Mortal Shell
A compact soulslike with distinct shell-based playstyles.
Mortal Shell is an action role-playing game from American indie developer Cold Symmetry, published by Playstack. It launched on August 18, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. A remastered version, *Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition*, arrived on March 4, 2021, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and later on Amazon Luna (November 18, 2021). A Nintendo Switch port, the *Complete Edition* (including all DLC), followed on December 19, 2022. By September 2023, the game had sold one million copies. A sequel, *Mortal Shell II*, was released on August 20, 2026.
The game is a third-person action RPG centered on melee combat. Players control one of four "shell" characters, each with distinct playstyles and backstories. Cold Symmetry saw a gap in the market for games that evoke deeper emotional experiences, and were influenced by the 2011 game *Dark Souls*. They built a dark, atmospheric world where cryptic characters offer sparse information, and combat is deliberately challenging. However, they aimed to put their own spin on the formula. Some changes were creative, like limiting the player to a small number of consumable health items to encourage a health-leeching mechanic (instead of *Dark Souls'* Estus flasks). Other changes stemmed from being a smaller studio: unable to develop many armors, weapons, or character builds, they instead created four shells with unique playstyles and backstories. An early prototype called *Dungeonhaven* used procedural generation, but the team abandoned it, feeling it clashed with the *Dark Souls* approach. They hand-designed the game's areas, wanting players to feel they were on an adventure through a coherent world. An October 2020 update, "Rotting Autumn," added new shell skins, a quest, a photo mode, and an alternative soundtrack by Greek black metal band Rotting Christ.
Critics gave *Mortal Shell* generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, though the PlayStation 5 version received mixed or average scores. On OpenCritic, 64% of critics recommended it. Many reviewers compared the experience to playing *Dark Souls* for the first time. *GameSpot* gave it an 8/10, calling it a love letter to FromSoftware's work that feels aimed at players who struggle with Soulsborne games. The game was nominated for Best Debut Game at The Game Awards 2020. By March 2021, it had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Cold Symmetry
- Publisher
- Playstack
- Designer
- Patty Shannon · Alexander Vrana · Evyn Shuley
- Programmer
- Francesco Zacchini · Denny Strube · Csaba Molnár · Eero Mutka
- Writer
- Ryan Schapals
- Composer
- Simon Heath
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · PlayStation 5 · Xbox Series X/S · Nintendo Switch · Luna
- Released
- Windows, PS4, Xbox One · 18 August 2020 · Enhanced Edition · PS5, Xbox Series X/S · 4 March 2021 · Luna · 18 November 2021 · Complete Edition · Nintendo Switch · 19 December 2022
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mortal Shell was developed by the American indie studio Cold Symmetry, who identified a gap in the market for video games evoking deeper emotional experiences. The developers were influenced by the 2011 game Dark Souls, creating a dark atmosphere and cryptic characters, and designing gameplay around challenging melee combat. However, they intended to create their own take on the concept. Some changes from the Dark Souls formula were creatively driven, such as limiting players to a small number of consumable health items to encourage use of a health-leeching mechanic, rather than the Estus flasks of Dark Souls. Other changes came from the limitations of being a smaller developer: unable to develop the same amount of armours, weapons, and character builds, they instead created four 'shells' with different play styles and backstories.
An early prototype of the game, titled Dungeonhaven, was focused on procedural generation. The developers moved away from this, feeling it was antithetical to the Dark Souls series, and instead designed the game's areas by hand, wanting players to feel like they were going on an adventure through a space that made sense as a setting. The 'Rotting Autumn' update, released in October 2020, added new shell shades (skins), a new quest, a photo mode, and an alternative soundtrack by the Greek black metal band Rotting Christ.
Reader's Guide
Mortal Shell received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with Metacritic indicating 'generally favorable reviews' except on PlayStation 5, where reviews were 'mixed or average'. On OpenCritic, the game was recommended by 64% of critics. Reviewers frequently compared the game to playing Dark Souls for the first time. GameSpot awarded the game an 8/10, stating that Cold Symmetry's budget action-RPG is a love letter to FromSoftware's work, but that Mortal Shell's take on similar ideas feels aimed at those who struggle to get through Soulsborne games. The game was nominated for Best Debut Game at The Game Awards 2020. By March 2021, Mortal Shell had sold over 500,000 units worldwide, and by September 2023, it had sold one million units. A sequel, Mortal Shell II, was released on August 20th, 2026.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed by American indie studio Cold Symmetry.
- An early prototype was called Dungeonhaven and used procedural generation.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2020s, Part 3 1-24
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