Mortal Shell might look, play, and sound like yet another entry in the booming Souls-like genre of games, but developer Cold Symmetry has gone the extra mile to set their title apart just enough for it to deserve the time and frustration of fans of the hardcore Action Role-Playing Game genre. The mechanics are sound, audio design great, and the challenge it all brings to the table is enough to keep players engaged. Without any further delay, let's take a deep dive into the beast that is Mortal Shell.



Right out the gate, Mortal Shell introduces a proper class-based system. As players progress through the story, they can unlock Shells, which in essence, functions like classes. Not only is the "unlock" animation great, but each Shell is also "locked" in character. The first shell players unlock is a knight called Harros. With increased health but reduced stamina, he serves as the stock standard starter class. This is but one Shell players can unlock, with a handful of others sprinkled throughout the campaign to discover. The difference between each Shell is enough to make them distinct, which was refreshing to experience. On the topic, Shells can be changed at pre-determined locations in the game, or by using a specific item mid-game. Some Shells might be better suited for certain scenarios, too. If you keep ramming your head into a wall, why not switch Shells and take a different approach?



As mentioned before, the Shells are locked into character. Developer Cold Symmetry grounds these characters firmly into the game world by introducing a familiarity system. For instance, the tanky Shell Harros, when first inhabited, just serves as a meat suit. By collecting a currency called glimpses, and subsequently using them, will you only discover the name of the
Shell and his skill tree. It's a nifty system that gives meaning to an otherwise bland character archetype. By doing this, players can unlock more information and upgrades for their preferred Shell. This familiarity system also stretches to items you find in the game. The more you use an item, the more familiar you become with it, which in turn unlocks its properties.

The difference between each Shell is enough to make them distinct, which was refreshing to experience.

Though, using an item for the first time, only to find out its a potent poison that chomps down your health can be beyond frustrating, especially when you have not become familiar with an item that can cure said poison. The system has potential sure, but it should be reworked to, at the very least, give equal weight to the risk and reward involved.



With the basic concept of Shells and items out of the way, let us take a look at the core mechanic of the game: combat. The tropes of slow, deliberate combat in Mortal Shell takes center stage, albeit with some extra goodies to spice things up. Firstly, and this made combat a great deal more accessible, is the Harden mechanic. This ability (default L2 on PlayStation 4) sees your Shell take on a Hardened state, which will flinch most enemies if attacked without taking a chunk of your life with it. This might not sound special in any form, but the ability can be used mid-attack animation and can be immediately followed up by an attack of your own. Although Harden is on a timely cooldown, when used properly, can make some fights much more manageable.

Empowered Riposte, an ability that if mastered, can kill some enemies in one shot, is a fantastic addition to the combat system. Using this ability requires resolve, a resource that is gained by attacking enemies relentlessly. Gather two bars of resolve to unleash a devastating powered up move to your antagonizers. This all sounds simple on paper, but in practice requires careful (and on the fly) resource management, and split-second decision making after weighting the risk/reward of your future actions. Mix this with each Shell's unique characteristics and abilities, and you are left with a complex combat system that requires mastering on the player's part.

The tropes of slow, deliberate combat in Mortal Shell takes center stage, albeit with some extra goodies to spice things up.

Mortal Shell also features an interesting second chance system. If an enemy depletes your life, you are essentially knocked out of your Shell. In this state, you are vulnerable to a "one-hit-kill" but are still able to fight. If you gain access to your Shell, you inhabit it with full life. If not, it's back to the nearest checkpoint. An interesting system, to be sure, and one that had me on the edge of my seat constantly.



As is the trend 2020 stands, nothing good can exist without something bad trying to devour it. Mortal Shell does suffer from a few, if not minor, flaws. The environment, for instance, can be a bit frustrating to navigate at times. Don't get me wrong, the character's movement is fluid and weighty, but a small object in the environment can grind you to a halt. Sprinting to the place of your demise feels all the more annoying when your Shell is suddenly stopped dead in his tracks by a stump half the size of his foot. Or not being able to circle an enemy during combat because a rock the size of your fist is denying you pathing.

In a game where your main mean of avoidance and life is movement, these annoyances can betray you to death. If the perfect storm hits, you'll be treated to being stuck on a piece of the environment while an enemy leaps an ungodly distance to swipe at you with his weapon. Indeed, some enemies can have bursts of unnatural (glitchy) speed, or leap huge distances (glitch, again) to get to you. These are more uncommon than being stuck, but they did occur, which is more than enough.



As a last note, and this might be the most important action a player can take: the choice to either let the lute player play their somber songs or attack them and disrupt the melody will decide who the real monster is - the instrument playing creature or you, the monstrous player. I humbly urge players to stay awhile and listen.



Mortal Shell will feel familiar to anyone who has ever played a From Software title. Slow, deliberate combat, atmospheric locales, fantastical NPCs, and a moody score. Though there are some strange enemy AI, borderline unfair, and some environmental obstacles can halt your movement to a full stop, Mortal Shell has enough going for it that these small inconsistencies can be mostly overlooked. The familiarity system needs some adjustments too. Mortal Shell has enough fresh ideas to set itself apart and takes enough inspiration from existing titles to create a unique experience for veterans of the genre and new-comers alike.

*PS4 Review code provided by Playstack