The morbid indie gameMortal Shellis a game that blends new ideas with familiar mechanics. With its unique shell system, creative lore, and interesting character designs, the game manages to feel fresh, despite having so much in common with games likeDark Soulsand other similar titles.
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With such a striking blend of the old and the new, many of you are bound to approach these games in a few common ways. Whether that’s a result of being accustomed to Soulslike games or being introduced to some of Mortal Shell’s clever twists on the genre, here are a few of the most common choices we all make.
6Only Harden Between Attacks
One of Mortal Shell’s most unique mechanics is its hardening system, which allows you to absorb a blow from an enemy without taking damage. When used at the right moment, hardening your shell can mean the difference between life and death during the game’s more difficult encounters.
While there are many different scenarios where hardening can be utilized, you’re likely to initially use it as a replacement for a more traditional block or guard ability. Getting the most out of hardening requires some experimentation to discover the most effective moments to use it on both offense and defense. This includes hardening mid-attack, causing your character to unfreeze and finish off a powerful blow immediately after being struck.
5Getting Lost In The Opening Area
One key aspect of many Soulslike games is exploration. Wandering through dangerous realms without much knowledge of where to go next is a staple of this challenging subgenre, and Mortal Shell is no different, thrusting you into the bleak land of Fallgrim with little knowledge of where to head first and dangerous enemies abound.
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You’ll undoubtedly spend some time wandering around, getting into fights, and dying before realizing that Fallgrim is essentially a large loop, circling back around on itself and connecting each of the world’s four main locations andboss locations.The time spent aimlessly trekking around the area isn’t entirely a waste, though, as you’ll likely grow more familiar with the way Mortal Shell works the more you do.
4Ignoring Items
After entering Fallgrim, one of the first things you’ll do in Mortal Shell is discover a Weltcap, a small mushroom growing in the ground. These tiny mushrooms are a valuable part of your journey through the game, though you may not realize it until it’s too late.
Items in Mortal Shellwill only reveal their functions after you’ve used them, unlocking the first level of familiarity of each respective item. Without actually consuming a Weltcap, you may not discover that it restores health for a set period of time, robbing them of their ability to heal until they take a chance and try one out. As your familiarity with each item increases, so does its effectiveness.
3Miss The Hints On Where To Find Other Shells
After you’ve familiarized yourself with Mortal Shell’s gameplay a bit, your first stop should be Fallgrim Tower, which essentially serves as your main base of operations throughout the game. You’ll need to return here to level upeach of your unique shells,provided you’ve tracked them down.
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You might not realize initially that the tower also contains hints as to where each of these shells is found. If you explore its main floor a bit, you’ll come across a handful of shadowy silhouettes laying in what looks like their final resting places, surrounded by candles. Examining each of these shades will give you a tip as to where to locate the shells that each one represents throughout the world.
2Confuse Tar And Glimpses
Killing enemies in the game will see your character slowly accumulating tar, the primary collectible in the game. After dying, you’ll leave your tar behind, needing to revisit the location where you were defeated to retrieve it.
Naturally, those familiar with Soulslike games will assume that tar is your form of currency and experience, and while this is partly true, the addition of glimpses may make the process a bit more confusing than usual. While tar can be used to make purchases, you’ll also need glimpses to unlock new abilities for your shells as you progress. Thankfully, you’ll retain glimpses after dying, but they’ll be tied to the specific shells you’re using when you acquire them.
1Overlook The Merchant
Exploring Fallgrim Tower is important if you’re planning to get the most out of your Mortal Shell experience. In addition to Sester Genessa, an NPC who you’ll need to speak to in order to upgrade your shells, you’ll encounter The Old Prisoner here, a powerful being who will help you gain new abilities with the items you’ve gained from boss encounters.
While you’ll likely meet these and other important characters as you progress through the game, an easily missed occupant of the tower is Vlas, the merchant. Accessed via a set of stairs circling around the back of the tower, Vlas is set up with useful consumables, tools, and even a pet cat that you can interact with and pet.
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