Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle
Expansion to tough fantasy tale is focused on combat.
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle is a paid expansion to Mortal Shell, a fantasy action-RPG (role-playing game) available for download on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs. Players take on the role of a creature known as the Foundling who uses the shells of defeated warriors to fight a variety of enemies using medieval-style melee weapons to viciously hack at and bludgeon them. Foes bleed red blood, moan, and collapse to the ground as they are injured and killed. The expansion doesn't add much to the game's already sparse and cryptic narrative, but instead gives players a new shell, a new weapon, and a new mode designed to provide players with endlessly changing adventures so they can continue enjoying the game's punishingly hard combat long after they finish the campaign. The game's great difficulty is the true test here, challenging players to derive satisfaction from practice and perseverance.
Community Reviews
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
MORTAL SHELL: THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE leaves the core experience of the game it expands upon more or less unchanged, opting instead to provide players with a separate supplemental mode -- the titular Virtuous Cycle -- that provides a new way to play. Set on the same map as the campaign, it randomizes a variety of game systems, including enemy encounters and the abilities you earn as you progress. Players begin by choosing a shell -- the powerful warrior husk that covers the Foundling's form -- a weapon, and a riposte. Then they set out into the newly unpredictable world, aiming to accomplish the same goals as in the main campaign. The primary key to survival is finding pillars that bestow abilities designed to augment attacks and improve your ability to heal. Death erases your progress, forcing you to start over again, but after each run, you have the opportunity to purchase small permanent upgrades that can aid in future runs -- such as increasing the chances of earning rarer and more powerful abilities from pillars, which can help grow your strength early and quickly. In addition to the Virtuous Cycle mode, this DLC pack also includes a new, powerful, well-balanced shell in the form of Hadern, the Deliverer (one of the game's bosses), as well as a new weapon called the Axatana, which is a combination of sword and axe.
Is It Any Good?
Though the new mode is available to newcomers pretty much from the get-go, this DLC (downloadable content) is clearly meant for the game's faithful fans. Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle is all about providing people who loved the base campaign a way to play that keeps things fresh and interesting while providing an even more difficult challenge. Enemies aren't just randomized, they're also more numerous -- and, in some cases, tougher to deal with. This is especially true when forced to use arbitrary abilities you may not be familiar with -- a smart way to encourage players to try elements of the game they may have previously skipped. And since death forces a restart, the chances of blowing through the Virtuous Cycle quickly are low. Every battle is a high stakes fight, and progressing further than you previously managed feels like a reward unto itself.
It's a shame, though, that players are only given one new shell and one new weapon. Both are well-conceived and executed. They feel great and challenge players to master their intricacies through practice and upgrades. However, action-RPG (role-playing game) players tend to expect a wealth of weapons, gear, and characters from which to choose. That this DLC provides just a couple of new bits in this regard feels like a missed opportunity, especially since the base game offers only a handful to begin with. That said, the real treasure here is the new randomized play mode, which could potentially expand the game's life by dozens of hours for true devotees. Players who ached for a good reason to keep playing and enjoying the game's excellent combat should receive all the motivation they need in Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in media. Is the impact of the violence in Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle affected by its focus on its admittedly fun but highly glamorized combat? Would the impact be reduced if it was less bloody or violent? Why do you think games focused on fighting are so popular with players? Does this say anything about our species and cultures?
Mortal Shell: The Virtuous Cycle adds an element of unpredictability with its new play mode that's meant to keep players interested in playing beyond the core game, but why do you think we enjoy being surprised in the things we do?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: PlayStack
- Release date: August 18, 2021
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Violence
- Last updated: August 26, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
-
Mortal Shell
Fantasy action tale is tense and challenging.
-
Ashen
Tough but optimistic fantasy tale with melee combat, blood.
-
Below
Fun, challenging tale with random dungeons, some violence.
For kids who love fantasy
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate