Mortal Shell

 PC
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 428 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 191 out of 428
  2. Mixed: 121 out of 428
  3. Negative: 116 out of 428

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  1. Dominion
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Понравилась боевая система. Анимация !!! Дизайн персонажей .
    Хотелось бы онлайн побегать с друзьями и дизайн локаций побогаче . Но и на том большое спасибо авторам.
    Неожиданно приятная игра .
  2. Traxillion
    Aug 31, 2020
    5
    A good souls-like with a bunch of cool mechanics is ruined by a plethora of "cheap" damage set-pieces and slow combat.
  3. DrKrimel
    Aug 30, 2020
    6
    I liked this game. The setting and graphics are great, and the combat is also pretty good. But it's very repetitive, because there are so little diversity in enemy design. In Fallgrim, there are literally 3 different enemies.
    And then there is the problem with the healing. It's a difference between hard game play and unfair game play. The parrying sometimes does not work well, and it's    I liked this game. The setting and graphics are great, and the combat is also pretty good. But it's very repetitive, because there are so little diversity in enemy design. In Fallgrim, there are literally 3 different enemies.
    And then there is the problem with the healing. It's a difference between hard game play and unfair game play. The parrying sometimes does not work well, and it's nearly the only chance to heal yourself. That is unfair and not hard.

    I liked it, buy it on sale.    … Expand
  4. TheWoodOne
    Aug 30, 2020
    4
    I am a huge dark souls fan so was exited to play this game. Combat is fine but its super easy to cheese everything with your hardening. All the mobs are just littered randomly in the area and servers no pupose just to sometimes block u from running past cause fighting them is soo fcking tedious with no real healing or so. Maps are mazes and are super hard to navigate because they are tooI am a huge dark souls fan so was exited to play this game. Combat is fine but its super easy to cheese everything with your hardening. All the mobs are just littered randomly in the area and servers no pupose just to sometimes block u from running past cause fighting them is soo fcking tedious with no real healing or so. Maps are mazes and are super hard to navigate because they are too big and in my opinion its because of lack of content so u run around just to pass play time. Bosses soooooooo boooooring. Beat every boss in the game first time because they use same 2 or 3 moves over and over. Not a chalange at all unless u fall asleep with how big of a health pool they have. Plot twitst predictable af and i knew it was coming ages ago. The only plus of this game is its atmosphere and graphics. Over all 6-8h of playtime just because u get lost a lot and maps are big.… Expand
  5. KlosHax
    Aug 29, 2020
    5
    Doesn't reach the original From Software game quality but for a low budget game it has really cool mechanics ( hardening and shell mechanic most importantly) and graphics make you feel like you are playing a souls game but enemy variety is low and boss fights are not epic and generally boring they keep repeating same moves in the same order And i think boss fights are the essence for aDoesn't reach the original From Software game quality but for a low budget game it has really cool mechanics ( hardening and shell mechanic most importantly) and graphics make you feel like you are playing a souls game but enemy variety is low and boss fights are not epic and generally boring they keep repeating same moves in the same order And i think boss fights are the essence for a souls-like game… Expand
  6. Morphed
    Aug 29, 2020
    9
    Everything's awsome. Learning how to defeat a enemy is fun and not that hard to figure out. Concept of shells and hardening is entirely new experience (though it's best to master one shell and weapon because of scare upgrade resources). Combat is easy to master except one thing. Parrying. It's the single core mechanic I didn't get a hold on till end. The parry window is extremely small andEverything's awsome. Learning how to defeat a enemy is fun and not that hard to figure out. Concept of shells and hardening is entirely new experience (though it's best to master one shell and weapon because of scare upgrade resources). Combat is easy to master except one thing. Parrying. It's the single core mechanic I didn't get a hold on till end. The parry window is extremely small and is different for different enemies. Playing on kb and mouse so I am not sure about controller. Playing as Solomon without able to parry attacks and use resolve gives nothing but frustration. Though dodge and harden take care of defensive so I rarely find a need to parry.… Expand
  7. nintoddlersnoy
    Aug 28, 2020
    7
    The game is good, but its nothing to write home about.

    Good: -fun, weighty combat. -Weapons are diverse and fun to use -great graphics -feels good to play -Hardening mechanic is fun -some really cool bosses Bad: -Short, even for a $30 game but this is offset by potential replay value if you want to try other shells/weapons or ng+ -bosses only have like 3-4 moves/strings -big    The game is good, but its nothing to write home about.

    Good:
    -fun, weighty combat.
    -Weapons are diverse and fun to use
    -great graphics
    -feels good to play
    -Hardening mechanic is fun
    -some really cool bosses

    Bad:
    -Short, even for a $30 game but this is offset by potential replay value if you want to try other shells/weapons or ng+
    -bosses only have like 3-4 moves/strings
    -big quality drop for the last 2 bosses

    all in all I dont regret buying or playing this game. In hindsight though, I would wait for a price drop. This would be a steal at $15, but in a world where you can get DS2 and Bloodborne for $20-$30 its hard to argue its worth the full price. I will be purchasing the sequel of DLC if it is released.    … Expand
  8. FoxHound88
    Aug 28, 2020
    9
    I've played all the "souls" games, and games similar to them. I say this because this game is inspired by the series. I really enjoyed the experience. It does get easier by the end, but for me as a casual souls player the ramp up in the strength of my character was a good thing. sometimes i have to give the souls games a break because it becomes almost too hard. I'd say this is a good gameI've played all the "souls" games, and games similar to them. I say this because this game is inspired by the series. I really enjoyed the experience. It does get easier by the end, but for me as a casual souls player the ramp up in the strength of my character was a good thing. sometimes i have to give the souls games a break because it becomes almost too hard. I'd say this is a good game to start your journey in this type of game format. It's hard, but not to the point of making you want to cry. The game is very polished, and brings some unique features to the genre. This was made by a 15 person staff, and because of that this game really deserves a very high rating.… Expand
  9. Bazzalinko
    Aug 27, 2020
    8
    Positives - challenging combat initially but rewarding when you master it
    - atmosphere is unique, the synth background sounds are interesting
    - 0 exposition
    - the item lore mechanic is very cool

    Negatives
    - 10-12 hour game - no soundtrack
    - the assassin shell is OP/cheese
    - fighting the same boss 4 times is kinda lame
  10. ClarkKunt
    Aug 26, 2020
    6
    I managed to finish the game in 7 hours and most of the time I was just mad and I was not enjoying myself. Some of the levels were interesting and atmosphere was great.. but boss design, enemy placement and slow and stiff combat with questionable hitboxes turned this interesting and in many ways inovative game (harden mechanic, etc.) into very mixed bag experience. Not great, not terrible.I managed to finish the game in 7 hours and most of the time I was just mad and I was not enjoying myself. Some of the levels were interesting and atmosphere was great.. but boss design, enemy placement and slow and stiff combat with questionable hitboxes turned this interesting and in many ways inovative game (harden mechanic, etc.) into very mixed bag experience. Not great, not terrible. Possible spoiler alert ahead: Last boss is probably the worst designed fight in any game I have ever played in my life, pure laziness.… Expand
  11. Zer0TheHer0
    Aug 26, 2020
    0
    Unplayable because of buggy and amateurish keybinding options.

    If I change the "move left key", the key I chose gets instead bound to "move right". So there's no way in game to move left.

    This is shameful. Learn to program a simple keybinding option.
  12. Ugot
    Aug 26, 2020
    2
    Can`t get back to Fallgrim after enslaved Grisha? can`t switch shell, can`t switch weapon, can`t try other road, can`t empower my weapons and shells, forced to try Tarsus again and again and again, i know i can kill him without shells and weapon upgrades, but what is the reason to force and imprison me? that is poor design that broken game feeling for me. i `dont want to restart and iCan`t get back to Fallgrim after enslaved Grisha? can`t switch shell, can`t switch weapon, can`t try other road, can`t empower my weapons and shells, forced to try Tarsus again and again and again, i know i can kill him without shells and weapon upgrades, but what is the reason to force and imprison me? that is poor design that broken game feeling for me. i `dont want to restart and i don`t want to be forced to do anything in game. it has to be fixed… Expand
  13. divine_skolix
    Aug 26, 2020
    7
    A true must for the souls-like addict!
    Certainly flawed with some areas being bugged making the framerate drop even in medium settings.
    Definitely more forgiving than DS/Bloodborne. Very few bosses. Could use some more sub bosses as well. Overall great deal for 30Euros/Dollars They should fix the floor in some areas. I was winning the final boss till i dropped in the abyss. If the    A true must for the souls-like addict!
    Certainly flawed with some areas being bugged making the framerate drop even in medium settings.
    Definitely more forgiving than DS/Bloodborne.
    Very few bosses. Could use some more sub bosses as well.
    Overall great deal for 30Euros/Dollars
    They should fix the floor in some areas. I was winning the final boss till i dropped in the abyss.
    If the game gets patched, i think it will be a much better experience. But a job well done!    … Expand
  14. Hectic
    Aug 25, 2020
    9
    Excellent artistic vision & implementation coupled with frantic combat. Many design choices, like very few checkpoints and very large maps, makes gameplay even more anxious and unforgiving compared to most soulslike games. Combat includes usual lot of attacks, combos, weapon skills, parry & riposte, plus a unique, recharging one-hit-invulnerability ability. Four classes with distinctExcellent artistic vision & implementation coupled with frantic combat. Many design choices, like very few checkpoints and very large maps, makes gameplay even more anxious and unforgiving compared to most soulslike games. Combat includes usual lot of attacks, combos, weapon skills, parry & riposte, plus a unique, recharging one-hit-invulnerability ability. Four classes with distinct abilities and skills provides even more variety. Overall, Mortal Shell is a surprisingly good AAA game from an indie studio.… Expand
  15. PuriSpeedwagon
    Aug 25, 2020
    9
    This is by far the best game of 2020 for me so far, we still have Cyberpunk coming up. As a souls fan since Demon Soul's, this is the best Soul's-like game I have played. I hope they add more to the game through DLC in the near future because I need more.
  16. dump0
    Aug 25, 2020
    6
    I'll give you a honest review about this game from all the Souls-like I've played this is in the mid-field. The visual and details are great, the hardening mechanic is fun and overall it feels of good quality like an actual Studio was working on it.

