Mortal Shell

 Xbox One
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 52
  3. Negative: 10 out of 52
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  1. BRUN0BRAV0
    Aug 24, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Um jogo para fans de soulslike,como uma originalidade única, não se obtém armaduras em partes neste jogo, vc tem q se apossar de corpos e assumir o set completo, cada um com sua abilidade,itens vc tem que usar para saber para que servem,jogo feito por 15 pessoas,baixo investimento ,estão de parabéns, seria um tiro certo a Microsoft comprar este estúdio em.… Expand
  2. Rampagesmithy
    Sep 20, 2020
    9
    So 1st of all I'm a huge darksouls bloodborne, sekiro fan i was very skeptical going into mortal shell but I have to say WOW
  3. GamerGuysNGals
    Aug 20, 2020
    8
    It’s no mystery how big of a Dark Souls fan I am. I’ve prob finished the first one over 50 times, so i was excited to see Mortal Shell finally pop up in my email. Spoiler alert for this review’s final score from the very start, but I loved it. I feel it might be the closest we have got so far to feeling that need for a Souls 4. Don’t get me wrong I really , really enjoyed “Hellpoint” butIt’s no mystery how big of a Dark Souls fan I am. I’ve prob finished the first one over 50 times, so i was excited to see Mortal Shell finally pop up in my email. Spoiler alert for this review’s final score from the very start, but I loved it. I feel it might be the closest we have got so far to feeling that need for a Souls 4. Don’t get me wrong I really , really enjoyed “Hellpoint” but it was something totally different overall. It was like a “Souls” meets “Dead Space” experience. Mortal Shell emulates the original a lot better. Even the menus have the same feeling. It isn’t exact though it does one major thing different. Hardening instead of using of shield play. You can turn into stone and absorb one attack. You can do this mid attack, and even in the air so it lends to some really interesting attack play. It also some times lends to a repetitive attack style as well though. You will find some people double attack, harden, attack over and over. If you don’t get your self stuck in that routine though, you will find yourself doing some really cool maneuvers.

    You play as a mysterious wraith type creature who is very weak and can only take on shot. So you must find human warriors or shells as they are called to possess. That also lends to an original mechanic where you lose all your health , and are knocked out of the body. You have to get back into it with out being hit. if you can you get a full health bar. You can do this once per life. I know this might make this sound easy, but it truly isn’t. To be honest this can feel like more of a struggle than actual Souls at first. The game can be Hell, but finding the right character and upgrades can really help. I recommend just trying everything out your first play through. As a Souls fan I like to encourage exploring, but if you feel like giving up certainly try a walk through first. It’s worth experiencing it all, and hate to see people give up on it. There are a lot of excellent vids out there, that will help you find essential items that will make it so much easier.

    The 4 characters are so different and encourage different play styles. They have different upgrades that will be so useful as well. There is a huge Knight with a giant health bar I recommend finding if you are new to Souls Like games and are struggling. He can take a lot of punishment. There is a character that doesn’t lose stamina while running, and can lose Stamina on contact instead of Health. This is one of my favorites. The first one you find Horrus is also good for beginners. He is a completely balanced build, and his upgrade focus is on hardening. All 4 are fun to use, and learn though. The only thing is upgrades are important so you might want to find which you like first instead of trying to upgrade all four. There are also four different weapons as well. You have to defeat a secondary boss using that weapon to get these.The weapons and Shells are all stored in the first tower you come to. So you can change any time you want. There are even items that will let you change characters in mid battle. Like the upgrading with Shells you might want to pick the weapon you like as well to get it fully upgraded. You can actually get one really strongly upgraded before even facing the first boss.

