![]() I was expecting more of the same Dark Souls combat, and I wasn’t that far off. ![]() When I first played Mortal Shell, I’ll be honest. Pulling it off is satisfying, if not cool looking. You’re also able to use this during combat, such as striking and then using harden to negate the incoming attack and causing blows and even projectiles against you to bounce off. You’re able to perform this ability before you’re able to take a hit, even those that seem to be death-causing blows. It’s like blocking, but not having a block or at least one you can spam. At any point during the game, you’ll able to become harder than a piece of a petrified tree, providing a few seconds of invulnerability. Mortal Shell features a unique mechanic called “Harden,” one that is perhaps going to be the next thing that countless other games in this genre will copy. No, not like that… get your mind out of the gutter. What else is new? The danger is my first, last, and middle name! Oh, and Sister Genessa is a hottie… but don’t tell her I said that. There are a few others, but then I’d be getting into spoiler territory, and I rather not do that. Gather enough, and you’ll be able to exchange them for upgrades via Sister Genessa, an NPC that you’ll be very acquainted with during your time with the game, and purchasing items via the grotesque but friendly merchant. There is an in-game currency called “tar,” which is the equivalent of “Souls” if you’re of the Dark Souls school. It’s an odd system at the onset, but I grew to understand it. ![]() For example, that rotten food that grants you some health, once maxed out, will provide more health. In doing so, that item will become boosted. The more you use an item, the more familiar you become until you max that out. Along with that comes a familiarity system. Trial and error is the only way to identify what these items can for you. This is an odd decision, especially if you’re hunting around for an item that heals you, only to use one that instead buffs your stamina. Instead, when you come across an item, it doesn’t tell you much of it, and you’re left with using that item to understand its usage. While games in this genre offer a clear indication of what said item does, you won’t find any of that here. While I’ll touch on both combat, character selection, and more later in this article, I did want to mention a bit regarding items and their usage in this game. Then again, it just could be that I’m a fan of the game, but after hours with this game, I feel that the love is warranted. Yes, this is a Dark Fantasy game, but that’s not a bad thing as there’s more than enough personality here that allows for the game to stand out amongst the crowded genre. Combat, item usage, even character selection have all been changed around to the point that even the most veteran of Soulslike games will need to adjust when playing Mortal Shell for the first time. ![]() Yet, it offers its own spin on what we’ve all played for the past few years. But if you’re here for gameplay, well, let me be the first to open the door for you.Īs previously mentioned, Mortal Shell borrows many elements from the Dark Souls titles. So if you’re looking for even an inkling of a story, you want to wait for those YouTube videos that dissect the world. ![]() That all said, it’s not perfect, and yes, the story or lack of the story is just as cryptic as that of the games’ main influence, Dark Souls. Even after beating the game for this review, I’ve dived back into the game several times since then because I adore it. Yes, I’m a huge fan of Soulslike games, and Mortal Shell is no exception. How long did it take to beat the game: 8 hours Platform(s): PC (reviewed), PS4, Xbox One After playing Mortal Shell for hours on end, I’m hooked on it. Mortal Shell pays homage to those and manages to offer several fresh takes on the formula that many deem as some of the best dark fantasy games ever made. Much of this game is very similar to that of the aforementioned games, and for a good reason. Mortal Shell, the next title in a long line of games that have attempted to emulate the formula that Fromsoftware created with its Demon’s Souls / Dark Souls titles, is an interesting one. Soulslike fans are gonna eat this up like tar. ![]()
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