Mortal Shell is a game that has pretty much come out of nowhere and become an absolute must-buy for anyone who is even remotely interested in the Soulsborne franchise. The game has become a hot topic of discussion since its release, with most players coming out of the game with a positive opinion — something that most Soulslike games generally tend to struggle with. In fact, some people have gone so far as to say that Mortal Shell is the best true Soulslike game of all time.
Of course, this statement was bound to generate further discussion due to the prevalence of a large number of great Soulslikes that have been lauded by critics and fans alike. While Mortal Shell might be a great game in its own right, perhaps it's too soon to say whether it's greater than some other games that have borrowed from the Souls series and executed the gameplay with success. Keeping this in mind, here are five reasons why Mortal Shell is the best Soulslike game to have ever come out, along with five other games that are arguably way better than this title for a myriad of reasons.
10 MORTAL SHELL — The Story And Lore Of The World Is As Mysterious As Can Be
One of the biggest draws of the Soulsborne games was the fact that the story was quite epic... and yet it was never forced onto players throughout the run. The involvement in the story was solely on the player, who could choose to read item descriptions and interact with NPCs if they wished.
Mortal Shell ticks off this box in a resounding fashion, featuring a mysterious yet intriguing world that players really need to dig around in if they wish to understand what exactly is going on.
9 BETTER SOULSLIKE — Nioh 2
Nioh 2 was easily the best samurai Soulslike around... until Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. However, putting a game by From Software on this list would've been too easy, so Nioh 2 takes the spot instead.
The fast-paced combat of this series, coupled with some ingenious loot progression, leads to Nioh 2 being a great game to play through in every sense of the word, and places it miles ahead of its predecessor — an impressive achievement, since Nioh itself is a great game as well.
8 MORTAL SHELL — The Combat Has The Perfect Amount Of Weight
The combat of Mortal Shell is exactly what one would expect from at Soulslike, and this is mainly due to the sheer weight and effort put in most hits.
Players who swing their weapons for the first time will feel right at home due to how tight and responsive combat is in this game.
7 BETTER SOULSLIKE — The Surge 2
While The Surge was a good game in its own right, most people considered it to be fairly bland and lacking the polish of most Soulsborne games. Deck13 Interactive listened to all these problems and used their experience to craft a sequel to this title which is widely considered by many to be a great Soulslike.
The Surge 2 is a marked improvement over its prequel, integrated better combat mechanics, some unique challenges, and a ton of polish that was much-needed to improve the overall experience.
6 MORTAL SHELL — Using Shells Can Allow For Some Unique Gameplay
Mortal Shell allows players to inhabit four Shells, each of which has a unique combat style, abilities, and stats to boot.
This allows players to pick and choose the playstyle that suits them the most, offering a greater degree of customization to the player that doesn't feel as cut-and-dry as other games with such mechanics.
5 BETTER SOULSLIKE — Remnant: From The Ashes
The idea of incorporating Dark Souls mechanics into a third-person shooter might seem like a hare-brained idea, but the fact of the matter is that Remnant: From The Ashes somehow manages to accomplish the same with truly impressive results.
The game is easily one of the more challenging third-person shooters around, with some impressive level design and boss battles that can certainly make players experience what it felt like to play Dark Souls for the very first time.
4 MORTAL SHELL — Non-Linear Progression
Mortal Shell has a massive hub area of sorts, with paths diverting towards a ton of other places that can be tackled in pretty much any order.
The game is not long in any sense of the word — taking around 10 to 15 hours to finish, depending on a player's skills — but the non-linearity of the experience should still be lauded regardless.
3 BETTER SOULSLIKE — Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
For the longest time, people throughout that there would never be a single good Star Wars game in the modern generation. Thankfully, Respawn Entertainment finally took over the reins and delivered a Star Wars Soulslike game that is an excellent experience in every manner possible.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features an engrossing story, tight platforming mechanics, and robust combat that feels quite Soulslike while still maintaining a unique edge. While bugs are perhaps the biggest issue in this title, there's no denying that Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is a great game and an absolute must-buy for any self-respecting Star Wars fan.
2 MORTAL SHELL — The Harden System Is A Unique Mechanic
Of course, it would be unfair to term Mortal Shell as the best Soulslike if it only apes everything in the game it's inspired from. There are certainly a ton of original mechanics in the game, but one particular gameplay addition outshines the rest due to how unique it is.
The Harden mechanic allows the player to petrify their Shell for a brief moment, allowing it to perfectly block an enemy's hit and leave them open for a counterattack. It's easily the coolest and most useful mechanic in the game by a country mile, adding a new tactical layer to the already deep combat of the game.
1 BETTER SOULSLIKE — Hollow Knight
It would be impossible to talk about the best Soulslike games and not mention the absolute masterpiece that is Hollow Knight.
This Metroidvania-Soulslike hybrid is widely considered by many as one of the best games of all time, and it's easy to see why this the case. A charmingly haunting art style, brilliant level design, and some of the most memorable bosses in gaming place this game a tier above the rest of the uninspired titles that have bloated the gaming industry.