Mortal Shell

Mortal Shell is a gloomy action RPG by Cold Symmetry. In a crumbling world, players explore abandoned sanctuaries, face dangerous creatures and take over the bodies of fallen warriors.

Each of these shells changes health, stamina and combat skills. A special defensive mechanic briefly turns the character to stone to absorb attacks or alter the timing of their own strike.

Mortal Shell was released for PC on Aug 18, 2020 via the Epic Games Store, as well as for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The enhanced native versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S followed on Mar 4, 2021.

The PC game came out on Steam on Aug 18, 2021. The Nintendo Switch version was released on Dec 19, 2022 as the Complete Edition with the additional content.

Mortal Shell launched natively on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The PS5 and Xbox Series versions offer technical improvements over the original console versions.

The Switch version is called Complete Edition and also includes the expansion The Virtuous Cycle. A standalone Switch 2 version has not been released.

Combat requires patience. Attacks, dodges and blocking enemy blows must be timed together. If you perform too many actions in quick succession, you lose stamina and can hardly defend yourself in critical moments.

Parries open up chances for a counterattack. At the same time, the game rewards deliberate use of its hardening mechanic. Encounters range from single guards to large boss enemies.

The Virtuous Cycle was released on Aug 18, 2021. The expansion adds a roguelike mode in which the world of Fallgrim changes between runs and players choose from numerous upgrades.

Players can also use Hadern, who previously appeared as a teacher, as a fifth shell and wield the transformable Axatana weapon. The Switch Complete Edition already includes the expansion and the Rotten Autumn content update.

The Steam version requires at least an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX-8350, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290 and 12 GB of free storage. The current Steam client requires Windows 10 or later.

Recommended: an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX Vega 56. Other PC distribution versions may list different storage requirements.

Your character can take over the bodies of various fallen warriors. Their attributes differ in health and stamina, among other things. This means the same enemies can be fought with very different tactics.

Additional abilities can be unlocked for the individual shells. The Virtuous Cycle expands the selection with Hadern, who also becomes playable in the main campaign.

In Mortal Shell, the character can temporarily turn their body to stone. This lets them withstand an enemy hit without changing position, unlike a normal dodge.

Hardening can also be built into your own attack animations. Players must decide whether to use this option for a risky strike or hold it in reserve for the next attack.

Fallgrim is a gloomy, interconnected game world full of ruins, hidden paths and hostile creatures. From there, paths lead to further areas of varied design and dangerous enemies.

If you search the area carefully, you'll find items, new weapons and clues about the world's inhabitants. The game explains many connections through places, characters and brief encounters rather than a linear sequence of missions.

The weapon lineup focuses on different reaches, speeds and attack patterns. New gear and upgrades change how your character handles single enemies or groups.

Weapons can be strengthened and extended with special attacks. The DLC weapon Axatana offers two styles: a heavy axe and two faster blades.

The Enhanced Edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S improves frame rate, resolution and textures. Playstack says the PS5 version reaches up to 60 frames per second with upscaled 4K output.

On PS5, the game also uses haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller. Owners of the PS4 version were due to get the PS5 version as a free upgrade.

Mortal Shell: Complete Edition was released on Dec 19, 2022 for Nintendo Switch. The edition combines the base game, the roguelike expansion The Virtuous Cycle and other content released up to that point.

It includes Rotten Autumn with extra shell colors, a short side quest, a photo mode and alternative music for boss fights. The Switch version can be played with the Pro Controller and supports German on-screen text.

The Virtuous Cycle changes exploration through shifting conditions and unlockable upgrades. Players who play the expansion rebuild their abilities with each attempt, rather than only following the fixed order of the main campaign.

Hadern and the Axatana also expand combat options. On PC and the originally supported consoles, the expansion requires the base game, but on Switch it is included in the Complete Edition.

Mortal Shell is a single-player game with no standalone co-op mode. The Steam version offers German menus and subtitles as well as English voice audio.

On Nintendo Switch, German on-screen text is also available. The PC version supports controllers, achievements and cloud saves via Steam.