Action RPG game Mortal Shell force-opened its beta testing phase to the public. The “overwhelming demand” for the Souls-like title created a wild buzz for the game.
Mortal Shell originally ran on a closed beta, but word of mouth spread like wildfire. Players from all over pushed the devs to convert it to open beta starting this weekend. The game is available on the Epic Games Store for free throughout its beta period.
Shell is a concentrated dose of Dark Souls
Shell is a clear cut Souls-like game but on a much better scale. The game is beautiful and gothic, with a seemingly more grotesque design than its inspiration. The world doesn’t only look brutalist, it is also a very cynical, grimdark fantasy.
The visual detail for the entire game is stunning, and the material is compelling. While Dark Souls was a sad, depressive world, some parts of it still had glimmers of hope. None of that exists for Shell, as every inch seems hostile and ready to murder.
The game itself takes on a ton of different dark fantasy settings and all their terrors. The world seems broken, and it’s ready to smash through the players’ sanity. The game feels like a concentrated dose of Dark Souls injected in a superbly dense amount.
The game’s beta has two locales so far, but they’re exquisite to play regardless. These maps include “the Fallgrim Outskirts” and “the Abandoned Chamber.” Fallgrim Outskirts is a gigantic forest, while the Abandoned Chamber looks like dark catacombs.
Death is not the end in Shell
While Mortal Shell seems to take a lot from Dark Souls, its gameplay and story are its own. Its death message, Mors Non Est Finis, means “Death is not the end.” This message also speaks a ton about how the game plays.
Shell’s equivalent of the Hollow makes it creepy and compelling at the same time. By letting players inhabit “shells,” players can pick and choose the bodies they want. The player has two choices between Harros and Tiel, together with their subtle differences in combat.
“Mortal Shell is a deep action-RPG that tests your sanity and resilience in a shattered world,” says the game’s description. “As the remains of humanity wither and rot, zealous foes fester in the ruins. They spare no mercy, with survival demanding superior awareness, precision and instincts.”
Mortal Shell’s beta phase is available for free on the Epic Games Store. The title will release on both EGS and Steam, with a target release date next year.
Images courtesy of Playstack/YouTube Screenshot