Mortal Shell

As a diehard Dark Souls fan I’ve played nearly every soulslike, and none have done it as well as Mortal Shell. Not only has Cold Symmetry nailed the fundamentals, but they’ve added their own spin to the formula without being coy about their influences. Mortal Shell is the only copycat that can stand toe-to-toe with FromSoft’s own work, and although it’s considerably shorter than their offerings, it’s no less beautiful, haunting and rewarding.

A successful heir to Dark Souls who improves the original concept, but knows its own limitations.

Far from being a pretender, Mortal Shell is a sometimes exceptional entry to the genre. Its stumbles are noticeable only because there is so much to enjoy.

While Mortal Shell may not stand at the upper echelon of the genre, there's still plenty to enjoy. The combat and world are engaging, and its swappable body system feels unique and fresh. Despite its shortcomings, Mortal Shell brings enough new ideas to the table, and with less pressure and investment required, there’s plenty of freedom to experiment with them.

Mortal Shell is inspired by the Souls formula to twist their combat system with their own ideas. Lights and shadows in the title of Cold Symmetry that, although it presents a good challenge, is burdened by some decisions that slow down the game and some inaccuracies in its mechanics.

Mortal Shell is a valiant attempt at the Souls-like genre. Its dark and brooding aesthetic are unnerving, while the unique mechanics, like the shells and Resolve, offer fresh takes on the tried-and-true combat. These slight changes from the formula create a challenging experience that will have those intimately familiar with the Souls-like genre relearning the basics. Unfortunately, while Mortal Shell has a heart of gold, there are mechanics and core decisions that prevent it from being a truly great entry into these hallowed halls.

The biggest flaw of Mortal Shell is how much it tries to be a Dark Souls game, especially aesthetically, something that makes all of its shortcomings so much more prevalent. Its world is quite small and restricted compared to other soulsborne games, and it lacks in terms of personality, by trying to present a dark fantasy setting so similar to what we have already seen. Nevertheless, it still is one of the most detailed 3D games of the indie scene in it still provides an entertaining 10-15 hours experience thanks mostly to the well-crafted combat system, albeit without deviating from established formulas, and a good variety of nicely designed enemies.

This is my first souls game, I played it because it was on gamepass, and I. LOVED. IT. its not a long game (I wish it was) and story is also not that fascinating but my god the gameplay is so good. I did check few videos of combat as well because at start i was dying so many times but eventually I got it. Also LEARN PARRY, its the most rewarding part of the game and extremely satisfying as well. Deserves no less than 10

7/10 poucas armas, voltar das dungeons é um saco, a cura é ridícula apesar da atmosfera do jogo ser massa assim como o combate

Overall, the game has nice graphics and the combat system is not bad, but the game is quite simple (one attempt is enough to learn all the mechanics of each boss) and the item learning system could work better, but I still liked the game and will probably play it again

It has nothing to do with From Software quality. If you are a huge souls fan I recommend you play it, otherwise I don't think it's worth playing. It contains very easy and low quality bosses. There are boring map designs. Still, if you like Souls, you can check it out.

### **Mortal Shell – A Soulslike That Forgets the “Like” Part**I picked up *Mortal Shell* looking for that classic Soulslike experience — intense combat, memorable bosses, and rich, atmospheric dungeons. What I got instead was a glorified running simulator with the worst dungeon design I’ve ever seen in a video ****’s break it down: **Dungeon Design? More Like Labyrinthine Headache**I spent more time running around in circles than actually fighting enemies. The level layout is so confusing and poorly thought out that I constantly found myself ending up in the **same area I just came from**, only from a different angle — as if someone twisted a maze and forgot to label the exit. Some sections are so large and **completely empty** that I genuinely wondered if I glitched into unfinished areas. Zero enemies, zero atmosphere, just giant hallways for no reason. Whoever designed these environments seriously needs to reconsider their career.️ **Combat: The Lone Shining Light… If You Can Reach It**Boss fights were decent, I’ll give the game that. But the journey to get to them? **An absolute joke.** You’ll have to run a **marathon-length trek** through those same confusing, enemy-scarce hallways just to get back to a boss if you die. No shortcuts, no reasonable respawn points — just a big ol' middle finger to your time and patience. **Item Descriptions? Nah, Figure It Out Yourself**You want to know what an item does? Too bad! *Mortal Shell* gives you **zero info** unless you use the item first — and once you waste it, well, that's just your loss. No forgiveness, no hints, just frustration. This isn't challenge; it's **bad design** dressed up as mystery.🪖 **Shells Are Cool… Until You Try Upgrading**The Shell system — where you can possess different fallen warriors with their own strengths and weaknesses — is actually a **great idea**. It gives you flexibility and encourages experimenting with different playstyles. Unfortunately, the **skill upgrades are mostly trash**. You’ll waste precious resources unlocking garbage-tier perks that barely change anything. What’s the point of customization if it’s not worth the investment? **Final Verdict: Save Your Time, Save Your Sanity**I spent like $2 on this, and honestly, that feels like $1.50 too much. If you’re craving a Soulslike, **replay Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro**, or even other indies like *Lies of P* or *Nioh*. *Mortal Shell* is **not worth your time**, no matter how cheap it is.️ My Advice: **DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.**Save yourself the pain. Unless you want a walking simulator with a sprinkle of combat and a whole lot of bad design, steer clear.