Dark Souls-inspired action-RPG Mortal Shell gets a release date in a new trailer

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The Mortal Shell release date is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 – just under two weeks away.

The PS4, Xbox One, and PC release date was confirmed in a new trailer. Mortal Shell was revealed in April with a target release window of Q3 2020, putting it sometime between July 1 and September 30. Actual release dates usually fall on the far end of windows like these, and especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic impacting the industry at large, Mortal Shell looked like a shoo-in for September. Surprisingly, it's just around the corner. Kudos to any game that can pull off a launch right now.

If you missed the boat earlier this year, just know that Mortal Shell is a horror action-RPG proudly styled after FromSoftware's Dark Souls games as well as successors like Sekiro. It's got stamina-based combat that plays out in close-range duels, a variety of magic and ranged weapons that spice up the melee, and it's overflowing with delightfully hideous beings that want to kill you. The release date trailer is more action-driven, but the environments and enemies shown are nevertheless dripping with horror vibes.

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The game takes its name from the Shells that you discover and equip as you play. You can claim Shells from defeated enemies, and using different Shells will grant you new abilities and different stats that cater to various play styles. The point of the game seems to be to "harvest the sacred glands," but I don't know what the heck those are, so I'll settle for getting the coolest and shiniest Shell around for now.

Here are all the upcoming games of 2020 and beyond.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.