Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition

Overall, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition succeeds on several levels. It's an excellent update to a surprise indie hit that is still mighty enjoyable for anyone interested in the Soulslike genre. While difficulty and pacing get in the way, Mortal Shell is a short, sweet, and most importantly, challenging game to tide you over to the next main Souls offering.

Mortal Shell Enhanced Edition might be a little light on next-gen upgrades, but the ones that matter are there and they are game-changing. 60FPS is the main attraction but a nice 4K is welcome, too. For returning fans, it’s a nice free update. For newcomers looking to get punished, it’s a cheap and, well, not cheerful game, but it is its own brand of fun – if you can call it that.

Mortal Shell makes for a strong introduction to Souls-likes, a demonstration for new players of what so many have found so interesting about From Software's games and those like them. But Mortal Shell is also a lovingly crafted, weird, and deceptively deep game in its own right that rewards you for wandering its twisted paths and challenging its deadliest foes.

Representing the definitive version of Mortal Shell that should provide a compelling offering for newcomers and veterans alike, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is a highly polished Soulslike. Though not up to the standard of its classic inspirations, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition nonetheless stands ably on its own merit thanks to some great combat and a series of under the hood innovations that the genre at large might consider adopting.

For those who already own Mortal Shell on either Xbox One or PS4, this enhanced edition arrives as a free update or upgrade path, and it’s a very good reason to return to it. For those who haven’t yet journeyed into its grim world, however, there’s never been a better time, especially on PS5. This isn’t simply Mortal Shell with the resolution and framerate uncapped; the visuals have been dramatically improved while still ensuring a consistent 60fps experience, and DualSense support has been implemented with care. With Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition, developer Cold Symmetry has really given its game a chance to shine.

While Mortal Shell cannot completely fill the big shoes of "Dark Souls", it is an impressive debut by Cold Symmetry. We especially liked the unique art design and the motivating battle system and are looking forward to a successor.

Mortal Shell is a bold reinterpretation of what a Soulslike can be and a wonderful debut from Cold Symmetry. It contains lip-biting combat and interesting characters that bring the world to life. While enemy and environmental diversity is lacking, there are still many great bosses and challenges for players to face and conquer.

If it is not free from flaws or free of any bugs or annoying moments, Mortal Shell remains a quite solid choice for fans of the genre, who will have to accept, a small development team obliges, to have a game less dense and deep than those of From Software, but strong enough to be played without displeasure.

Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is undeniably inspired by the likes of Dark Souls, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the upgrade doesn’t fix every technical problem the original had, the PS5 enhancements are enough to make this version the definitive version of the game. If Demon's Souls didn’t scratch your Souls-like itch, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is worth a try.

Thanks to an increased, stabilised framerate, and clever use of the DualSense, PS5 offers the definitive version of Mortal Shell. Just remember it’s no Demon’s Souls. [Issue#187, p.84]