Mortal Shell was announced two months ago, and it got us and other Dark Souls fans excited. Now we finally got to take a look at the game in action, and we have to say the excitement was more than warranted.
In an interview with IGN during the website’s Summer of Gaming event, the developers at Cold Symmetry shared some details and demonstrated the game for 15 minutes. Take a look:
In Mortal Shell, you play as an “empty vessel” and harvest sacred glands by order of the Dark Father. You’ll roam a shattered world, but not necessarily alone – you can inhabit the shells of fallen warriors and utilize their abilities.
There are four types of playable Mortal Shell, and you can find all of them pretty early on. But to fully unlock each shell’s potential, you’ll have to learn about their past. The more information you uncover, the better your connection with the shell becomes, and the more abilities you can use.
As seen in the gameplay video, you’ll collect consumable items and weapons which you can upgrade. You’ll have to take a chance on the consumables since you can only discover what they do by using them. In addition, the “familiarity” mechanic will allow you to reveal more details about these items by consuming them often.
Mortal Shell is non-linear, so you’re free to explore the world as you wish. You won’t have a map (not even a mini-map), so you’ll have to study the terrain to know where you are and how to get where you want to go. You might find some areas very difficult with one type of Shell and slightly less complicated with another, adding a strategic aspect to the game.
As in many Souls-like games, you’ll have to maintain your HP and stamina, attack only when you have an opening and study your opponent’s pattern and rhythm. Dodge, parry, and strike – utilize everything that can give you an edge. If you reach 0 HP, you’ll be thrown out of the shell, and you’ll be very, very vulnerable.
But if you’re a really hardcore player, you can try playing the entire game without ever using a shell. You only have 1 HP in your natural form, but if you’re looking for a challenge – there you have it.
Mortal Shell is about 20 hours long, and don’t expect any pointless activities like collecting rats. This game will exhaust you without tiresome side missions. You’ll face fearsome creatures that won’t show you any mercy and will punish you for every little mistake. The boss fight presented in the interview looked intense, and it was one of the early ones.
Cold Symmetry stands behind their words of releasing the game in Q3 2020 and had a surprise announcement at the end of the interview. There’s going to be a Mortal Shell closed beta Between July 3 – July 10.
The devs will distribute several beta keys on their social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Discord) and to people who subscribe to their mailing list.
To participate in the beta you’ll have to be over 18, have an internet connection, and accept their User Agreement when redeeming the code. Live streaming and screen captures are allowed, though the studio won’t allow any discussions involving data mining.
Mortal Shell will be released later this year on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The beta will only be available to PC gamers.
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