An argument can be made that there are far too many Soulslikes (games inspired by Dark Souls). Since Dark Souls debuted in 2011, the number of copycat games has grown exponentially, oversaturating the market with brutally difficult action games. While lots of Soulslikes are fun, many of them are missing the heart and ... soul ... of what makes FromSoftware’s games so appealing. But one Soulslike that nails the formula is Mortal Shell, a game from 2020 that stands apart thanks to refreshing mechanics that don’t detract from a faithful Dark Souls homage. Best of all is that Mortal Shell has returned to Xbox Game Pass after its removal in November 2022. But what makes Mortal Shell worth your time?