    Now to the bad things: They tried to create something similar to a Dark Souls hub like Dark Souls 2 that allows you to choose were you want    I'll give you a honest review about this game from all the Souls-like I've played this is in the mid-field. The visual and details are great, the hardening mechanic is fun and overall it feels of good quality like an actual Studio was working on it.

    Now to the bad things: They tried to create something similar to a Dark Souls hub like Dark Souls 2 that allows you to choose were you want to go which I'm a huge fan of but I kid you not they implemented at least 6-8 entries which all start to spread again - after only a few minutes you're hyper lost - in this game and have absolutely no feeling where you are even backtracking becomes an adventure. The worst is you don't even know if you walk remotely in the right direction that is because regardless where you go the enemies hit like a god damn truck. Then you notice you don't even know what exactly you are looking for and ultimately just wander around with way too few heals while the enemy usually 2-4 shot you.

    I'll give you a brief introduction how my game went: Tutorial into hub area where you can literally go in any of the 24 directions, I ended up in a swamp where some frog jumped at me and I was poisoned, I go into the inventory but wait I can't see what my items do because you have to use them at least 10 times to know the effect, turns out I have something that sounds like anti poison, I take it, I get poisoned even harder, turns out I have to intentional poison myself to get 10 usage knowledge just to make this item into anti poison, unfortunately I didn't have 10 of these so I couldn't proceed because the poison kills you hard. My other time went just as well, I go to the upper area, it's a mini-boss, I hit this boss for 10-15 damage while he has like 1000 life, I thought I must be underleveled so I check online turns out he is the first boss. I know what you think, you casual just kill him but let me explain something to you bosses in this game are extremely boring, they often just do the same thing over and over while they only change their attack pattern like dual hit, tripple hit, quadra hit and if you're lucky the boss has like 1-2 spells. So you try not to fall asleep while you harden and roll around for 10 minutes with the same dual hit, tripple hit, quadra hit mechanics - eventually you may find out that you can parry him for x10 the normal damage which is well quite something to require for a mini boss but WAIT they also implemented a mechanic like Sekiro that warns you when you can't parry something most UNFORTUNATELY the game also happen to not give you a warning of attacks that can't be parried regardless.

    In conclusion not terrible not great but mostly not not great.    … Expand
  17. Strendwolf
    Aug 25, 2020
    8
    This game is a great filler if you have played through all the good soulslike game's and cant wait for another one, but if its youre first souls like i would recomend trying the souls game's first cuz you get a better price today for ah big old legendary game. but if all is set and done this is a great game who i see is made of souls fans, but you can see that it's a indie game and areThis game is a great filler if you have played through all the good soulslike game's and cant wait for another one, but if its youre first souls like i would recomend trying the souls game's first cuz you get a better price today for ah big old legendary game. but if all is set and done this is a great game who i see is made of souls fans, but you can see that it's a indie game and are roughe around the edge's somewere but still enjoyble for a souls fan for a great price.… Expand
  18. 1ntt
    Aug 25, 2020
    3
    This by far the worst game I've played in 2020. The ps4 version (on base ps4 for context) has a terrible delay in controls. I'm used to slow methodical combat but this is downright broken. The developers were so lazy the "main character" (the white muscle creature you control) is not only missing textures, you can see right through their shoulder... the environments are bland andThis by far the worst game I've played in 2020. The ps4 version (on base ps4 for context) has a terrible delay in controls. I'm used to slow methodical combat but this is downright broken. The developers were so lazy the "main character" (the white muscle creature you control) is not only missing textures, you can see right through their shoulder... the environments are bland and repetitive. There is no music to be heard. Apparently people are so starved for Dark Souls they are willing to forgive all this. It is a terrible game that has some genuinely good ideas, however is ruined by poor execution. If Sony offered refunds I'd want one. The horrible people responsible for this mess owe me 30 dollars...… Expand
  19. consumptive7
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    This game is honestly a high contender for game of the year for me, everything from the art style to the lore and the unforgiving combat is amazing. Sure it can be very unforgiving and cruel, and it may seem like there's no hope at certain points, be that due to losing all sense of direction, running out of the limited heals you are provided and are forced to get good with pary system, orThis game is honestly a high contender for game of the year for me, everything from the art style to the lore and the unforgiving combat is amazing. Sure it can be very unforgiving and cruel, and it may seem like there's no hope at certain points, be that due to losing all sense of direction, running out of the limited heals you are provided and are forced to get good with pary system, or feeling there's A lack luster of even the most simple mechanics of a souls like, or game in general. This is done intentionally to be hard and such things as fast travel for example, are in the game but are later unlocked for all your hard efforts, I've seen many criticise this game made by a small team of passionate developers and personally believe they didn't give it a good enough chance. It can be frustrating and annoying and even feel clunky at times, the lack of music in the atmosphere can be disappointing, the confusing environment and getting lost frequently can be tedious. But it all adds up into its own unique experience and I enjoy it just as it is, getting lost leads to new and interesting places and the lack of music is a design choice I agree with, it doesn't need music to feel alive and or bring an intensity, it's ominous and mysterious atmospheric sounds fill that gap quite nicely.

    Also the progression system and currencies can be daunting and even a little confusing, aswell as the combat and upgrade system, but it's all about patience, people complain its too slow but I feel its done just right, it's a slow and steady pace that is satisfying and rewarding for your hard work and time.

    I've never written a review before but this game inspired me to do so, seeing how mixed it is I thought my opinion might help sway some minds into buying this incredibly challenging and exciting experience. I love it and can not recommend it enough, it's by far my favourite souls like and already has topped even some souls games for me, please if you enjoy a challenge and are willing to put effort and patience into this beautiful master piece then I emplore you to try it out, it's one of the most mysterious, challenging and enthralling games I've had the pleasure to experience within the past decade. Mortal Shell is a work of art.    … Expand
  20. AceAscendus
    Aug 24, 2020
    0
    Overhyped garbage, like all the other Souls-like games that isn't made by From Software or Team Ninja. So many bad design choices in Mortal Shell, clunky and low budget movement and animations, soulless combat, just a waste of time. Wait for Elden Ring, or go replay Souls games by From Software or Nioh/Nioh 2 by Team Ninja.
  21. tec
    Aug 24, 2020
    2
    Mortal Shell is, depending on your experience in action adventures, 5-12h long at best. the different weapons are always found at the beginning of a dungeon,(there are 3, each one 1-2h long at best) tied a npc fight. boring.
    every weapon has it´s upgrade materials in that level, where it was found, somewhere hidden laying around (no illusionary walls, just not right in front of you), not    Mortal Shell is, depending on your experience in action adventures, 5-12h long at best. the different weapons are always found at the beginning of a dungeon,(there are 3, each one 1-2h long at best) tied a npc fight. boring.
    every weapon has it´s upgrade materials in that level, where it was found, somewhere hidden laying around (no illusionary walls, just not right in front of you), not challanging or giving a incentive to explore.
    lore is the most pretentious out there is in any of the souls-clones. worst offender are the "redacted" words.
    Animations are not as tight as hellpoints or surges and the characters is floaty as hell.
    harden mechanic lets you tank the next 1-3 hits, depending on enemy. makes you generally invincible if you´re a cautios player.
    you´ll get sekiros second chance.
    this game is a 5/10 at best. personally i´d give it a 2/10 for trying and decent visuals.    … Expand
  22. tusk23
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    This game made me feel just like dark souls 1 and blood borne in my first run. Now waiting for more content I hope
  23. episode
    Aug 24, 2020
    5
    It is a mostly good looking Dark Souls wanna be that doesn't get all of what is great about Dark Souls but bring some interesting gameplay mechanics.

    The game lacks polishing, it is visible everywhere. Enemy AI is trash, the graphic assets are not cohesive, the story is basically non-existent, there are few enemies and even fewer varieties in their behavior. Other than that, the boss    It is a mostly good looking Dark Souls wanna be that doesn't get all of what is great about Dark Souls but bring some interesting gameplay mechanics.

    The game lacks polishing, it is visible everywhere. Enemy AI is trash, the graphic assets are not cohesive, the story is basically non-existent, there are few enemies and even fewer varieties in their behavior. Other than that, the boss fights are not great either.

