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. Much of this game is very similar to that of the aforementioned games, and for a good reason.
Cold Symmetry is not ashamed to state that they are huge fans of the Soulsborne titles. 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. I’m sure those very same people may need to add one more game to that once they get their hands on this.
After playing Mortal Shell for hours on end, I’m hooked on it despite this being just a demo. Read on to find out why.
As previously mentioned, Mortal Shell borrows many elements from the Dark Souls titles. Yet, it offers its own spin on what we’ve all played for the past few years. Combat, item usage, even character selection have all been changed around to the point that even the most veteran of Soulsborne players will need to adjust when playing Mortal Shell for the first time.
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. While games in this genre offer a clear indication of what said item does, you won’t find any of that here. 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. 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.
Again, trial and error are how you’ll identify these items. Along with that comes a familiarity system. The more you use an item, the more you become familiar with it until you max that out. In doing so, that item will become boosted. For example, rotten food that grants you some health will provide more health once maxed out. It’s an odd system at the onset, but I grew to understand it.
I’m not completely sure I agree with it, but then again, I’d have to play the full game to make up my mind.
Oh, I failed to mention that the in-game currency is called “tar.” Hey, I don’t make the things up; I report on them. Gather enough, and you’ll be able to exchange them for upgrades, various items, and so forth. Yeah, it’s called tar.
I found it a bit humorous that there was a subtle jab at Dark Souls when you reached the second area of the preview and met up with the second NPC. There this character informs you of where you are, what’s going on, and remarks that “There won’t be any merriment around a bonfire here..” which was correct, as there wasn’t a single bonfire or anything close to it in this preview.
This game makes me hard.
No, not like that… get your mind out of the gutter. Mortal Shell features a unique mechanic called “Harden,” one that will perhaps be the next thing that countless other games in this genre will copy. Harden is exactly how it sounds. 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. It’s like blocking, but not having a block or at least one you can spam.
You’re able to perform this ability before you’re able to take a hit, even those that seem to be death-causing blows. 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. Pulling it off is satisfying, if not cool looking.
[videopress mqlv5xUb permalink=”false” hd=”true” loop=”true” autoplay=”true”]Initially, I felt that this could break the game, but the devs thought about that and included a cooldown on using the ability so you can’t abuse it. Meaning I had to use it when needed or plan ahead of time instead of trying to spam it and get locked out of using it until it’s ready again. Sure, I used it in a few “oh crap” moments, eventually realizing when to use it and when to suck it up.
You can’t always count on this ability; thankfully if you do take too much damage that it isn’t the end. Enemies can hit you so much that it will cause you to be knocked from the shell you’re borrowing. At this point, any hit can kill you. All isn’t lost as you can jump back into the shell, along with a full health bar. If you get knocked out again or lose all your health after that, then it’s game over.
Let me glimpse into your soul.
Sure, harden is cool and all, but let’s talk about those shells, which the game is aptly named for. Shells, or deceased bodies left from former adventurers that you can process. In the beta, there were just two out of the four that I could play with; a warrior and an assassin—both with different attributes, advantages, and disadvantages.
For example, the warrior was an all-around character, which is a good starting point for many; decent attack, stamina, and defense. While the assassin class was the glass cannon that couldn’t take a hit but could dance around you all day thanks to a higher stamina rating and having a faster movement.
This means that your character choices are preset with no character customizations to be found. There’s an added incentive to find all of the shells. While the preview had both of the shells available and in the open, the devs have stated that the full game would be different, and you’ll have to search for the others.
These shells aren’t just some nameless husks that history forgot, and you’ll eventually learn about the bodies you’re currently inside of. Once you earn enough of the games’ currency, tar, you’ll be able to cash those in to uncover the shell’s name but gain access skills that are specific to that shell as you progress through the game.
This also means that we won’t have to worry about armor sets or upgrade them, which can be time-consuming and detracting from the actual game. That’s not to say that you won’t be able to upgrade gear, as the preview had access to both a long sword that required you to wield it with two hands and a dual hand hammer and chisel weapon. Both of which could be upgraded in different ways.
Then there’s the freedom of swapping out the shells to impose a more challenging time by doing so. Things were easier when I was using the warrior shell, but I had to do more careful when I switched to the assassin’s shell while knowing every hit could be my last.
It’s all about that glorious combat.
