Developer Cold Symmetry showed off their upcoming Souls-like action RPG, Mortal Shell, during IGN's Summer Gaming Expo. A new gameplay trailer was released, showing off the "tough-as-nails" combat that awaits when the game arrives later this year.
Mortal Shell is very much inspired by Dark Souls and other challenging games of its nature. The developers have openly admitted to it.
"For us, it was never even a question what type of game we want to do because we are allf ans of these games. We enjoy playing them. We love the meaning and philosophy that they have. So we just wanted to do something that we would play ourselves and hopefully other people will enjoy too," the developer said during a gameplay presentation.
But while the gameplay is inspired by Dark Souls, there are some mechanics in Mortal Shell that make it stand out. Different playstyles are unlocked by discovering and equipping "shells," playable bodies in the game that you can inhabit. In doing so, you learn more about the character's past story while also unlocking their abilities. Each shell's abilities are unique and inspired by that character's background story, so as you learn more about who they were in the past, you'll acquire one of their abilities. There are four unique shells in the game, each providing different playstyles that could result in it feeling like a different game.
In addition to the gameplay trailer and developer presentation, it was announced that Mortal Shell will be getting a week-long closed beta that begins on Friday July 3 and runs through Friday. July 10. The beta will only be available on PC and you can try for a beta key through the game's various social channels. The beta will begin on the outskirts of Fallgrim. Players will find their first shell and fight their way through the Crypt of Martyrs, a twisted catacomb that ends with a huge boss fight against Enslaved Grisha, "a giant beast muzzled by a giant cage."
Mortal Shell is a deep action-RPG that tests your sanity and resilience in a shattered world. Your adversaries spare no mercy, with survival demanding superior awareness, precision, and instincts. Possess lost warriors, track down hidden sanctums of the devout, and face formidable foes.
Mortal Shell is set to release later this year for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. There hasn't been any announcement for a next-gen version of the game.