    But, the game DOES have some great points. The hardening ability, although breaks the gameplay and the sensation of powerlessness that a Souls like must have, is pretty fun and interesting, the graphics, although uncohesive in quality between different areas and besides being clearly mostly from bought assets they can look really good.

    Story wise it is really poor. The dialogs are shallow and over presumptuous filled with nihilist **** for the sake of trying to sound cool. But they do not. They sound cringy. Other than that, its a game about defeating bosses to finish it. Not much than that can be taken from its plot.

    Still about the plot, last boss couldn't be more predictable. And the trope of you creating a problem to then solve it is all it can give you.

    Overall, this is a cheap and quick game that can give you a few hours of a interesting gameplay and can give you some fun. But don't waste your time playing it if you haven't already played the games from software and other good souls-like games, like Hollow Knight.    … Expand
  24. twoknots
    Aug 24, 2020
    9
    Fantastic game. I had fun at every encounter and love the combat. In NG+ now and still going strong. If you're a fan of action RPGs then you'll love this game.
  25. JC814
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    Love it, can't get much better for a souls like game bravo coldsymmetry. Best of luck
  26. Vastaropoli
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    I have played every Souls like imaginable and never felt like any of them besides Salt & Sanctuary really captured the magic but that was a 2d game. Ive been let down so many times and finally a game that NAILED IT! It is truly the best Souls like ive played by far and actually differentiates itself in all the right ways and in ways that are very complimentary to the game itself instead ofI have played every Souls like imaginable and never felt like any of them besides Salt & Sanctuary really captured the magic but that was a 2d game. Ive been let down so many times and finally a game that NAILED IT! It is truly the best Souls like ive played by far and actually differentiates itself in all the right ways and in ways that are very complimentary to the game itself instead of detracting from the game like many other games in the genre tend to do. I really have no complaints besides the bosses could be a little better all around and the annoying cutscenes when coming out of a tunnel but besides those 2 small things the game is absolute perfection and deserves further expansion and even a whole 2nd game at the very least. I think MS has alot of runway left and can easily add more zones, weapons, bosses, lore, npcs and shells of course in a dlc. Id also love to see some sort of dungeon mode that is rewarding. If you are unsure, you shouldn't be...buy it now! The combat is so satisfying and the setting and sounds really are incredibly immersive. The game also has excellent settings on pc for great customization in settings. Also there is a genuine horror element to the dungeons and I actually was scared quite a few times and I loved that. The enemy variety and designs are very good and the game has a nice amount of depth without too much baggage. I would like to see a little customization though with stats but as it is now the Shells all feel very unique and different from eachother and all of them do something really great so I understand why stats customization is not in the game. It's a very hard choice to pick a shell to stick with they are all so great. The weapons and combat are absolutely incredible as well and very satisfying. The small team that made this truly gets what makes Souls games so special as they captured all the elements in a unique way but also it's not too different that it doesnt scratch the same itches. This is a must play and deserves the highest praise 100%! All I want is MORE OF IT!… Expand
  27. stormundying
    Aug 24, 2020
    7
    Am impressive concept (particularly for such a small dev team) marred by janky animation and downright baffling design decisions.

    The good: - the shell concept is intriguing, though it could have been built on a bit more (see: small dev team). Being able to choose different shells for different sorts of challenges would be interesting...but the lack of resources and similarly    Am impressive concept (particularly for such a small dev team) marred by janky animation and downright baffling design decisions.

    The good:

    - the shell concept is intriguing, though it could have been built on a bit more (see: small dev team). Being able to choose different shells for different sorts of challenges would be interesting...but the lack of resources and similarly restrictive upgrade system for levels turns it into more of a 'choose your class and weapon and stick with it' kind of deal, so I don't think this was explored to it's full potential. Still, having some access to different playstyles gives it replay value

    - interesting and visually appealing environments, particularly the floating obsidian temple. It all looks pretty good.

    - combat feels (very) weighty and landing a solid hit is highly satisfying.

    - Hardening is a cool mechanic with lots of potential, and i would like to see it developed in a future release.

    - fairly punishing difficulty curve (if you're not cheesing the game with Solomon) and some legitimately challenging enemy encounters:

    The Bad:

    - HEALING. For some incomprehensible reason, the devs decided to go the bloodborne route for healing items...but even more scarce (the main item respawns on a timer). You also have very limit access to healing in the dungeons, often just a single spawn near a checkpoint, so if you run out before a boss, prepare to either git gud or to spend an hour or so camping that spawn. This was just an absurd decision, given that you CAN farm essentially infinite healing items if you really want, so it's not even a real limiter on the game's difficulty, just...padding for the game's runtime.

    - relatedly, the game is balanced around you having access to healing, so when you don't have it (or want to conserve it for a boss) the game turns into a cheese factory, where you bait enemies out single file, hit them with a single closing attack, then get out and wait for your harden to recharge so you don't take damage. Every enemy deals absurd amounts of damage (especially if you're not playing the tank) and the distance between checkpoints is so great, that you're simply can't fight your way through 'conventionally' without taking damage and dying...which leads to a lengthy and risky corpse run.

    - Enemies are highly cheesable. Very few have any kind of gap closer, and even the quick enemies tend to lumber towards you at about the speed of an arthritic sloth, so there's rarely a point where you can't just disengage, recharge your harden and stamina, and dive back in for damage. The main challenge arises when there are multiple enemies in an encounter...but the janky hitboxes, clipping, and potential for overlapping attacks make taking on multiple enemies a good way to take unavoidable damage. Again, the best way to handle 95% of enemy encounters is to bait out a single target, chip away at it's health until dead, rinse and repeat. This applies to almost all bosses, too.

    - relatedly, the game is full of terrible hitboxes and weird 'phenomena?' is I guess the correct term? That make cheesing more appealing than it should be. for instance, enemies will stagger after a certain number of hits...but sometimes (very rarely) a combo that SHOULD stun an enemy won't, and you'll get hit. This doesn't feel intentional, and is very irritating when it happens. Enemies will sometimes cancel out of an attack animation without warning, and chain directly into another animation without any leadup. Again, this happens rarely, and I don't think it's intentional, but it's very aggravating when you do get his this way.

    - All of the bosses are both cheesable, and very hard to defeat without cheesing. They don't stagger easily, even off of harden, their attacks tend to have unpredictable hitboxes, and they have massive health pools (to your relatively tiny one). Add in stamina constraints on everyone but the rogue class, and you'll find that trying to fight toe to toe - timing hits and dodges like you would in dark souls - is largely infeasible, as dodging a combo of attacks will often leave you with no gas to counter with. Instead, you are highly incentivized to stay out of melee, bait the enemy into a punishable combo, hit them a few times, then run away again. Most bosses have literally one gap-closer move, so the fight becomes a boring slog livened only by the potential for the boss to unpredictably decide not to stagger at an innopportune time and wallop you for half your health bar.

    - For SOME godforsaken reason, the devs decided to place an entire segment of the game having you fight enemies on thin, tiny walkways above bottomless pits. In a game where almost all of the attack animations have significant forward momentum and dodge mechanics with sometimes unpredictable directionality. Yes, I yeeted myself off cliffs more than a few times while playing this section. No, I'm not thrilled about it.    … Expand
  28. knald
    Aug 23, 2020
    5
    A promising game ruined by horrible gameplay decisions.
    1. healing is absurd! It has been mentioned countless times during the beta but devs didn't improve it! Mushrooms not only are rare, but they don't heal you instantly, relaying on resolve and parry+riposte to heal is not just hard but simply unfair !
    2. parry and riposte doesn't have Iframes! Many times my ripostes got canceled    A promising game ruined by horrible gameplay decisions.
    1. healing is absurd! It has been mentioned countless times during the beta but devs didn't improve it! Mushrooms not only are rare, but they don't heal you instantly, relaying on resolve and parry+riposte to heal is not just hard but simply unfair !
    2. parry and riposte doesn't have Iframes! Many times my ripostes got canceled because an enemy attacked during the animation! Also getting out of holes triggers an animation which doesn't have iframes either (enemies can kill you while your character is locked and you have to wait for the animation to end in order to move)
    3. consuming items to switch between various weapons is another idiotic decision! Should've been a simple inventory. (and if you don't have the specific item for the specific weapon, you have to run back to Sester in order to use your weapon of choice)
    4. lack of checkpoints and no fast travel until endgame when you upgrade your shell to 100%!
    5. items familiarity is a good concept but not fully implemented! Many items have the same effect whether you have 0 or full familiarity !
    6. too many short and repetitive cinematics! Entering inventory triggers an animation, switching from inventory to shells menu triggers another animation, getting out of cave also has animation... it's just a waste of time, there should've been no useless transitions like that.
    7. some animations are hilariously bad! Like the one of the unchained when he jumps and start swinging his arms like a chicken, or when the little twin of Crucix die and the camera jumps from place to place weirdly.
    8. the music is atrocious! The constant humming or ringing sound drove me insane! It belongs in a sci-fi horror game of a desolate planet, definetly not in a dark medieval game + no music for the bosses or NPCs.
    9. Combat is way too stiff and slow, you'll easily get bored from it.
    10. lore, here we can really feel the consequence of a game without a game director! Mortal shell feels like a collage of different ideas that do not relate to each other (the spirit which possess corps, consuming memories or glimpses to know stories of others, the glands, the divine nektar, the ascendance to different world...) there's too much stuff going on and there's no clear foundation and timeline to the story! The scriptures do not tell you anything useful, actually they make things worse.    … Expand
  29. rcpyksl
    Aug 23, 2020
    10
    very nice game for you like soulsborne.

