Even with its flaws, there is still a lot to love here.Ībsolver is all about martial arts, and the game has a number of fascinating ideas that are executed reasonably well.

Nevertheless, the title is a passion project that does justice to a style of game that even large AAA studios have struggled to properly replicate. Thymesia is not the greatest Souls-like of all time, and its shortcomings can be frustrating since they hold back a solid combat system. The campaign could use more enemy variety as fodder opponents get old rather quickly, especially when taking into account that a playthrough should only last about 10 hours. Corvus, the main character, is armed with plague weapons, which are generally fun to use. The gameplay is fast-paced and purposefully aggressive since blocking is not a thing, forcing players to dodge furiously or master parrying. Now, Thymesia does leave something to be desired in most areas, particularly level design, but it nails arguably the most important part of a Souls-like: combat. Considering it was developed by a rather small team, the game does an impressive job of embracing the subgenre. Another unique concept is that players can harden their shells to block incoming attacks, a mechanic they will need to master if they want to overcome the campaign's reasonably challenging bosses.įor all intents and purposes, Thymesia is a budget Souls-like, one that primarily takes inspiration from Sekiro. These shells serve as replacements for traditional loot. For one, Mortal Shell incorporates different shells that correspond with classes, and players can swap between them at specific locations.

While a bit more linear than most FromSoftware's projects, Mortal Shell's level design is cut from the same cloth.Įven though the combat system is relatively typical for these sorts of games, Cold Symmetry shakes things up in two major ways. As tends to be the case with this sub-genre, the core gameplay loop revolves around exploring a dark fantasy world filled with enemies that pack a punch and respawn whenever the player dies. Added to PS Plus Extra in December 2022, Mortal Shell wears its Souls-like influences on its sleeve, although the game does introduce a couple of fresh ideas.

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