Video Games
‘Mortal Shell’ Surprises With a Release on the Nintendo Switch [Trailer]
It took awhile, but Nintendo Switch users can finally enjoy Cold Symmetry’s Mortal Shell. The Dark Souls-inspired soulslike has had its Complete Edition sneak onto the Switch, which includes the base game, alongside its pair of DLC content.
Originally released way back in 2020, for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (and eventually PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series), and fresh off an appearance as part of Nintendo’s Inside the House of Indies Holiday Event, Mortal Shell is now available on the Switch via the Nintendo eShop. And for the first time, both of Mortal Shell‘s DLC offerings in “The Virtuous Cycle” and “Rotten Autumn”, are available in one package.
Released exactly one year after launch, The Virtuous Cycle “reinvented the players’ journey through Fallgrim and beyond as adversaries cycle and shuffle upon each death in this roguelike expansion.” Meanwhile, Rotten Autumn was a free addition to the base game that added a new mini-quest, ten new skins, an alternative soundtrack, and a new photo mode to Mortal Shell. Centered on Gorf, the humongous verbose amphibian, players could earn up to ten new Shell shades should they satisfy his Gorf’s desires.
Check out our review of Mortal Shell if you need a refresher.
Kinetic Games has followed through with the 13 Willow Street map rework for Phasmophobia today, which is free across all platforms. Accompanying the map rework is the first of two major quality-of-life updates bringing hundreds of bug fixes and helping refine the gameplay experience.
Ghost hunters can prepare for a refreshed investigation experience with the reworked Willow map, adding a host of new paranormal interactions, objects, and hiding spaces. As with the most recent overhaul to 6 Tanglewood Drive, Willow retains an almost identical layout but features redesigned rooms, including a reconfigured basement layout, bringing the gameplay experience up to the team’s current development standards.
The reworked rooms include an art studio, home gym and entertainment room, replacing the bedroom, garage and basement previously featured in the haunted house. Alongside these visual updates, curious players will be able to uncover new lore hidden throughout Willow, piecing together a story waiting to be discovered.
“As part of the 13 Willow Street rework we’re continuing our approach to storytelling in Phasmophobia and developing the game’s narrative,” said Anastatia Dukakis, Senior Narrative Designer at Kinetic Games. “It’s always exciting to see the community make new discoveries together and we love seeing everyone share their theories and thoughts on the lore behind in-game locations.”
Players will also be tasked to correctly identify (and survive) 50 ghosts as part of map’s challenge, awarding the Sun Seeker ID set upon completion. Players can also unlock the Cool Cat ID card and badge for the first week after launch, by watching 2 hours of Phasmophobia streams.
Meanwhile, the major update accompanying the map rework is inspired by community feedback following the Player Character Update, and reflects Kinetic Games’ ongoing commitment to delivering the level of quality players expect before Phasmophobia leaves Early Access.
The update introduces a range of changes helping to refine the gameplay experience with refreshed animations allowing for smoother and quicker movements, and changes to evidence collection for a more seamless experience, and ghost hunters might also face a new presence lurking in the shadows…
New keybinds have also been added with players now able to use 1,2,3 and 4 for changing inventory slots alongside wider accessibility tweaks. For an overview of all the fixes landing in-game, you can check out the blog post here.
Phasmophobia is available in Early Access on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2, and the Xbox Series.