    souls oyunlarını sevenler için çok güzel oyun lan alın oynayın vuruş hissi falan harika
  30. TavorX95
    Aug 23, 2020
    6
    Mortal shell is an impressive game for a small indie dev team. However they may have made a big mistake by unashamedly comparing to souls, while missing most if not all of what made Dark Souls a hit. The world is awful. Some dungeons are so linear it's obnoxious. Some dungeons are more open but so uninspired with too little direction. Instead of designing a world around enemy placement,Mortal shell is an impressive game for a small indie dev team. However they may have made a big mistake by unashamedly comparing to souls, while missing most if not all of what made Dark Souls a hit. The world is awful. Some dungeons are so linear it's obnoxious. Some dungeons are more open but so uninspired with too little direction. Instead of designing a world around enemy placement, and enemy engagement and purpose. They decided to make a map and give it the ol' dark souls 2 treatment: put way to many enemies in a single area because we don't want to design the world on making it hard to get around the enemies. Which is the second big problem. Too many enemies at once that don't make me want to fight because it's going to be annoying, especially since enemies don't really give you meaningful upgrades. The tar system is lackluster. The skill tree is fine, but unneeded, and seemingly unimportant, there is no leveling system which if we learned anything from sekiro it really hurts these kinds of games. Being able to level up from tar would have made me be at least kind of interested in fighting the mobs of the same enemies over and over and over. The bosses also just aren't that fun. The first few are cool, you're learning the new combat system which isn't my favorite but it's a nice different from other games. It's unique which I'm not going to say is a bad thing. It's a good enough fighting system. The bosses have weird hit boxes, really really weird timing attacks sometimes (maybe it's broken?) It's not a good thing when you wonder if a bosses moveset is glitched or intended. Because it usually means it's not fun. Overall it was a meh game. Hopefully the next one will be better.… Expand
  31. Jake2077
    Aug 23, 2020
    9
    its actually a really good souls like the only down side is the game length which is justified by its price tag
  32. jako-tc
    Aug 23, 2020
    4
    Finished the game once, but its feels like a cheap Demon Souls game with a lot of the bad and outdated mechanics. All of te AI is pretty stupid, including the bosses.

    *** Gameplay isn't very customisable as you get to pick out of 4 pre-created characters (shells) and 4 weapons. *** Ai is very stupid, making it easy to exploit, boss fights all go like this: jump attack, harden and    Finished the game once, but its feels like a cheap Demon Souls game with a lot of the bad and outdated mechanics. All of te AI is pretty stupid, including the bosses.

    *** Gameplay isn't very customisable as you get to pick out of 4 pre-created characters (shells) and 4 weapons.
    *** Ai is very stupid, making it easy to exploit, boss fights all go like this: jump attack, harden and roll away. Just repeat that and you'll be fine for the entire game.
    *** Layout and locations is pretty boring and generic. You'll run around in circles for more than a few times.
    *** Music is as good as not there and voice acting is hit or miss.
    *** Some bugs, unbalanced enemies and its got a lack of visual cues that draw your eye so you know were to go to.

    On a good side, its a rather short game and the harden mechanic (you have a recharge over time ability that lets you negate damage for a while) is something new and interesting.

    I would only recommend this game if you're desperate for a new Dark Souls like game, and you haven"t played The Surge and Nioh series. Also, the game doesn't run the smoothest on a 1st gen PS4, something to keep in mind if you haven't got a pro console.    … Expand
  33. Thraxx_
    Aug 23, 2020
    8
    +Cool atmospheric level design
    +Funny gameplay where everyone'll find his own playstyle (shell and weapon)
    +Perfect voice acting
    +Dark souls vibes
    +Great new mechanics (I love hardening)
    -90% game without soundtrack. I was listening to DS soundtrack almost whole time because of this.
    -The game is pretty short. About 10-12 hours and 7 bosses.
  34. asksk
    Aug 23, 2020
    4
    Short, buggy and filled with broken mechanics.

    Multiple crashes throughout the playthrough combined with a healing system where they basically want you to farm mushrooms by simply standing next to one and wait for respawn hours on end and in return reward you with super easy boss fights you just can't lose unless you fall asleep, which might actually happen on the terrible end boss.    Short, buggy and filled with broken mechanics.

    Multiple crashes throughout the playthrough combined with a healing system where they basically want you to farm mushrooms by simply standing next to one and wait for respawn hours on end and in return reward you with super easy boss fights you just can't lose unless you fall asleep, which might actually happen on the terrible end boss. Disappointed!    … Expand
  35. CharlePL
    Aug 23, 2020
    8
    +well polished
    +interesting locations
    +smooth controls
    +adding new mechanics to souls like games
    -boss fights not challenging
    -quite short but this is expected from reduced price release
  36. bcdserra
    Aug 22, 2020
    7
    So I myself, hate the game. But it's not a bad game and I'm not one of those **** giving a zero because I'm salty and ragey, a small team of 15 passionate people made this which is amazing.
    What demotivated me the most is the healing and the lack of checkpoints, which made it tedious to recuperate your lost "souls" after dying 10 kilometers from a checkpoint in a tight corridor filled    So I myself, hate the game. But it's not a bad game and I'm not one of those **** giving a zero because I'm salty and ragey, a small team of 15 passionate people made this which is amazing.
    What demotivated me the most is the healing and the lack of checkpoints, which made it tedious to recuperate your lost "souls" after dying 10 kilometers from a checkpoint in a tight corridor filled with enemies. It just didn't push me to continue when I finally got my stuff back only to realise I also needed a second currency to level up my shell. I was then forced to take my "souls" with me, which I really really disliked. So I stopped playing. If you read this and think you might also feel like that, buy Hellpoint. If you read this and think you're up for the challenge, godspeed and have fun !    … Expand
  37. Punk_Out
    Aug 22, 2020
    7
    Great game so far. Having a lot of fun with it. It's not my style of game but it feels like a mini-Dark Souls trainer. I really enjoy the long sword fighting but you can have different weapons; dual wield some short swords, sword and shield, or if you get further in a super long sword. I really like this one cave, remined me of a Elder Scrolls: Skyrim level and the bosses are pretty cool.Great game so far. Having a lot of fun with it. It's not my style of game but it feels like a mini-Dark Souls trainer. I really enjoy the long sword fighting but you can have different weapons; dual wield some short swords, sword and shield, or if you get further in a super long sword. I really like this one cave, remined me of a Elder Scrolls: Skyrim level and the bosses are pretty cool. I am definitely going to enjoy the character build system and the spooky level design. For the price this is a pretty great game.

    I will admit at the beginning I was having some issues with the combat system and was running into some pretty annoying bugs, but the recent PS4 updates have really smoothed this game out, fixed the bugs, and made the combat system feel less sluggish. I cannot give it to high of rating because it's nothing mind blowing but I feel 7/10 is a really fair score for this game. I am having fun so that's worth fhe 7 in my books!    … Expand
  38. tinyspiders
    Aug 22, 2020
    2
    The first time this game introduced it's new mechanic -- hardening -- I immediately went 'uh oh'. Having a cooldown on your block.. OK.. that's different.. But I was determined to keep playing. After all, Polygon and Kotaku couldn't be wrong could they? Keep playing a little more, get incredibly frustrated by the level design: pretty much all the annoying parts of Souls games: traps,The first time this game introduced it's new mechanic -- hardening -- I immediately went 'uh oh'. Having a cooldown on your block.. OK.. that's different.. But I was determined to keep playing. After all, Polygon and Kotaku couldn't be wrong could they? Keep playing a little more, get incredibly frustrated by the level design: pretty much all the annoying parts of Souls games: traps, poison, death pits, too many / too high hp enemies, are placed awkwardly in the first 3 minutes of the game. The combat is bad.. The designers obviously intended you to use lock on and literally dance towards and away from enemies.. The dodge is wonky at best at the parry timing was also bad for me. I think Souls games are best played not using lock-on and relying on the skill of the player to navigate and aim attacks. Attack aiming in this game is trash. There's no soft movement towards the target when you swing and if you are off by a pixel, your attack is going to miss, and you will likely die in a couple hits from enemies. Another frustrating thing in this game is the enemy knockback/hit stun. It seems to happen, but only if the enemy isn't thinking slightly at all about attacking. If they are, you can forget about any type of interrupt taking place. Next thing, the walking/pursuit speed of the enemies. It's either too slow or too fast. The enemies in the very beginning are super slow, but as soon as you encounter a stronger version about 20 mins in, they are insanely fast walking. Attacks are always pretty quick. I was so fed up I used some cheat tables to hack the values of the game, and even with speedhacks, he was still fast enough to keep up with my movement... wtf.. The other thing I noticed with hacks is the starting damage amount. Way too low. It takes far too much to dispatch the weak enemies and combat feels super unsatisfying. With the hacks turned on for 25x weapon damage, it was a little more enjoyable. You could one hit enemies, up til about maybe 45 mins in (for a normal player). There was a normal looking non boss enemy that took 2 hits. This translates into at least 25 weapon swings. Just to kill a non-boss, non-mid boss. Wtf. Then the boss, he took about 6 hits, which is like 150 weapon hits. Doesn't sound fun. Dark Souls never made you do this as your only option, which this game does. There are no other weapons that I could find, and the only way to power up your character was like cooldown reductions for your block.. smh.. The art style and lore seemed really cool, but without the gameplay to get me interested and wanting to stay and explore more, the only thing left for me to do in Mortal Shell was to get a refund.… Expand
  39. addisinyan
    Aug 22, 2020
    9
    I have had my fare share of the souls series including scavenging all I can get regarding the lore as well. But never have I come across something so similar and yet so different.

