PlayStation Plus' new Elden Ring rival tackles my biggest issue with FromSoftware's work

PlayStation Plus’ October bumper drop includes some excellent games for your PlayStation Plus Extra subscription, but it's the Premium offering that’s caught our eye.

To be more specific PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers get access to one of my new favourite soulslikes, one I’d even hold above some FromSoftware titles.

That may sound like sacrilege to some, but hear me out. Since my early teen years I’ve been a massive fan of FromSoftware, with Dark Souls being one of my favourite games ever made. In fact it’s my Game of the Year, every year.

However, Mortal Shell II seriously impressed me, so I’m thrilled that more people get to experience it through PlayStation Plus Premium. On October 20 a free trial will launch.

How Mortal Shell 2 surpasses the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne and other FromSoftware masterworks

It’s tough to make a soulslike game feel like anything but a half-hearted attempt to ride FromSoftware’s coattails, though many games like Lies of P have done a good job of being unique.

Mortal Shell II joins that exclusive club with its core mechanic, ‘shells’. Rather than creating one character and slowly creating a build as time goes on, Mortal Shell II gives you flexibility. The shells are found throughout the world and each one has its own stats, weapons and more.

You can freely switch between them, which tackles one of the few gripes I have with FromSoftware games. When I play soulslikes I often find myself naturally gravitating towards a strength-build. It’s the “big stick go bonk” caveman approach a lot of players find themselves slipping into and while it is good fun, by the end of my playthrough I wish I’d done things differently.

Elden Ring thankfully breaks tradition and lets you change your build with Larval Tears, though there’s a finite supply so you can’t get too crazy with it. It also doesn’t solve another problem; weapons. To fully change your build in Elden Ring you need to alter your stats, find an upgrade new weapons to compliment your build, and of course acquire new drip to match your new personality.

Mortal Shell II trims the fat, and while it doesn’t make the game easier by any means it does make it more engaging.

After recently going hands-on with Phantom Blade Zero I was thoroughly impressed with the way it’s handling its weapon upgrades, and the same theory is being applied in Mortal Shell II; players need variety.

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FromSoftware’s unlikely to adopt this style of gameplay in its future games and to be honest I hope it doesn’t, but it is something other soulslikes should take note of.

We shouldn’t need to start entirely new playthroughs just to try something new. It should be baked into the gameplay in one way or another.

Mortal Shell II is getting a free trial with your PlayStation Plus Premium subscription on October 20 and you’re encouraged to give it a go. It’s a unique spin of the genre and one you won’t want to put down till you’ve sampled all of the shells.

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