Mortal Shell, an Xbox Game Pass Title, Explained

Microsoft’s hot streak of fascinating Xbox Game Pass additions has continued into November’s offerings, which is unsurprising. This month, users will have access to Cold Symmetry’s outstanding Mortal Shell, as well as a pair of day-one debuts courtesy of adorable indie games Before We Leave and DEEEER Simulator. For a variety of exciting reasons, fans of tough action-RPGs who own an Xbox Series X/S or PC should keep the game on their radar.

Any Xbox Game Pass subscriber who’s played one of the entries in FromSoftware’s aforementioned Souls series will almost feel instantly at home in Mortal Shell. Shrouded in darkness from both a physical and exposition standpoint, Cold Symmetry has really gone to town when it comes to creating an atmospheric and foreboding universe.

While there’s a natural tendency in gaming to compare titles to their influences, drawing comparisons between Mortal Shell and the iconic games that have informed its DNA is something that’s almost impossible to avoid. Between developer comments and the formula that runs through the core of the game, it’s almost instantly apparent how much FromSoftware’s Dark Souls titles inspired the small team when developing the studio’s debut adventure. Unlike some of the Souls-like clones that have popped up in the wake of the series’ rise to stardom though, Mortal Shell has enough unique twists and wrinkles to justify players giving it a shot.

Instead of throwing concepts right into the player’s face, a lot of the best lore of the roughly 12 hour campaign is trickled out rewardingly through notes and occasional interactions with NPCs. From a combat perspective, an emphasis on visceral third person melee combat, that’s often a step above the difficulty of most franchises in the genre, will also feel familiar to FromSoftware veterans.

Describing Mortal Shell as a simple love letter to the Souls games risks undermining the readily apparent efforts that Cold Symmetry has gone through to take its game in a bold new direction.

One of the first clues that the studio’s debut title is more than just a clone can actually be observed in the composition of its name. Both of those words have deeply significant meanings. Instead of building out a character to fit their own playstyle for example, players get the chance to possess four distinct shell-like classes, thanks to some murky necromancy-based shenanigans. Each of these characters naturally offers unique combat styles that can be fun to experiment with. An item available later in the game also eventually allows players to shift between the party on the fly, further adding to the sense that Mortal Shell is trying to be a pioneer in the genre.

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