The success of FromSoftware's Dark Souls paved the way for an entire genre of Souls-like action role-playing games to begin development. FromSoftware continues to develop games of course, with a collaboration between the studio and George R.R. Martin resulting in the long-anticipated Elden Ring, but titles like Cold Symmetry's Mortal Shell also hold promise.
According to the game's website, Mortal Shell is a title that promises to test players' sanity and resilience with "strategic, deliberate, and unforgiving" combat and a unique mechanic allowing its main character to possess defeated warriors and master different battle styles. The title was first announced as Cold Symmetry's debut game in April, but all has been relatively quiet since until an official gameplay trailer released earlier today.
Based on the trailer it appears Mortal Shell will have a combat system full of heavy swings and brutal moves like kicking opponents off of cliffs in its desolate and ethereal world. There are all manner of opponents wielding anything from hammers and crossbows ready to literally knock the soul out of the player's shell, much like in Dark Souls, but there are means of retaliating with abilities such as buffing one's sword with some kind of magical energy.
The new trailer comes as part of IGN's Summer of Gaming event, one of many digital-only game showcases that have been announced and enacted throughout the last few months following the cancellation of others such as E3 due to coronavirus concerns. For those who are interested in Mortal Shell, the most interesting detail comes at the end where it is announced a beta will open on July 3 for those who are part of the game's official Discord group.
Portions of the Summer of Gaming were delayed and rescheduled in solidarity with ongoing Black Lives Matter protests around the world, much like other digital events such as the official PlayStation 5 reveal — now scheduled for tomorrow. Other games like Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time and Skater XL will have dedicated segments later in the week.
However, Borderlands 3's upcoming Bounty of Blood DLC was also showcased today through IGN's event, as Gearbox Software released 15 minutes of gameplay. Between this and titles like Mortal Shell getting the spotlight, it's good to see something taking the place of mainstays like E3 during these strange times.
Mortal Shell releases in Q3 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Mortal Shell