After its initial teaser and unveiling on April 1st (but not as a joke) the upcoming Soulslike game Mortal Shell has provided fans with loads of new information over the last few days. Scheduled to release this year on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, indie developer Cold Symmetry has a new take on the genre. 

Rather than picking a starting class (warrior, mage, cleric, etc.), players will have the ability to gain four different “shells” with different playstyles and abilities. Similar to the Nioh series, this will allow players flexibility throughout the entire game. But a unique aspect is that you will be discovering the backstory of the “shells” that you are occupying, whether it be good or bad. And somehow, it looks even darker and more bleak than Dark Souls. Speaking of Dark Souls, other than the obvious visual and gameplay similarities between the two, the strongest connection appears to be the way of blocking in Mortal Shell. It looks similar to the “Iron Flesh” ability in Dark Souls, which allows players to gain massive amounts of poise and defense, but at the sake of mobility.

As we get closer to release, more details will certainly follow. We do know that the game will be released as a timed exclusive on the Epic Games Store for PC. We also know that the Beta will run exclusively on PC from July 3rd to July 10th. For those who want to get their hands on a key, keep an eye on the game’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. There is also a bevy of information, updates, and fun contests on their Discord channel.

Are you ready for a new variant on the Souls genre? Are you as curious to find out who the “Dark Father” is? Why does he seem to have an insatiable appetite for glands? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.