Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is out today on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and I’ve been given the task of playing both next-gen versions. I’ve started off my “Souls-like” adventure on PlayStation by pitting the last-gen and next-gen versions against each other.
First things first: I’ve never played Mortal Shell before, but I’ve heard good things about it. It’s a “Souls-like” game that takes its cues from obvious places. There’s not much else to say in that respect; you’ll know yourself if it’s the kind of game you will enjoy or not. Personally, I tend to avoid such games when I can. Not because I don’t like them, but because I’m a little bit crap at them. I die lots, get annoyed, put the game down, and promise that I’ll come back to it at a later date. I never do.
The good news is that Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition (and it’s last-gen counterpart) isn’t handing me my own arse too often. The bad news? It’s not the next-gen upgrade many would have liked, but there are significant improvements in the areas where it counts most.
I started my Mortal Shell adventure (can such a dark game even be called an adventure?) on PS4 to get a feel for how the game plays and looks before going into the PS5 version. I played the opening on each console and… it was essentially the same, albeit the PS5 version ran at 60 frames-per-second and the PS4 version at 30 frames. There’s also the resolution boost, too, but it’s difficult to see a massive difference due to the game’s dark, grainy image – at least during the opening hour.
In terms of next-gen upgrades, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition is definitely on the lighter side. If it wasn’t for the comparison video below, I wouldn’t have noticed much difference between the game’s visuals and effects; they’re mostly subtle changes that you wouldn’t notice without a side-by-side comparison.
The main draw to Mortal Shell: Enhanced Editon should be the jump from 30 to 60FPS. Don’t go into this one expecting a visual showcase for your next-gen console, but instead, appreciate the fact you can now play a decent “Souls-like” at a solid 60FPS on a home console. We’ve come a long, long way since the original Dark Souls…
It should be noted that if you already own Mortal Shell, either on PS4 or Xbox One, you get this next-gen upgrade for free, and at that price you can’t really complain.
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