    For me, it didnt strike me with another FromSoftware product but as a series that can grow to be a master piece just like the others. There are new mechanics, unique character development, beautiful    I have had my fare share of the souls series including scavenging all I can get regarding the lore as well. But never have I come across something so similar and yet so different.

    For me, it didnt strike me with another FromSoftware product but as a series that can grow to be a master piece just like the others. There are new mechanics, unique character development, beautiful environment, and an absolute treat of a novel combat system ..... just to say the least. The only reason this is not a 10 for me is because I wanted more hours in the game. But if Mortal Shell DLCs or MS2 come out ..... please please, take your time and give us more content devs.

    P.S. It has a better control configuration system than DS. TAKE MY MONEY.    … Expand
  40. dryerlaw
    Aug 22, 2020
    10
    I actually prefer this over Dark Souls. Hope the developers get enough money to develop higher budget games.
  41. Methabolica
    Aug 22, 2020
    8
    It's the best Dark Souls feeling a clone ever presents. Yes there is unused potential, but for that price, every Soulsborne Fan can buy without a doubt. I hope for more content. More weapons, more classes and unique active abilities of the classes.
  42. Badger2012
    Aug 22, 2020
    8
    If you could fast travel between Sesters and sell loot that you don't want to merchants I would give this game 10 out of 10. If you enjoy Dark Souls and Bloodborne you will enjoy Mortal Shell. I really like the hardening defence system in the game. One you get the hang of using hardening, harden while attacking, parry, riposte and dodge the combat becomes extremely fluid and satisfying.If you could fast travel between Sesters and sell loot that you don't want to merchants I would give this game 10 out of 10. If you enjoy Dark Souls and Bloodborne you will enjoy Mortal Shell. I really like the hardening defence system in the game. One you get the hang of using hardening, harden while attacking, parry, riposte and dodge the combat becomes extremely fluid and satisfying. This game has a steeper learning curve than the From Software games but its worth it. The concept of being able to swap between shells is a nice innovation that I have found interesting and useful. There is some good Lore as you progress. Voice acting is of a high quality. As I said, not being able to fast travel or sell unwanted loot is a mistake by the developers in my opinion and has been frustrating. Hopefully they will rectify this in a future update.… Expand
  43. TeneBriLuxs
    Aug 22, 2020
    10
    Чудова гра, в кращих традиціях souls-like. Шикарні анімації, шикарна оптимізація.
  44. jpritch711
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    If dark souls is a bottle of your favorite red wine then this is a full glass of it. Smaller but just as good to taste. I never review games here but I felt compelled to for Mortal Shell out of respect for a small team putting together a game like this. I was looking for something to scratch that dark souls itch and Mortal Shell got it done in glorious fashion. I cannot stress enough howIf dark souls is a bottle of your favorite red wine then this is a full glass of it. Smaller but just as good to taste. I never review games here but I felt compelled to for Mortal Shell out of respect for a small team putting together a game like this. I was looking for something to scratch that dark souls itch and Mortal Shell got it done in glorious fashion. I cannot stress enough how happy I am to see a small developer stick to a very concise vision for a game and then execute that perfectly without adding bloat to the game for no reason. Sometimes games don’t need to be exploding with content the content in the game just needs to belong and executed very well. The harden mechanic is a brilliant twist to fighting and the entire game feels well balanced with the hardening in mind. If you like dark souls this is a must buy especially at $30. I hope to see more from this team… Expand
  45. Soulsborne
    Aug 21, 2020
    8
    Really good souls clone with nice graphics, good combat, enemy and level design for the most part. Just way too short imo and you can easily max out your weapon very early, breaking the game. I felt like I was halfway and it was over just after maybe 5 bosses. Will be fun for speed runs though. Also, only a few bosses are memorable. I really enjoy the game though and the harden mechanic isReally good souls clone with nice graphics, good combat, enemy and level design for the most part. Just way too short imo and you can easily max out your weapon very early, breaking the game. I felt like I was halfway and it was over just after maybe 5 bosses. Will be fun for speed runs though. Also, only a few bosses are memorable. I really enjoy the game though and the harden mechanic is awesome. Healing also frustrating, but I learned to deal with this by utilizing parry, harden and weapon skills. This game could of been amazing with a few more areas and good boss fights. Still recommend for souls fans.… Expand
  46. phlows
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    this is the best souls like game i have ever played, i could not stop playing it. definitely my favorite game for 2020. seems like this game only gets some negative reviews for being too difficult. well news flash, you shouldn't play this kind of game if you're not up for a challenge.
  47. rafaelmtome
    Aug 21, 2020
    5
    Excelente game! Incrível o que a empresa conseguiu fazer com pouco dinheiro. Parabéns aos envolvidos no desenvolvimento!
  48. SwitchReview
    Aug 21, 2020
    7
    The game looks and feels good to play, however, I can't help but feel like I'm playing a stripped down version of Dark Souls 2. I also can't help but compare this game to the Souls series, since it is obviously inspired by it.

    At first, I fell in love with the combat. The animations, hit sounds, etc. made it satisfying and the harden mechanic was new and interesting. However, after a    The game looks and feels good to play, however, I can't help but feel like I'm playing a stripped down version of Dark Souls 2. I also can't help but compare this game to the Souls series, since it is obviously inspired by it.

    At first, I fell in love with the combat. The animations, hit sounds, etc. made it satisfying and the harden mechanic was new and interesting. However, after a while it felt repetitive especially during bosses where they would throw out the same move set and I would respond with my own for 10 minutes straight.

    The same could be said for Dark Souls except that there are a large variety of weapons that you can buy or pick up from fallen enemies. In Mortal Shell, you kinda just unlock weapons as you go. Part of the fun for me in Souls games is having lots of weapons to choose from, sometimes picking up rare weapons from enemies, and then testing them out. I don't get nearly the same satisfaction from this game.

    Another part of Souls games that I love is leveling up my character and adjusting them to my liking. Mortal Shell is more similar to Sekiro where you unlock abilities instead of leveling up stats, but I feel like there's even less to choose from here. The only way to increase health and stamina is to find "shells" to inhabit and then start over with 0 abilities. It's a shame because I feel like a dodge roll, plus two swings depletes my entire stamina bar. Also, enemies chunk you for a third of your health so I'm pretty much just constantly waiting for my harden to come off cooldown.

    My last bit of criticism: where are the checkpoints? The starting area is big enough as it is but the fact that there are no checkpoints made me feel like I was barely progressing and having to start from the beginning was also frustrating. In Souls, there's at least a few bonfires scattered throughout an area to signify that you are making progress. In Mortal Shell, it's just "here's an area, now complete the entire thing."

    Overall, on the surface this game feels very polished and satisfying to play. For a team of 15 people, this is definitely an impressive game and there's also a lot of interesting things that make it stand out on its own. However, beneath the surface I feel there is a lack of content. I might continue this game in the future, but for now it's just not very fun for me.    … Expand
  49. Alrojovivo
    Aug 21, 2020
    9
    Me enteré de este juego hace unos meses y me uní a la comunidad al instante, ha sido una experiencia increíble ver este juego crecer a lo que es ahora. El combate me enganchó cuando lo vi, una espada con peso real a ella. La voz que actúa junto con la atmósfera del juego es realmente y la experiencia.
  50. Thefogan
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    Absolutely wonderful game, lovely graphics, well designed areas, fun boss fights, nice variety of weapons and shells, the game is a bit short if you're comparing it to dark souls but for the price it's a great length game with good replayability.
  51. robau
    Aug 21, 2020
    1
    Uninspired, shallow, boring garbage.

    This game (I'm really struggling calling it that) doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the genre. It blatantly copies (and FAILS at doing so) everything that has already been covered in souls-like games. Bossfights are a literal snorefest, music puts you to sleep and combat which is the core point of the genre is the worst I've ever seen. The    Uninspired, shallow, boring garbage.

    This game (I'm really struggling calling it that) doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the genre. It blatantly copies (and FAILS at doing so) everything that has already been covered in souls-like games. Bossfights are a literal snorefest, music puts you to sleep and combat which is the core point of the genre is the worst I've ever seen. The environments are inspired by demon souls which could be good if done properly and in a creative way. Ripping off ideas is not creative.

    Asking people 20 bucks for something that plays and looks like an asset flip is a joke. People are starved for souls-like games and are waiting for Elden Ring. mortal shell takes advantage of that. Having an edgy trailer is not enough, back it up with proper gameplay.

