Mortal Shell — the uncompromising, authentic, and hauntingly beautiful action-RPG built upon the ruthless traditions of the soulslike genre — has been revealed for the first time by the newly announced indie studio Cold Symmetry and its publishing partner Playstack. The eye-opening world premier trailer — featuring a sample of its exquisitely crafted worlds, fearsome combat, and menacing foes — can be seen for the first time here. Previously known as Dungeonhaven in its earliest days of development, Mortal Shell has been painstakingly designed by a prized coalition of veteran developers who are credited with working on some of the biggest AAA titles on the market.
Awakening as an empty vessel, you will enter into a shattered and twisted world where the remains of humanity wither and rot. Implored to do the bidding of the mysterious “Dark Father”, you must traverse this tattered landscape and track down hidden sanctums of devout followers. There, in Mortal Shell’s most hallowed grounds, you must overcome formidable foes and harvest the sacred glands. You won’t be truly alone when the dead litter your path: Scattered across this land are the remnant anima of lost warriors who can be inhabited to gain their unique abilities and knowledge of weapons. The Dark Father is desperate for you to complete your task — but to what end?
- Discover “Shells” to Suit Your Playstyle – The lost remains of defeated warriors are yours to unearth. Awaken these Mortal Shells, occupy their bodies and significantly widen your understanding of different forms of combat. Inhabit a Shell that best fits your style and utilizes their own unique mastery of skills and weapon upgrades.
- Iron Sharpens Iron – Combat is strategic and deliberate. Survival demands superior awareness, precision and instincts. You must commit your sword only when an opportunity opens. Calculate your parries to unleash devastating counterblows.
- Non-linear Campaign – Draw your own path across marsh-infested lowlands, through a gargantuan cathedral of obsidian rock, and into an ancient crypt frozen into the crest of a mountain.
- Deep Upgrade Paths – The stronger your connection to each Mortal Shell grows, the better you can harness their innate talents. Craft unique upgrades, sharpen your blade with acid, and study dark arcane abilities that imbue your attacks with supernatural devastation.
- Face Haunting Foes – Your path is guarded by desperate adversaries, devoted to inscrutable gods. Behold creatures both pitiable and grotesque, but do not let fear halt your journey. Muster your courage and face them down.
- Developed by AAA Veterans – Mortal Shell has been developed by a coalition of seasoned veterans with an unbridled passion for the souls-like genre.
Produced by a core team of just 15 people, Mortal Shell was only made possible due to the team’s pedigree and burning desire to honor the painful majesty of the genre.
“For a small team like ours, developing this title in many ways felt like crossing an ocean on a paddle board,” the studio’s three co-founders — Andrew McLennan-Murray, Anton Gonzalez, and Vitaly Bulgarov — said in a joint statement. “To finally announce Mortal Shell is one of the most exciting and terrifying experiences we’ve had in our lifetimes. The last two years have been a time of non-stop growth, full of shocking revelations of sheer complexity that goes into creating a video game that you, yourself, would really enjoy playing.”
Mortal Shell is scheduled for a Q3 release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, published by Playstack, the London-based games company for all people and platforms. Fans who want to experience the game early can sign up to a limited closed beta. Visit MortalShell.com for more details.
