Mortal Shell is the newest release from Cold Symmetry, and arguably one of the shortest releases in the genre. However, speed running is immensely popular, and there are plenty of videos showing players speeding through similar titles like Dark Souls. Mortal Shell isn’t lacking in challenge, but several key factors can affect how long it takes to beat the game.
How long does it take to beat Mortal Shell?
Most players will be able to beat Mortal Shell in around 15 hours. Depending on your skill level, the game may take fewer than 10 hours to complete. However, rushing through the experience will cause you to miss out on some of its more unique charms.
Fallgrim, the land of Mortal Shell, includes four main areas: One for each dungeon and one for Fallgrim Tower, the hub area. Though it’s very easy to get lost in Fallgrim’s winding trails, once you’ve been to each major area, the whole layout becomes quite clear. Most of the key items and highest value loot are all over the dungeons. As such, there’s little reason to roam, especially since everything is trying to kill you.
Despite the extensive lore of Mortal Shell, there are only three dungeons. They are the Shrine of Ash, Seat of Infinity, and Crypt of Martyrs. All of them are different sizes (the Seat arguably being the largest), but have pretty manageable if not a bit roundabout layouts. Taking the time to get a feel for the structure and enemies of each one will allow you to quickly familiarize yourself and succeed.
Most RPGs are full of optional tasks ranging from find this thing to take down this organization. However, Mortal Shell places most (if not all) of its focus on the main story. The closest the player has to side-quests is fully upgrading their weapons and shells. This can mostly be completed by exploring and beating the dungeons. Perhaps the biggest one is finding all the lore around Fallgrim and discovering the full story, if only just to get an idea of what’s going on.
Mortal Shell is perhaps the shortest of the genre’s gauntlet-style games, and determined players can finish it within a day. The real challenge is figuring out which play style that works best for you in overcoming the game’s challenges. Once you do, you’ll be able to shrug off this Mortal Shell in victory.
