Mortal Shell might be another game inspired by Dark Souls, but this one has some very unique ideas. There are genuine innovations to find here, along with some very mysterious mechanics. The beginning of the game can be extremely daunting, so if you’re struggling to survive against the horrors of Fallgrim, we’ve got 10 hard-fought tips that’ll make your life a whole lot easier.
In Mortal Shell, you play as a strange corpse-like specter that inhabits the “Shells” of fallen warriors. There are four of these Shells in the game, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. In addition to the Shells, you also have a unique Harden mechanic that works like a shield. Instead of blocking, your body turns to stone. You’ll also find a Parry, a series of unlockable weapons, and a very different upgrade system.
It’s all part of what makes Mortal Shell special. Check out the full list of tips below to get your bearings and begin carved a path through the spooky world of Fallgrim.
More Mortal Shell guides on Gameranx:
- How To Find All 4 Shells | Class Locations Guide
- How To Get All 5 Weapons | Hadern Boss Tips
- How To Open Fish Statue Chests | Fog Mechanic Guide
- How To Fully Upgrade The Hallowed Sword
- All Weapon Upgrade Locations | Weapon Abilities & Damage Bonuses
- How To Beat Imrod, The Unrepentant | Temple Grounds Walkthrough
- How To Beat Tarsus, The First Martyr | Abandoned Chamber Walkthrough
- How To Beat Crucix, The Twiceborn | Eternal Narthex Walkthrough
- How To Beat The Last Boss | Final Battle Walkthrough
- How To Get The Secret Baghead Ending | Easter Egg Guide
#1: Learn To Abuse Harden
Harden is one of your most important skills in Mortal Shell. By holding [L2] you’ll immediately become invulnerable to most attacks. Physical attacks will eventually shatter your Hardened state, but you activate it at any time. Even mid-attack or mid-dodge! The ability is on a cooldown, but you can use it as often as you want. The recharge timer is pretty short.
To get the most out of Harden, rush into a fight and keep swinging. You can press [L2] to Harden, then cause an enemy to stagger when they hit your hard shell. Immediately exit and continue the attack! Just remember that your Stamina and your current animation are paused during Harden, but not cancelled. Later, you’ll unlock abilities that can speed up recharging stamina while Hardened.
#2: Restore Health With Parry
Parry is the first ability you’ll unlock in the game after speaking with the Old Prisoner in Fallgrim Tower. Go upstairs and interact with the chain up the stairs to earn the Tarnished Seal. When this gadget glows on your back, press [L1] to counter attacks. When an enemy attack is countered, they’ll be left vulnerable — for a brief moment, a red glow will appear.
Press [R1] or [R2] to counterattack. This is a deadly attack that will instantly kill most early-game targets and regain your HP. You need to earn Resolve points — you’ll only spend 1 Resolve if you successfully land the parry. Just be ready to press [R1] or you’ll lose your chance for a big attack.
#3: Look For Regrowing Mushrooms
Make note of all the Wellcap locations as you explore. These valuable spots don’t just produce a single healing item — they produce an infinite supply! You can return to these spots and resupply every time you return to an area. And there are plenty of these locations all around Fallgrim and the tower.
You can restock on Wellcaps every time you leave the tower. One is growing to the right of the boss monster cave, and you’ll always get x2 if you return to the entrance of Fallgrim where you first spawned. Typically, you’ll find a x2 Wellcap spawn near the start of a zone.
#4: Don’t Know What To Do Next?
In the Fallgrim Tower, the large hill in the center of the map, you’ll find multiple ‘Sense Instinct‘ points. These will give you a clue toward weapon or shell locations. Explore the world carefully and make note of these areas.
There are three main directions, each leading to a different loading screen. The three branches can be accessed in any order, and none seem particularly more difficult than the others. They’re all different — but if you have to pick, go through the Grisha cave toward the Temple Grounds first.
#5: You Can Fully Heal Twice Per Death
In Mortal Shell, you automatically have a second chance at life. Whenever you’re killed, you’re launched out of your shell and given a chance to re-enter. If you die a second time in your shell, you’re truly dead and sent back to Fallgrim Tower. In a way, leaving your shell behind to recover is a blessing because you’ll have two chances to fully heal.
You’ll fully heal if you’re killed, and recollect your shell — and you’ll fully heal if you locate your previous death location and recollect the lost tar. The only punishment for dying is losing tar, but you’ll want to keep a whole lot of that for upgrades. You won’t lose Glimpse unless you use the teleport mask.
You can make bosses a little easier by tactically dying, then grabbing your body when you’re low on HP in their arena.
#6: How To Cure Poison Effects & Unlock New Item Uses
Found those Tarspore mushrooms? Using them once poisons you, but using them twice unlocks a special effect — you’ll gain immunity at full Familiarity, providing poison protection for 120 seconds. There are more items like this, so go ahead and use every item you find as much as possible.
For example, using the Wellcap 10 times will increase Familiarity, making you heal faster.
#7: Sometimes Running Is Better Than Fighting
Fighting isn’t always worth the effort. You’ll encounter the same groups of enemies over and over again — if you’ve pretty much explored the area, just ignore them! Run on by. They won’t follow you for long, and you can tactically use cave holes to completely escape anyone chasing you.
Most enemies don’t give enough tar to be useful for farming, so if you’re sick of an area, just run straight through. Especially useful once you know where to go. If you’re near a loading screen? Ignore the bad guys and just run straight through!
#8: Gain The Smoldering Mace In The Temple Grounds
The Smoldering Mace is one of the first optional weapons you can acquire. To get it, enter the Grisha boss arena opposite the Fallgrim Tower door. Ignore the boss and just run to the hole in the back. Crawl through the hole and you’ll reach a long canyon. You can simply run by the enemies, go through the gates, and up the stairs.
Right at the start of the Temple Grounds, interact with the book (and the Sester for safety) to begin a battle against Hadern. If you defeat this boss, you’ll earn the valuable Smoldering Mace. He’s pretty tough, so I recommend running into the Monument of Ash and collecting a Weapon+ upgrade material from the iron maiden.
#9: Swap Builds At Fallgrim Tower
Fallgrim Tower is your homebase — and where you can get clues to expand your arsenal of gear. Every time you unlock a new weapon or shell, you’ll be able to swap freely at Fallgrim Tower. When swapping shells, you’ll leave behind your glimpses but keep your current tar.
You can also swap to different shells using consumable effigies. These are rare, so if you run out you can always return to Fallgrim Tower and switch around your stuff. Weapons are permanent, and finding weapon upgrades should be your top priority. Look everywhere to unlock them!
#10: Make Your Game Even More Indie
Don’t think Mortal Shells is Indie Enough? Turn on ‘Indie Mode’ to add a pixelated filter over everything. The real Dark Souls begins now when you’re playing in semi-pixel graphics mode. Just check out the high-definition on these screencaps!
To activate, go to the Settings menu and tab over to the Video Settings. This is a hilarious little mode, but it probably won’t help you beat the game any faster.
These are just a few tips to help you get through the first grueling hours of Mortal Shell. If you feel like the game is too tough — just stick with it! It does get a lot easier eventually. You just need to get the hang of it.