    It's a money grab, don't buy it, don't waste your time playing it, watch someone play it on Twitch and don't throw your money at this **** studio.
    Nobody will remember it or talk about it in two weeks.    … Expand
  52. Casperwin
    Aug 21, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don’t waste money on this **** -Bosses only have 3 move set
    -if you want to heal you have to have lot of mushroom which is long time respond or parry-riptose.
    -this ****ty optimised game was ridiculous Loading time is seriously slow especially when you compared with (ghost of tsushima)
    -Moreover, you can’t upgrade **** unless you know the character that you possess’s name    … Expand
  53. OneRadicalDude
    Aug 21, 2020
    9
    Excellent game that nails the feeling of a souls game. Big Demon's Souls vibes, with great graphics, creature/character/level design, and mechanics that are new and work great for the most part. Bosses are few, and some of them (as well as regular enemies) seem to be beaten easily with the same tactics you may default to. This is probably on account of all weapons being found early game,Excellent game that nails the feeling of a souls game. Big Demon's Souls vibes, with great graphics, creature/character/level design, and mechanics that are new and work great for the most part. Bosses are few, and some of them (as well as regular enemies) seem to be beaten easily with the same tactics you may default to. This is probably on account of all weapons being found early game, and the upgrade materials showing up quick on the front end allowing for a +5 weapon around the time you beat the first dungeon. Fortunatley the wepons have fun movesets and a weighty feel. I had a great time in a 10 hour playthrough and only experienced one or two deaths/ issues related to bugs. Some creative decisions may not be everyone's cup of tea. But for anyone wanting more souls-like content, this is a great new take with a spin all it's own should you give it try.… Expand
  54. Troll88
    Aug 21, 2020
    8
    +++++ A cheap have to try souls like game. A mix between Sekiro and Dark Souls.Recommended.
  55. Golden_Typhoon
    Aug 20, 2020
    4
    Прошел игру дважды. Косяков больше чем плюсов и сейчас объясню почему. Я понимаю что делала игру комманда из 15 человек, но эти костыли они запросто могли убрать из игры чтобы ее банально проходить было комфортно. Итак, плюсы:
    -Шикарный дизайн
    -Озвучка на высоте -Вес оружия ощущается и анимации отличные. Все, плюсы кончились. Дальше идут либо ну совсем спорные моменты, либо минусы.    Прошел игру дважды. Косяков больше чем плюсов и сейчас объясню почему. Я понимаю что делала игру комманда из 15 человек, но эти костыли они запросто могли убрать из игры чтобы ее банально проходить было комфортно. Итак, плюсы:
    -Шикарный дизайн
    -Озвучка на высоте
    -Вес оружия ощущается и анимации отличные.
    Все, плюсы кончились. Дальше идут либо ну совсем спорные моменты, либо минусы. Итак, вот они:
    -Систему хила придумал какой то кретин, в игре нет аналога эстуса или другого быстрого хила. Есть грибы, которые почти ничего не лечат, а парировать в этой игре ради хила себе же дороже делать.
    -Боссы просто невероятно странные и тупые. У них мувсет состоит из 3-4 атак и все что ты делаешь это бегаешь по арене и ковыряешь босса минут 10, ибо полоска хп невероятно раздутая, как-будто Мидира бьешь. Да и сам дизайн боссов страдает, это просто увеличенные в размерах мобы. Раз за разом умирая тебя скорее будет босс бесить, а не как в дарк соулс заставлять менять тактику боя.
    -Проблемы с балансом. Две оболочки из четырех бесполезны абсолютно(Харрос, Соломон). Они настолько кривые и мусорные, что играя за них я испытывал боль и отвращение. Самые сильные это Тиль(бесконечные увороты и спам атаками) и Эредрим(миллиард хп и нормальный кувырок с перками). Первый меч что нам дают также бесполезен, огромный меч великомученика наносит крайне мало урона и жрет слишком много стамины, хотя должен быть номером один по урону. Огненная булава тоже почти бесполезная ибо удары невероятно медленные. В игре всего лишь 4 оружия!!! Как можно было просрать баланс я не понимаю...
    -Система чекпоинтов отвратна, "костром" является сестра Генесса, что дико неудобно, поскольку она стоит всегда в начале локации, и если ты умрешь, то до босса бежать опять пол километра. Благо локации не слишком большие.
    -Пустой мир, который не интересно исследовать. В дс был интерес из-за разбросанного оружия и брони по миру, здесь же ничего нет. Игра ориентирована на сюжет, хотя за 2 прохождения я вообще ничерта не понял касаемо происходящего. Единственный источник внятного лора это Генесса, однако ее реплики нельзя повторить если вы их случайно скипнули.
    -Последний босс это отрыжка как дизайнеров, так и сценаристов.
    Итог: это проходняк, который вы запомните только из-за визуального дизайна, разработчики мортал шелл должны в будущих проектах обращать больше внимания на геймдизайн.    … Expand
  56. Zuvaka
    Aug 20, 2020
    7
    Bought it hoping to have a full Dark Souls - like experience. The game was made by 15 people though, so expectations should be lower when purchasing. I like the ideas the game has, especially the graphics, minus a few things here and there. Mostly that it feels kinda small, even for its price. The progression feels weird having interesting unlocks though too small a map to spread themBought it hoping to have a full Dark Souls - like experience. The game was made by 15 people though, so expectations should be lower when purchasing. I like the ideas the game has, especially the graphics, minus a few things here and there. Mostly that it feels kinda small, even for its price. The progression feels weird having interesting unlocks though too small a map to spread them across. There's few enemy variety and weapon unlocks, and the combat dodging feels kinda clunky at times. A good game if you keep that in mind going in.… Expand
  57. Danilimbo
    Aug 20, 2020
    0
    Это, конечно, не Темные Души, но очень не плохой экспириенс достойный прохождения.
  58. ProGamer101
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    It's a proof of concept game that does quite well for what it is, especially considering this started off about three years ago as two guys throwing around ideas. The team got slightly bigger and here we are. Left me wanting more, so here's hoping for a sequel.
  59. kingTimson
    Aug 20, 2020
    5
    First with the good stuff. The idea and the concept behind this game is really interesting. Hardening is kind of unique, but its just a equivalent of your daily shield, done in a really cool looking and very unique way. Definitely has a lot of potential. Combat is satisfying, animations may be janky but its fine nonetheless.
    Now the bad stuff. I get that its not a high budget game and    First with the good stuff. The idea and the concept behind this game is really interesting. Hardening is kind of unique, but its just a equivalent of your daily shield, done in a really cool looking and very unique way. Definitely has a lot of potential. Combat is satisfying, animations may be janky but its fine nonetheless.
    Now the bad stuff. I get that its not a high budget game and all, but the level design here is so horrible, I can not understand whose idea was it to make a SUPER TIGHT corridors, where you cant just sprint through and if you do, you have to do the same stuff again and again and again. Even enemies, ENEMIES fall off for Gods sake! These tight spots are super frustrating and the environment is just boring. At first glance its really cool and unique looking, but when you understand that 60% of the game has exactly the same environment, it just gets super repetitive. The Lore is strange as well, a lot of stuff left unexplained (like 90%)
    There are a lot of flaws, but at least there are no microtransactions and this game has a reasonable price tag.
    Dev team has a great potential, definitely looking forward to their next game, maybe even DLC for Mortal Shell. Multiplayer and/or CO-OP are welcome as well.    … Expand
  60. Jordan386
    Aug 20, 2020
    5
    If you're an actual souls fan and not just a follower this is a fantastic addition
  61. thorgal89
    Aug 20, 2020
    3
    A lot of potential WASTED:

    Combat is atrocious - feels clunky and unnatural Healing is a joke - you find maybe 2-3 mushrooms in-between checkpoints Game is HORRIBLY optimized - running hot on RTX 2060 super and the graphics are glitchy / nasty colours overall Shameless rip off of Dark Souls/Bloodbourne and a horrible rip off at that. Oh and I forgot : 30 euro for 10 hours of    A lot of potential WASTED:

    Combat is atrocious - feels clunky and unnatural
    Healing is a joke - you find maybe 2-3 mushrooms in-between checkpoints
    Game is HORRIBLY optimized - running hot on RTX 2060 super and the graphics are glitchy / nasty colours overall

