Best Soulslike this year? MORTAL SHELL II

00:00 Intro 01:48 The First Mortal Shell 02:44 Surprise Demo of the Sequel 04:45 Metal Story 08:42 Mortal Combat 13:06 Shell Progression 21:07 Critique 23:34 Conclusion Dark gothic fantasy, striking and grotesque imagery of the various monsters and NPCs you encounter, shotguns and bazookas. Mortal Shell II might just be the most Metal soulslike ever made and the most metal video game ever since Brutal Legend. The world of Fallgrim is lovingly crafted to encourage you to explore its every corner as you keep wondering just what kind of disgusting and eldtritch horror you'll find next. However that exploration is at times hindered by the game, sadly, quite frequently recycling its own content and it is a shame that a 30 hour long game either didn't have more unique elements put into it or some of that recycled fat trimmed out. However what sets this game apart is its awesome combat. Unburned by stamina systems of other Souls games, it is exciting, brutal and fast, inviting you to be much more aggressive than your enemies are. You have a collection of various weapons, both melee and ranged, each offering a distinctly different playstyle. But the main hook is the game's unique Shell mechanic, which essentially functions as classes that you can freely switch between. Each Shell has its own set of abilities and a talent tree that offers unique build crafting but the best part is that you are free to use whatever combination of weapons, consumables and other enhancements on any Shell you wish. While the game has its problems, particularly with balance and economy, the developers are quick enough to address those with patches, however I do have issues with the game's content, particularly the game's rather lackluster endgame area that feels rushed compared to the rest of the game. Hopefully the game will receive expansion content that will add better content because the foundation of the game is incredibly solid. I can't wait to see what this studio does next.