Mortal Shell

Looks good, runs good, but I can't stand the controls. Feels like I have no agency over what my character is doing. Inability to backpedal or side-step is confounding.

Among all the problems, this game have certainly the worst healing system I've saw in my entire gamer's life. To get healing, you have to charge your healing artifact by killing some enemies, or succeed a perfect parry. BUT Perfect parry ask you to react just a little time "before" the enemy attack. Not like if you could react by reflexes, like in ANY other Souls-like, if you do, you get the attack because your character's animation is too slow to take the artifact and parry with. That's the first move. Once your artifact is charged, you have to make it again to perform a counterattack that will deal severe damages... and healing you a few, less than when you take a healing item. This healing system is high risk for low reward, that's simple! Adding to this that enemies animations are sometimes hard to identify, mix this with the fact you have to pre-parry the attack and this is completely outside your reflexes. This game ask you to master this move for its specific gameplay. I would rather get back on Dark Souls, Bloodborne, The Surge, Blasphemous... where reflexes parry are much more rewarded.

A homage to dark souls, but as not as difficult. It's fun to play, it has It's own dynamic in the gameplay thanks to the hardening ability.

I must admit ive never been a fan of souls like games but im trying to get into that genre and i choose mortal shell as my more serious attempt to do this. For now i must say i love it, controlls are sharp, combat is impactfull and the world looks grim, dark and unforgiving just as i like it. Im still not sure what im doing but im liking it . Sound desing is engaging and atmospheric, enemies are scary enough but not too crazy and environment looks cool and stylish.

If you are into Soulslikes you cant go wrong here. Much smaller, less epic, but some really cool mechanics and animations. I still had some sound and visual bugs, but if you grab it in a sale, deffo a must. 3-4 Stars, I give it 4, because it ticks a lot of boxes and I really like the combat mechanics.