    Shameless rip off of Dark Souls/Bloodbourne and a horrible rip off at that.
    Oh and I forgot : 30 euro for 10 hours of gameplay ? LOL.    … Expand
  62. Solarflare4646
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    This game inspires the same lost and alone feelings that DS1 hit me with. The art is gorgeous, the moves are fluid, and the sound is spot on. Highly recommend as a much more compact but well polished souls-like experience.
  63. domanigamer
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    A small team of 15 people created this game, they deserve all our support and respect. thanks guys I'll be waiting for your next game
  64. TomeCastello
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    Tough to start but once you get the hang of everything you really start to see it shine, in it's weird, dark, mysterious way
  65. serHERO
    Aug 20, 2020
    6
    Crooked hitboxes, ill-conceived combat system, overly confusing locations, disgusting colors and much more
  66. conan999
    Aug 20, 2020
    8
    Mortal Shell is an atmospheric game and the combat is fun. While Mortal Shell is obviously inspired by Dark Souls but it is not a copycat. This game introduces the harden mechanics that can be used in combination with attack and doge, so you can create your own strategy. The graphics are beautiful and the environment look amazing and the 4 "characters (AKA the shells) look great and theyMortal Shell is an atmospheric game and the combat is fun. While Mortal Shell is obviously inspired by Dark Souls but it is not a copycat. This game introduces the harden mechanics that can be used in combination with attack and doge, so you can create your own strategy. The graphics are beautiful and the environment look amazing and the 4 "characters (AKA the shells) look great and they feel different enough to warrant different play styles. Mortal Shell also costs half the price of a full game so the price point is very competitive. The game is quite difficult but it is not crushingly hard like Sekiro or Dark Souls, and I think this is a good thing because now people who always liked Dark Soul aesthetics but found Dark Souls too hard can play Mortal Shell and have fun. Also the game is not as long as Dark Souls and Sekiro so those who are looking for a more compact experience will find Mortal Shell's shorter length a strength than a weakness. I do thing Mortal Shell requires improvements in two areas: 1) The parry is a bit off and it is not very precise; I swear a lot of times I parried with the perfect timing but the parry failed, yet sometimes I can pull off a parry successfully if I parry too early or too late. I never had this problem with the parry in Sekiro, and I hope the devs for Mortal Shell can improve the parry system, because parry and riposte are very cool in this game (if you can get it to work). 2) The enemy placements in this game are very cheap sometimes, it looks like they just put some enemies at hidden spots so they can jump at you for cheap scares.

    Other than the wayward parry precision and the cheap enemy placements, I can't find other problems in Mortal Shell. The game is very optimized and it runs very smoothly on my PC. The game is beautiful looking and a lot of fun to play. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  67. heltonfla
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    Excelente jogo. O levem design está bem desafiador e você é sempre estimulado a ser cauteloso para não morrer. Um jogo tenso do início ao fim.
  68. Pinwheel
    Aug 20, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I paid 30 dollars just to have a ripoff of dark souls But with max 3 enemy types per area and clunkiness that even Dark Souls 2 wish it could have. The hitboxes are straight garbage- this is best examplified on The First Martyr's second phase, as he swings his sword forward for what feels like ages, you'd think only the initial swing has an active hitbox, but no, you can get hit at the final second of the REALLY slow move and it takes over a third of your hp away... the 3 bosses that have 2 healthpools all follow the same gimmick- easy phase 1 with low hp, many moves can be parried and their entire moveset just consist of normal attacks. Then phase 2 happens and their hp and damage is doubled but their moveset is halved and simplified even more, now only having a total of 3 moves at max. To add insult to injury, the final boss is literally just a bigger version of the discount scarecrows you meet earlier, only it has triple the hp of any other boss and can heal himself halfway through the fight, and not only that, but also summon some backup dancers. To add even more insult to injury, the game has only 4 bosses in total.

    The "dungeons" feel really incomplete compared to the overworld. Instead of being interconnected you follow one single path, beat the boss and run ALL the way back up to the first checkpoint of the game. When coming back to the overworld it's filled sith vampires that have godly SPEED and accuracy. And when I say FILLED I mean...they literally SWARM you. It's like forest of fallen giants in scholar of the first sin but with Heide Knights.The final dungeon gave me flashbacks to Cathedral od the sacred blood, which uh, yeah, you get the idea.    … Expand
  69. LorDxyz
    Aug 20, 2020
    4
    Just a generic game with nice graphics, combnat system is horriblet, enemies have AIM and change direction even when jumping, and ridiculous.
  70. Otsy
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    A wonderful experience, with dense atmosphere, weighty and impactful combat, very abstract storytelling and great sound design. I hope there will be plenty of AddOns and ultimately another installment to this franchise.

    I paid about 30 Euros, and I don't regret spending any one cent of those.
  71. sex69
    Aug 20, 2020
    0
    Various bugs are too severe, and the game is boring.
    There is no story.
    There is no music.
  72. Diablo4
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    Cold Symmetry’s debut title managed to scratch that souls itch I’ve had since the day I completed both DLCs for Dark Souls 3. It somehow managed to stay both familiar enough to feel right at home but fresh enough to deliver new experiences.
    The hardening mechanic was a bit weird/unusual at first but as soon as I learnt to use it offensively it really clicked and I started to enjoy game…    Cold Symmetry’s debut title managed to scratch that souls itch I’ve had since the day I completed both DLCs for Dark Souls 3. It somehow managed to stay both familiar enough to feel right at home but fresh enough to deliver new experiences.
    The hardening mechanic was a bit weird/unusual at first but as soon as I learnt to use it offensively it really clicked and I started to enjoy game… Expand    … Expand
  73. BUSTINS_
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    Gran joc, el tinc a xbox one x, gràficament bé, li dono un 9. Te l'estructura clàssica dels souls, amb uns dolents imperials, estic content.
  74. SinnerInExile
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    This game is great, finally something new with that souls twist to it. Right off the bat you'll feel at home with the mechanics.
    I recommend this to any and all souls players.
  75. anvamit
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    Купил сразу, как поиграл в демку.
    Тупоголовым солзятникам, привыкшим к японскому дрочу, не зайдет. Всем остальным понравится. Шикарный арт, сочная боевка с оттяжечкой, атмосферно и красиво.
    Правда, коротковата, но будем ждать аддонов!    Купил сразу, как поиграл в демку.
    Тупоголовым солзятникам, привыкшим к японскому дрочу, не зайдет. Всем остальным понравится. Шикарный арт, сочная боевка с оттяжечкой, атмосферно и красиво.
    Правда, коротковата, но будем ждать аддонов!
  76. study
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    Satisfying combat scratches the souls borne itch with no grinding whatsoever. Bosses are straightforward yet challenging. I’m still wondering why there is no music but it took me a while to notice when I was binging this awesome game.
  77. robomartion
    Aug 19, 2020
    2
    I don't get it. What's the point of emulating a game when you don't even understand what makes it good? The combat is awful, delayed, buffered crap. Get that right first and then make a game out of it. If the game is about combat and the combat isn't even satisfying or rewarding there's no point in playing it! Get it through your ****ing skulls! Other than that the writing is cringe-worthyI don't get it. What's the point of emulating a game when you don't even understand what makes it good? The combat is awful, delayed, buffered crap. Get that right first and then make a game out of it. If the game is about combat and the combat isn't even satisfying or rewarding there's no point in playing it! Get it through your ****ing skulls! Other than that the writing is cringe-worthy and strange and the art direction is boring and uninspired. And it's also got that blurred look Unreal Engine is known for. 2 points for trying. Back to the drawing board guys.… Expand
  78. Gabe7494
    Aug 19, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I'll probably give a higher review as the game updates in the future, I'm closer to uninstalling until then rather than play any further. I've only got about 7 hours in, I feel like I've seen what's going on enough.

    It's insanely clunky. Having played just about every souls-like game out there, the input delay in this one is atrocious. Did you want to dodge? That sucks cause you're gonna swing from a second ago when you wanted to. And now you're dead. Parry? That's a laugh. It either needs more precise timing than any other game that has the same feature, or it doesn't exist at all.

    The starfish design of the entire map is also frustrating. Start from the middle, travel as far out as you can, fight a boss and travel all the way back to repeat the process. There is a fast-travel system, but the game fails to advertise it at all. Thank goodness YouTube exists. Also, this may be an issue on just MY digital copy, but there is an entire section called Eternal Narthex that I literally can't advance in. Every time I climb the stairs to enter, I lose the shell I'm in, my weapon and any items I picked up along the way. There's also a mini-boss immediately after you "recite" from a book on the left that, upon defeating, teleports me to an entirely different part of the map and gives me nothing. I've fought him three times just to see if something would change and so far, nothing.

    The entire concept of "use the item to find out what it does" is okay, but frustrating when the item just poisons you. The poisonous items also can't be used against your enemies (unless the game left out how to do that too) and it makes me wonder why they're even in the game.

    What is the story? Idk what's going on, I just know I must kill. It feels like this should be tied in with souls lore but forgot to tell us how. The things and NPCs you find give cryptic messages that give you no insight into what's happening. I don't need it to be right in my face, but even a small hint here and there would make some of frustrations the game presents a bit worth it.

    Atmosphere and graphics are pretty great, credit where it's due.

    Enemy variety seems extremely limited so far. Again, only 7 hours in, but I've seen maybe 4 different kinds of enemies with 7 different skins. I guess it levels out the challenge of dealing with the clunky controls, but it's also demotivating to try and learn any new methods of combat other than hit this guy three times or hit this guy, back up, repeat.

    Animations are also way too common. I crawled through a tunnel and was forced to watch an enemy pummel half of my health bar away while the crawl-out-in-5-seconds animation played through.

    Weapon variety would also be nice. The few that are present are cool, but they're way too limited in their abilities for something this difficult. Also, what's with the lute? Does it have a real purpose later or am I just supposed to jam out for the heck of it on occasion? If it were taken out of the game, I can't say I'd care.