    These Bosses are a real struggle. You will think you got them after a tough battle just to realize they all have 2 phases, and health bars. So you have to beat them twice pretty much while they do a totally different and more aggressive attack pattern the second time. The good thing though the lady who saves and upgrades you is right at that boss battle so you don’t have to grind out the level over and over. If you have to leave to upgrade a weapon or something you also open up short cuts where you could with ease just sprint right back there. I really enjoyed the differences in the Bosses, and learning their attacks. I got my ass kicked a few times I won’t lie. Like I said it can be a challenge until you discover the weapons and shells you prefer.    … Expand
  4. 1forAll
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    Very fun game. Runs spectacular on one x. The fluidity and the combat is very responsive. Great enemy variety and difficulty. The fact that this game is only 40$ makes even that more sweet.
  5. stevej7
    Aug 31, 2020
    9
    This is a very capable souls like experience created by a very small team. Graphically and performance wise, it ran very well for me. It's been a while since the last From Software game so this was an enjoyable time.
    Although there are some aspects very heavily influenced by DS, there were also numerous original ideas such as the shell and weapon system, upgrades and the riposte/heal    This is a very capable souls like experience created by a very small team. Graphically and performance wise, it ran very well for me. It's been a while since the last From Software game so this was an enjoyable time.
    Although there are some aspects very heavily influenced by DS, there were also numerous original ideas such as the shell and weapon system, upgrades and the riposte/heal system which gave it enough individual flare to distinguish it from DS. Probably the best soulslike that i've played outside of the main games. Enemy variety was decent and they did a good job at world building.
    I enjoyed the difficulty scaling during the first half but did feel that it eased off quite a bit later on and for the second half, I did feel overpowered at times.
    I hope this sells well and I'd love to see them get picked up by a decent publisher to support them making a second, larger game.
    Also for the price (£25) I think it's absolutely a bargain and well worth picking up.    … Expand
  6. jasart
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    El juego tiene su propia identidad y atmósfera. Las animaciones están bien.
    Tipo Dark Souls, morirás muchas veces, debes encontrar a guerreros humanos o cáscaras como los llaman para poseer.
    Hay 4 personajes a elegir y son tan diferentes, que hacen que tu forma de jugar cambie. Al igual que las mejoras también diferentes entre ellos.
    Recomendado.
  7. muzzleberrie
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    My first game of this style and even though it was frustratingly difficult to get into, I just could not stop playing. Taking it in turns with my housemate was a lot of fun, laughing as each of us died over and over. The only improvement that I can think of is that the tutorial could have been a bit longer.
  8. TomeCastello
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    Died once on Xbox due to a small glitch but I am sure the great dev team will sort it! Fantastic
  9. osprey
    Nov 19, 2020
    9
    Really struggled to progress in this game at first and admit that I gave up once or twice but couldn't stop thinking about it so I came back to it and in the end loved it. It really gets it's hooks in you just like a Dark Souls game and definitely has the same atmosphere as those games. All the environments and enemies are interesting and really satisfying to defeat. Looking forward toReally struggled to progress in this game at first and admit that I gave up once or twice but couldn't stop thinking about it so I came back to it and in the end loved it. It really gets it's hooks in you just like a Dark Souls game and definitely has the same atmosphere as those games. All the environments and enemies are interesting and really satisfying to defeat. Looking forward to another game from this team.… Expand
  10. CamyVero
    Nov 13, 2022
    8
    Lo que nos ofrece Mortal Shell es una nueva oportunidad para enfrentarnos a un Souls Like. Y la verdad es que lo hace bastante bien. Se parece muchísimo a un Dark Souls, pero en miniatura. Hay menos clases, menos armas, menos enemigos a los que enfrentarse, menos bosses, y menos zonas que descubrir, explorar y en las que caer muerto. Pese a esto es un juego muy disfrutable, que sobre todoLo que nos ofrece Mortal Shell es una nueva oportunidad para enfrentarnos a un Souls Like. Y la verdad es que lo hace bastante bien. Se parece muchísimo a un Dark Souls, pero en miniatura. Hay menos clases, menos armas, menos enemigos a los que enfrentarse, menos bosses, y menos zonas que descubrir, explorar y en las que caer muerto. Pese a esto es un juego muy disfrutable, que sobre todo al principio nos parecerá un reto insuperable, pero que a medida que exploramos, morimos y conseguimos lo necesario para subir de nivel, se va haciendo mucho más fácil.

