Mortal Shell: PS4 Review

Developed by Cold Symmetry

Released by PlayStack

Platform: PS4

There's no denying many are saying Mortal Shell has the hallmarks of a From Software release.

From the punishing brutality to the gore on display, the game certainly comes swinging from the get go.

And while it requires patience for its combat, it also needs time for its story to unfold.

When the game begins, you're essentially a wraith-like skeleton with skin on, a wafting soul with no real clue where you are, what you must do. But you're thrust straight into a series of combat pieces, aimed at getting you au fait with the basics. 

And to be fair, the basics are simple enough - the usual thrust and parry. It's familiar stuff to those who've been through a Bloodborne, a Dark Souls or, to be frank, any kind of combat game.

But Mortal Shell has one difference in combat - the chance to harden your wraith form to shield from a series of attacks. Pressing the L2 button sees you solidify, a chance to break your enemy's combat and gain an advantage.

Another difference is the title allows you to possess dead bodies - the Mortal Shells of the title. Possessing those will allow you to be involved in combat and to get a second chance. If you're killed in the shell, you're kicked out and can repossess but you have to be quick. The developers have tinkered with expectations for the game and delivered something a bit different and with an edge to what's gone before.

The atmosphere and gothic edges work very well, and complete with a minimal soundscape, which works best through headphones and alone in the dark, the game hits some visual and sonic heights.

However, negotiating your way around is a bit less enlightening, and with small fonts, long loading screens, a confused feeling map and many landscapes feeling very similar, Mortal Shell loses some of the initial advantage it has.

Mortal Shell may feel like a homage to what's been done before in this arena, but Cold Symmetry does revel in the fact it does it so well. 

Maybe it's a case of wraith-and-see (sorry) as to what they will do next , but for now Mortal Shell, with its short run time and familiar feel, is a solid and entertaining enough outing from a new talent emerging on the scene - and a sign that even if it is a shell of another style of game, it's still a top-notch one.