Gloomy Dark-Souls-inspired action-RPG Mortal Shell gets August release date

Developer Cold Symmetry's unmistakably Dark-Souls-inspired action-RPG Mortal Shell will be making its way to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on 18th August, and there's an appropriately moody new trailer to celebrate the news.

Mortal Shell unfolds in a striking, if somewhat familiar, shattered world, crammed with all the gorgeously forlorn medieval architecture and gothic fantasy sprawl Souls fans could possibly hope for in their search for a home away from home.

In amongst all that atmospheric dilapidation, a legion of festering adversaries await, with Cold Symmetry promising to deliver challenging melee-focussed combat encounters that demand "superior awareness, precision and instincts."

Mortal Shell's most notable departure from its openly acknowledged inspiration appears to come in the form of the titular Mortal Shells - the remains of defeated warriors that can be awakened and occupied upon discovery. These essentially serve as subtly distinct classes that players can adopt at will, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Cold Symmetry has previously described Mortal Shell as an "uncompromising Soulslike experience through a compact, single-player game", suggesting around 15 to 20 hours of playtime, and feedback from its recent beta seems to have been largely positive.

Those looking for another desolate dance with oblivion will be able to enter Mortal Shell's nightmarish world for £24.99/$29.99 USD when it comes to Xbox One, PS4, and PC via the Epic Games Store on 18th August.