PlayStation 4 code provided by Cold Symmetry
When I first heard about Mortal Shell it was because of the comparisons drawn from the Dark Souls franchise. I know that the Souls games have a specific way of play and feeling to them. I'd never played a Souls-like game before so I went into this with no preexisting standards that I was holding it to.
Upon playing the game, I became enthralled in its method of adapting to its fighting mechanics and the enemies encountered. Even though I died over and over I never lost the hope that I’d finally outsmart the enemies that kept getting the better of me. Mortal Shell offers an addictive experience. This is one that I will keep coming back to, to get my fix.
Story
You play as the Foundling. A ghoul-like being who returns to the mortal coil to fight the evil that is inhabiting Fallgrim. As the Foundling, you posses the mortal shells (bodies) of fallen warriors who have the strength to carry out your mission. You’ll stumble upon Sester Genessa, a spectral being who will provide assistance in uncovering the past and strengths of your mortal shells.
Mortal Shell doesn’t focus too much on its story but that doesn’t mean that it’s nonexistent. You can find lore and clues to the story just about everywhere. There’s the dialogue with merchants and NPCs that offer vague clues here and there. Most lore comes in the form of ancient texts scattered throughout the world.
Gameplay
As the Foundling is extremely weak, you’ll always want to use one of the four mortal shells that can be found throughout Fallgrim. Combat is brutal and the enemies don’t care whether you’ve grasped how the fighting works or not. I died a lot in this game, but it never deterred me from continuing on and learning from my missteps.
The weapons have a feeling of weight to them in your attacks, which means that timing is everything. A combo of light attacks and heavy attacks are a sure-fire way to make short work of your combatants. You’re offered a lot in terms of defenses as well. Dodging and rolling are a big help but the parrying and hardening offer the true way of defending yourself.
Parrying with perfectly timed riposte allows you to use your opponents’ attacks against them. These have to be timed extremely well to be effective, otherwise, you’re just opening yourself up for another attack. The Foundling’s main line of defense is his hardening ability. When activated, it covers you in a hardened, rock-like armor. It blocks one incoming attack and can be used before or during your attack. It helps to shake up combat and offer more strategy to its combat system.
Enemies are extremely difficult, with even the mindless lemmings often killing me while my back was turned. The bosses themselves are unforgiving in the swiftness and power behind their attacks. It was fun to learn their weak spots and patterns. I felt fulfilled when I would finally kill them on what seemed like my millionth attempt. While the enemies are grueling to fight I never felt that the game was cheating me or being unfair. It’s all about learning the combat not only of your shells but of the demented creatures around you.
The shells you find around Fallgrim act as different classes to play around with. Each one offers its own unique fighting style and abilities. By killing enemies, you’ll pick up tar which can then be used as a currency with the merchants in the game. If you visit Sester Genessa she’ll take the tar in exchange for more information on your shells allowing you to unlock new abilities and talents that they once knew.
Tar can also be used in purchasing the game’s vast number of consumables. Besides purchasing them, consumables can be found in all of Fallgrim and its many different biomes. The more you use them the more your familiarity in the game will grow. Things like poisonous mushrooms will soon make you impervious to poison the more times you digest them. There are other types of magic items at your disposal in times of distress such as effigies that allow you to switch shells on the fly.
Fallgrim is an expansive place with so much distinctness in each of its areas. The main area of it is a murky bog filled with vagrants and homicidal maniacs. It’s laid out like a maze and often times I’d find myself in the exact opposite direction I was supposed to go because I had missed a turn. Even though I’d run through the same place dozens of times I never felt like I wanted to tear my hair out as the world had so much I had to watch out for.
Enemies would hide in nooks and crannies in trees, behind rocks, and so on. There are hidden locations throughout the playable areas allowing for quick escape routes when I was being chased on my last drop of health. Sometimes I’d find myself on the other side of the secret passage with another murderer smiling at me just before my demise. Everything was done cohesively to create a fun but horrifying place to fight monsters.
Visuals
When looking at the game’s visuals, it’s hard not to be awe-struck at times. The bog specifically reminds me of depictions of the Grimm Brothers’ stories. The monsters have a nightmarish look to them which makes the child in me cower in fear. This is a game I’d personally set time aside for every year around Halloween to get the creepy vibes without it being a straight-up horror game.
I appreciate the gothic feel used in its monsters and environments. No two areas ever felt like they were too similar. While that’s true, they didn’t feel disjointed either. The same style and themes oozed into each area without making it feel like the same place with a different finish.
Audio
Sound design adds a great ambiance to the entire experience. Some of the vagrants play songs on their lutes which stopped me in my tracks at times just so I could hear them play. Once I’d gotten too close for comfort I’d hear them play the wrong cord and see them toss the lute aside to come my way. Weapons and attacks have a beefiness to them to drive the point home that each fight is a life or death scenario.
Dialogue is satisfyingly eerie in its delivery. There aren’t a ton of people to talk to but the ones with a voice sound perfectly ominous. Again, it’s the attention to its ambiance and making it spooky but not scary. I couldn't get enough of it.
Replayability
Mortal Shell offers great value in your return to the game. Each shell offers different ways to cut down enemies giving way to multiple playthroughs. Even without including the shells, I see people returning to the game after beating it to see if they can finish it quicker in a speedrun. Lastly, the game is just plain fun through and through. I can’t say that I’ve played a game that beat me up so much but kept me wanting to overcome it as this game has.
What It Could Have Done Better
I really just wish there was more story at the foreground of the game. It would’ve been nice if some of the lore placed around Fallgrim had been told to me by an NPC instead of me just picking it up myself. It isn’t a dealbreaker for me, but it would’ve been a nicer addition to the overall experience.
A more clear direction on what my goal is and where to go would’ve been appreciated. As someone new to the genre, it was unclear at times where I should even be going. The freedom that the game gave me was overwhelming at first. I think other newbies would feel the same way.
Verdict
After years of people speaking fondly of the Souls-like genre, I can finally say that I understand what draws them back. Mortal Shell has opened my eyes to a new gameplay experience that I won’t take for granted. With its awesome visual style and learning-curve driven combat, this isn’t a game that I will put down indefinitely. I appreciate its dedication to its genre and for the fun time, I had with it.