    Lastly, we don't need a map, we never had one in any other souls game and it worked, but why is every area a maze? Even the "main hub" of the game is a bunch of paths that MAY lead into the tower and then don't. It's especially frustrating when you've come back from venturing out into one of the starfish legs and you need to get in to restore health and your "extra life" and some random enemy shoots an arrow/rock (what are they even shooting?) at your head and kills you, sending you all the way back to the last sester; the game's only method of a "checkpoint".

    I'm not saying don't play this game by any means, I would say watch and wait though. There needs to be some sort of overhaul to fix many of these issues other players are experiencing before it can be a true contender. I will say that the price is definitely fair; if I'd paid $60 for this, I would've had it refunded long before now and given up.    … Expand
  79. kennyded
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    Game had huge potential but the pacing in the game is pretty bad. You can unlock all the characters and weapons pretty easily. The bosses are too predictable and not punishing enough though that might be because you can harden or dodge. If they added hardening to the main bosses like they did with the weapon unlocks I do think the difficulty would of been much higher.

    I can say that I    Game had huge potential but the pacing in the game is pretty bad. You can unlock all the characters and weapons pretty easily. The bosses are too predictable and not punishing enough though that might be because you can harden or dodge. If they added hardening to the main bosses like they did with the weapon unlocks I do think the difficulty would of been much higher.

    I can say that I do like the concept they were going for on each of the dungeons. Game is alright for casual gaming.    … Expand
  80. timeandspace
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    Once you learn how to use the hardening mechanic, the game stops being frustrating and becomes the best Souls-lite experience yet made. The only negative is the map design, it's way too complex and it's too easy to get lost.
  81. Stampeter
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    I am completely addicted to Mortal Shell. I can't say I'm a fan of SoulsLike games but this got me hooked. The art and atmosphere is amazing and it's fun exploring the starting area. The weapon animations feels really good and weighty, unlike some other games where a gigantic hammer acts like a light plastic toy. As an avid Street Fighter III: 3rd strike player, I really appreciateI am completely addicted to Mortal Shell. I can't say I'm a fan of SoulsLike games but this got me hooked. The art and atmosphere is amazing and it's fun exploring the starting area. The weapon animations feels really good and weighty, unlike some other games where a gigantic hammer acts like a light plastic toy. As an avid Street Fighter III: 3rd strike player, I really appreciate the parry system. It became really fun learning the enemies attacks so I can land that sweet sweet parry and use a riposte, whether it's to heal myself or land some extra damage. This is not a huge game, but it's decent in size. It's quality for sure and definitely worth the price tag.… Expand
  82. ArtoriasKillaB
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    Forget the small team. Just for a game, it looks amazing, it plays great, it kicks your ass and leaves you begging for another. The combat feels so good thanks to the game's great sound. I'm convinced anyone leaving less than an 8 on this game is just playing the wrong game and should go back to playing MMOs and Fortnite.
  83. MrTouchdown
    Aug 19, 2020
    1
    It's pretty!

    That's the end of the good things. I returned and uninstalled it after an hour for two reasons: 1. Nearly 1 second delay from button press to execution of the move. A whole second. While the enemies are fighting in real time, i'm doing turn based combat or something. 2. While my character is completely staggered with the slightest hit, taking a full second to recover    It's pretty!

    That's the end of the good things. I returned and uninstalled it after an hour for two reasons:

    1. Nearly 1 second delay from button press to execution of the move. A whole second. While the enemies are fighting in real time, i'm doing turn based combat or something.

    2. While my character is completely staggered with the slightest hit, taking a full second to recover (unless there are more hits incoming, in which case he never recovers), the enemies have no such problems. You can do a power shot to the dome and they move right through it.

    It's a souls-like game, and everyone always whines when they aren't difficult enough. This game solves for that by making it so that you literally can't play the game. It's not that the enemies have tricky moves, or you need to hit them in weak points, or something like that. They just made it so that when you press buttons nothing happens for a while.

    Maybe they did this for realism? Like maybe with all this armor and a big sword it would take me forever to get a swing going? If so, they should have asked somebody first.

    I fight in the Armored Combat Worldwide league. I own two suits of armor - 14th and 15th century and I own real versions of pretty much all the weapons in the game. They missed what it's like to fight in armor by a mile.

    With such broken game mechanics, I just can't. Save your money or go buy a better game that is hard because the enemies are hard - not because they coded the game to be unresponsive.    … Expand
  84. MegaloDon11
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    Quite simply the closest thing you'll find to Dark Souls that FromSoft didn't make. So many subtleties and hidden mechanics. The haters need to GIT GUD!
  85. Grahl1
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    Another game that suffers from Indie Syndrome: huge potential and huge bad design decisions (I'm not saying all indies are like this, but a lot).

    The atmosphere, the lore and the graphics are amazing. But everything else feels rushed and uninspired. The combat is little better than Lords of the Fallen. Clunky, clunky, clunky, repetitive, enemies are damage sponges, repetitive    Another game that suffers from Indie Syndrome: huge potential and huge bad design decisions (I'm not saying all indies are like this, but a lot).

    The atmosphere, the lore and the graphics are amazing. But everything else feels rushed and uninspired.

    The combat is little better than Lords of the Fallen. Clunky, clunky, clunky, repetitive, enemies are damage sponges, repetitive enemies. The boss fights are specially disappointing.

    The worst of all is the lack of checkpoints. Every Souls-like I've ever played (and I've played a lot of them) has many checkpoints, to compensate for the difficulty. This is a difficult game with little checkpoints, not to mention the areas are absolute mazes, and like every Souls-like, there's no map.

    And finally, the lack of everything. The lack of enemy variety, the lack of bosses, the lack of weapons, maybe even shells. I mean, if you're gonna create a template for a game, then that's most of the work, I assume? Why create little content over that template? Again, a really bad decision. They could have asked double the price with not nearly double the work. 4 main bosses (and not even 4 mini bosses) for a souls-like, a game of bosses, feels extremely lacking.

    I'm still giving this a 6.5, because the potential is there and one must value it. But it's extremely frustrating that you can see that the developers certainly had the ability to make a great souls-like like Nioh or Jedi: Fallen Order, yet their never-ending stream of bad decisions makes it an average game. Again, the Indie Syndrome.    … Expand
  86. VanginVnuk
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    Probably the best souls like game I've played. A lot of work has been done for such a small company. It was fun to play, it was difficult to play. The game is worth paying attention to. I recommend it!
  87. Naia
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    It's a smaller game in certain things (and immense in others), but that doesn't mean that it is bad, or less, cause it's not. It's a great game, and shines with its own light. And the whole thing was made by only 15 people (2 initially... what. da. **** And frankly, it is one of the most pleasant surprises that I found this year; a great little gem, with a lot of love. Plus: it's the bestIt's a smaller game in certain things (and immense in others), but that doesn't mean that it is bad, or less, cause it's not. It's a great game, and shines with its own light. And the whole thing was made by only 15 people (2 initially... what. da. **** And frankly, it is one of the most pleasant surprises that I found this year; a great little gem, with a lot of love. Plus: it's the best soulslike I've ever played, by far. And it's also more than that, and contributes its own, which is quite a lot, and in that way, and with that intention, no one did it before.… Expand
  88. Brahmans
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    The game provides entertainment and its quite good for the small team that developed it. I had a lot of fun playing it.
  89. Chumpie
    Aug 19, 2020
    10
    I found out about this game a few months ago and joined the community instantly, it has been an amazing experience watching this game grow to what it is now. The combat hooked me when i saw it, a sword with actual weight to it . The voice acting paired with the atmosphere of the game is truly and experience
  90. Gecko382
    Aug 19, 2020
    2
    Extremely clunky movement and a delay in every single thing you do. Attacking queues the next attack absurdly long so you'll end up attacking when you'd rather want to dodge.

    Could be a great game for its price if the developers spent another six months polishing gameplay.
  91. AkaySama
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    Great game from a small team and it's not easy to do a Soul game, and they did. and add their own spin into it
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. Worth Playing
    Jan 8, 2021
    80
    Mortal Shell is an enjoyable title for those who are already fans of the SoulsBorne sub-genre, and it has more positives than it has flaws. The swamp hub world is bland and confusing, but the different biomes you eventually reach are gorgeous, even if they're relatively familiar. The lack of a deep leveling system has a very good replacement in the shell system, which ends up providing more versatility in your character build and the attack system. The relatively shorter length makes it great for newcomers, while genre veterans will find it to be a great debut effort from a small development team.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 7, 2020
    80
    If Dark Souls wasn’t sufficiently dark and difficult, this is just the thing for you. Taking the souls-like genre a step further, Mortal Shell provides a satisfying combat system enveloped in a creatively unique narrative. Well worth the suffering. [Issue#305]
  3. RPGamer
    Sep 18, 2020
    70
    Mortal Shell may be a modest product, but it surprised at nearly every turn with regularity. The lack of variety in the environments, weapons, and classes are more than made up by never overstaying its welcome. Whenever it feels as though its about to become stale, players will stumble across something new to try out. The lack of depth isn’t too much of a detriment as the game is short enough to ever feel tired. Better yet, what is there is good, a foundation with easy room to be expanded upon and a strong demonstration of Cold Symmetry’s understanding of core concepts that are the strength of the genre. Mortal Shell is a exemplary use of limited resources to make a tight, fun game, even if it only takes a weekend to beat.
    Read full review
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