. However, it’s quite the opposite with a wide variety of games giving players a steep hill to climb if they want to emerge victorious. Mortal Shell is another game which provides one hell of a challenge for players and models itself on the souls series.

Mortal Shell is a game that models itself after harsh but fair games such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Nioh, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima. However, it also has the same brutal difficulty and the need for mechanical mastery like games such as Ninja Gaiden and Cuphead. Mortal Shell aims to provide gameplay that really hones in on the defensive and reactive combat aspects of the Souls series but does it live up to the current standard? We find out in our review of Mortal Shell.

A Shell of a Time

Firstly, let’s take a look at the gameplay experience for this game. While the combat system is rough around the edges at times, we have to say that we love the concept. Players will be able to use their shell to harden to stone as a form of blocking or defense, negating the need for shields. Then you can break out of this form and lay down a smackdown on a series of bosses, enemy types and magical creatures. It can be touch and go but when it works well, its a joy to behold. As for the graphical detail, this game is very much inspired by Dark Souls and leans into the behind the character camera and gritty filter approach. The environments are a little more fantastical instead of the more medieval approach of the Souls series but you have to say, they are expansive, well made and suck the player in. Allowing you to enjoy each encounter the game throws at you.

The only downside to this, is that the overall story of this game is a generic and underwhelming one. While Dark Souls and Bloodborne told a great story through the impact of the world and limited cut scenes. Mortal Shell tries to do this and has very limited success. It’s not bad by any means but if it weren’t for the challenging gameplay and gripping core gameplay loop, we doubt many would have persevered to see the climax of this game.

The Verdict

Overall, we would say that Mortal Shell is a decent likeness to the Souls series and honours the series through this initiation. However, it is far from the refined and immersive experience that From Software have mastered over the years. The game has an excellent combat system and visuals that are up the the Souls series standard.

Pros:

• Beautiful visuals
• Fun, unique combat system

Cons:

• Combat mechanics are touch and go
• Story is lack lustre