Mortal Shell channels the Souls series’ combat with Horror

A new entry into the popular Soulslike sub-genre of punishing melee action-adventure games has been unveiled with Mortal Shell. Published by Playstack, the title is slated to arrive on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but there is no release date yet. Check out the announcement trailer here!

From Software’s cult Dark Souls series sure managed to create an entirely new sub-genre in the action-RPG realm. Punishing and methodic combat with a heavy focus on even the seemingly most basic enemy has proven a massive hit among gamers who have become fed up with being spoonfed by achievement.

Thankfully, by now there are plenty of great games that follow the Soulslike formula while still feeling unique and different. The Surge, Code Vein and Nioh have shown that there is value in developers trying their hands in their own takes.

Deep Upgrade Paths
The stronger your connection to each Mortal Shell grows,
the better you can harness their innate talents.
Recover venerable weapons, sharpen your iron with acid,
and study devastating arcane powers

Face Formidable Foes
Your path is guarded by desperate adversaries,
devoted to inscrutable gods. Behold creatures
both pitiable and grotesque, but do not let
fear halt your journey

The newest one in this series is Mortal Shell. Published by Playstack and developed by the new studio Cold Symmetry, the game features the immediately recognizable combat mechanics known from the Souls series while still featuring a distinctly different setting. Instead of a well-known medieval setting, Mortal Shell sports a much darker world that inches much closer to horror games.

And on the gameplay front, there’s also a massive fresh idea to be found. Players are able to possess dead enemies and fight using their skills and weapons. It sounds like a radically different approach and could theoretically lead to some very interesting gameplay scenarios.