Why did it take so long to get hooked on Mortal Shell? Quite simply because its history is ultra cryptic. Unlike From Software which gives enough crumbs for us to be interested in the lore, Cold Symmetry has chosen to leave us in the most total unknown. We only know that we must recover three sacred glands to free the old prisoner chained in the tower of Fallgrim. This desire to offer no reference to the player results in items whose description is only revealed after a first use. In a game where each object must be consumed with accuracy, wasting a cartridge is like taking a step towards death in spite of ourselves. That said, Mortal Shell sometimes reaches out to us; for example, we see that mushrooms – which regenerate health – grow in the same places. All the more reason to know the levels by heart: on the verge of failure, it's reassuring to know where to scrape HP points, the growing time being to be taken into account. Developers are also magnanimous when getting familiar with an item; its effectiveness is then reinforced, as if our character had a better knowledge of it. Subtle, like the hardening that clearly acts as a shield. By pressing the left trigger, our avatar is able to turn into stone, and therefore neutralize the opposing attack.
This desire to offer no reference to the player results in items whose description is only revealed after a first use. In a game where each object must be consumed with accuracy, wasting a cartridge is like taking a step towards death in spite of ourselves.
Anecdotal at first, this mechanic quickly becomes vital when you're out of breath, hardening being dissociated from the endurance gauge. Two limits however: 1) the slightest blow received cancels the transformation, 2) a few seconds of waiting are necessary before being able to transform again. In addition to hardening, one can also count on dodging and rolling, without forgetting the parry which sometimes relies on providence. Indeed, if the timing is often tight, if the enemies have fun hitting at the wrong time to better cut us behind, we have already happened to ward off at random and hit the bull's eye. Conversely, even by applying ourselves to certain creatures, we have never managed to hurt them. In any case, the game is worth the candle, since the damage inflicted after a counter boosted by Determination is not negligible, especially during boss fights. Suddenly, we suspect Cold Symmetry of having deliberately shielded the levels of monsters, even curling bulimia. Too bad, because in addition to breaking all the balance that Mortal Shell could have benefited from - after defeating the dungeon master, stuffing yourself the opposite way with even more enraged beasts is rubbish - this permanent overkill is likely to put off neophytes. And to make sure that one takes expensive, the developers have positioned the enemies in a vicious way. A dark corner, a tree trunk, a rock, or a cornice, all means are good to receive a treacherous blow. Afterwards, given that the three dungeons tend to be linear – the fault of a redundant level design – we learn the lesson fairly quickly.
"YOU'RE A SISTER!"
Rest assured, we don't just defend in Mortal Shell, the proof with weapons that we can not only improve, but which also have special abilities to inflict maximum damage. Beware of gluttony, however, any careless mistake will pay cash, whether it's a golgoth or a lambda mob. Even when you feel like you can chain up, it's best to back off once the enemy has initiated their attack, unless harden is available and the coming hit isn't unstoppable. One of the peculiarities of the game is that our avatar is not strictly speaking a hero. Here, we are in control of a human-looking entity that can slip into the skin of four different protagonists: Eredrim, Solomon, Harros and Tiel. Naturally, each of them has its own characteristics, which compensates for the lack of class. While Harros presents a balanced profile, Salomon has a solid vital gauge and an ironclad Determination. As for Eredrim, his ability to withstand powerful attacks reassures against bosses and counterbalances with his low endurance. Finally, inexhaustible, Tiel is undoubtedly the one that best suits those who love to multiply dodges and combos. Note that these four empty shells are not immediately accessible: you must first find them to breathe life into them. Only then is it possible to switch from one character to another, provided you have enough idols in stock. In the same way that Nioh 2 does not make Yôkai abilities an absolute necessity, at no time does Cold Symmetry require the use of a particular warrior in a specific situation. On the other hand, we will struggle much less with the adequate fighter, let us specify it.
Either way, Mortal Shell offers a chance to respawn when our HP gauge is empty. More concretely, the entity finds itself expelled from the body of its host, vulnerable to the slightest attack. The envelope, inert, remains visible on the screen: if we manage to reach it, we will regain control of the character with all the HP points. This system is reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice where Wolf could resurrect and thus continue the adventure. In addition, you should know that by addressing Sister Genessa (the equivalent of campfires), there is a way to unlock skills in exchange for tar and glows. And since Dark Souls has been copied from A to Z, it is better not to die with your pockets full of tar; we risk losing everything, unless we return to the exact place of the game over. In this case, and only if we don't get skewered a second time on the way, we can recover all of the dark matter. Obviously, we cannot complete this Mortal Shell test without mentioning the level of graphics of the game. There, it is clear: there is a world of difference between the know-how of From Software and the imitation of Cold Symmetry . It is enough to observe the bland textures and the design of the uninspired creatures to understand that the studio has bet everything on the gameplay. The dark character of the art direction, while pleasant, struggles to hide the misery. In fact, only one or two bosses find favor with us. Yes, that's not a lot.