    El diseño del juego está clarísimamente inspirado en el primer Dark Souls, es casi un clon del mismo hecho con menos recursos. Con esos escenarios muertos, de colores pálidos y atmósfera cargada, mazmorras oscuras y húmedas, intrincados laberintos de obsidiana y malolientes pantanos donde te envenenas solo con respirar. Es justo mencionar que se introduce la mecánica de convertirse en piedra para absorber los ataques, que sustituye al escudo de los Souls, funciona de manera muy interesante y una vez que te haces a ello es un verdadero acierto en el combate. Por lo demás es lo mismo, aprenderse los patrones, atacar, esquivar, realizar el parry cuando puedas para subir un poco la barra de salud. En definitiva un Dark Souls bastardo que te mantendrá entretenido hasta unas 15 horas, depende de tu forma de jugar, hay gente que lo acaba en menos de 8 horas. Pero si te has acabado la saga original, y tienes mono de uno. Este te sirve perfectamente.

    Recomendado si lo encuentras en oferta o en alquiler. Ahora mismo está en Game Pass para Xbox y PC.    … Expand
  11. LadyAux
    Aug 26, 2020
    8
    Mortal Shell is a fresh new souls-like entry that switches up the way you play and requires you to forget how you would normally approach the genre. Such a stark difference that you would wonder how you ever managed without the new tools you get here. Crazy new mechanics that add more layers to combat and makes the game a real GIT GUD challenge. A good looking game with some greatMortal Shell is a fresh new souls-like entry that switches up the way you play and requires you to forget how you would normally approach the genre. Such a stark difference that you would wonder how you ever managed without the new tools you get here. Crazy new mechanics that add more layers to combat and makes the game a real GIT GUD challenge. A good looking game with some great animations and world design. Its a bit short and doesn't have as many shells and weapons as I wanted but it was super impressive and a much better game than Hellpoint. Watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/xZDl5TjgoYo… Expand
  12. AtemArchangel
    Dec 21, 2020
    9
    The best way to describe Mortal Shell is.....the best tutorial to Dark Souls. Simply put this is one of the best Soul like games out, and it's mostly because it does everything the Souls games do well, but still manages to be it's own game, tell it's own story, and most importantly...not suck. I recommend this game to anyone that has never played a Souls game, but has interest in them.The best way to describe Mortal Shell is.....the best tutorial to Dark Souls. Simply put this is one of the best Soul like games out, and it's mostly because it does everything the Souls games do well, but still manages to be it's own game, tell it's own story, and most importantly...not suck. I recommend this game to anyone that has never played a Souls game, but has interest in them. This will whip you into Dark Souls shape. Take that from someone who has been playing Souls for years.
    The different character types are lovely and cater to different build types. Each shell having their own lore as well is great. Not to mention the weapons and how each requires a different play style depending on which shell you pair with them.

    The biggest downside to Mortal Shell, is the final boss was kind of a let down. I also had some glitches during the final boss that made me have to redo it. In general it was kind of a poorly designed fight even without the glitches. Which is why this is a 9 and not a 10. Great game though.    … Expand
  13. Daniel2009
    Jan 13, 2022
    10
    Awesome game dude I love it so much more its just incredible it's just so great

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best Xbox One Game of 2020
38
#38 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2020
    75
    I respect the Cold Symmetry team for their courage to put their own twist on the soulslike formula. In Mortal Shell almost nothing works how you would expect it to and even if the game doesn’t always benefit from that, it feels fresh and is definitely worth checking out. [11/2020, p.36]
  2. DualShockers
    Sep 11, 2020
    70
    Mortal Shell will certainly scratch your Soulslike itch, but it won't necessarily win points for originality in presentation.
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  3. Gaming Nexus
    Sep 4, 2020
    88
    Mortal Shell embraces the Souls-like moniker with open arms. They welcomed comparisons, and, for the most part, delivered. What's more impressive is that a team of only 15 people created it. Mortal Shell will make you to rethink your ideas around patience and frustration. You will love this game for all the same reasons that you hate it.
    Read full review
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