When I first played Mortal Shell, I’ll be honest. I was expecting more of the same; Dark Souls combat, and I wasn’t that far off. However, even when playing the tutorial, it was apparent that this wasn’t going to be a rip-off (I say that most sincerely). Yes, there’s a tutorial mode, something that has never been present in any Dark Souls game or, for that matter, any game that emulated the titles.
Combat consists of you using both light and heavy attacks, which can be chained into combos, or you can charge the attacks by holding down the buttons. This, of course, comes with increased stamina usage. Yes, there’s stamina in this game, and yes, it will make you think before you spam your attacks, less you want to get winded.
You also have access to a resource called resolve, parry, dodge, back steps, and even weapon/class-specific special moves. The resolve is important as this is necessary to pull of parries, and going further, the ability to pull off a riposte that rewards you with some stolen health.
You’ll earn resolve by attacking enemies and using various items. That’s not all, as storing enough resolve will also allow you to pull off a special move that not only looks flashy but has some invincibility frames if you time them correctly. After getting a grasp of how the resolve meter works, it opened up the game more as it presented options that weren’t available if you lacked the resource.
Dodging works is just how it sounds, but with a twist. Moving left or right and pressing the dodge button will make you do a quick step in that direction, while double-tapping the button will turn the quick step into a roll. While just pressing the button will perform a back step, with a split second of hardening.
The only issue I had with combat during the demo is that I was surrounded by enemies and pretty much screwed on several occasions. With the lack of a block, faster pacing enemies can close the distance, wreck your stuff, and knock you out of your shell. That wouldn’t be so bad except for when you’re hit out of the shell; you’d still be surrounded and land right in the arms of those wanting to harm you. Now, this isn’t a concern that only Mortal Shell is solely guilty of, but it needed to be pointed out none the less.
This world is alive
The first thing you’ll notice once you get out of the tutorial level is that the world of Mortal Shell is more alive than anything from Dark Souls.
In the first 10 seconds, you’ll encounter a pair of enemies who are crowded around a fire waiting for their food to finish cooking, one with a lute in hand. Approaching them, the pair rise to do battle. Yet when you take one out with ease, it causes the others to state a step back or even fall to the ground in fear. That’s something I’ve never seen in Dark Souls game, and while simple, it stood out.
Past them, you’ll see streams of water with small frogs jumping around, lots of foliage, and trees, while the ambiance of the world fills your speakers or headphones. There’s a hint of environmental damage as there are several bear traps scattered among the level, which will not only hinder and damage you or enemies if stepped in to.
Also, this evil frog followed me around for a while and would poison me if I let it hit me. I didn’t even see it the first few times because it was so damned fast, but eventually, I started looking over my shoulder for it. I’m not too fond of that frog.
While the second level placed me inside a crypt, completed with frightful enemies, lit candles to light the way, if you want your traditional dark level with hopelessness in the air, this level won’t disappoint.
I even encountered a slightly odd yet friendly merchant, along with a cat I could pet. Being one to try everything, I attacked him to see if I could damage or even kill him, which I couldn’t. Instead, he paused and let out a massive attack that could have killed me had I not had enough health.
I’d be remiss not to touch on the enemies in the game. While the preview only presented a small slice of the full game, I found that those I faced were an interesting bunch. A mixture of humanoid characters, undead creatures, lizardmen, an unfortunate guy with many swords stuck inside of his body that he also tosses at you, to name a few.
While the enemies were limited, it was clear that Cold Symmetry put in some effort and imagination, as indicated by the sword guy, and it helped push the dark narrative theme.
The demo caps off with a boss fight with a massive creature called the Enslaved Grisha, complete with swords strapped to its hands and a cage fitted over its head. I’ll be honest, when I first fought this character, he did give me a lesson in pain. However, once I started applying what I learned from the demo, I was able to take him down with little effort. Not satisfied with taking him down only once, I’ve replayed the demo at least 10 times and was able to not only make mincemeat out of him/it? But also got the fight down to trivial levels by going in with a full meter of resolve and using the overpowered special attack.
Take a look at the video below.
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Conclusion
All in all, I enjoyed my time with the Mortal Shell beta. More than I originally thought I would, and I’m glad that the beta is over, as I spent more time on it than I expected I would. It’s the entire reason why my hands-on preview is going up so late.
Though the added benefit of replaying this over and over not only allowed me to learn more about the game and the mechanics but appreciate exactly what Cold Symmetry is going for. There’s so much more I want to touch on, but I fear in doing so would ruin the game for everyone else. You’ll have to wait for the eventual release of Mortal Shell, which should be sometime later in 2020, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
