How long to beat Mortal Shell on PC, PS4, and Xbox One?

Souls-like aren’t long just because they’re difficult – there are plenty of hidden paths and lore to be discovered in their vast worlds. Mortal Shell from developer Cold Symmetry, while soul-like in nature, is not as long as its contemporaries. The 40+ hours it takes to beat something like Nioh 2 can easily stretch to well over 100 hours when you slap your head – and maybe your controller – against its punitive challenges while exploring the unpredictable world. Mortal Shell seeks to adhere to the adage “brevity is the soul of the mind”.

Launched on PC (via Epic Games Store), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, Mortal Shell drastically shaves the expected Souls-like length. It will only take 12 to 15 hours to complete the game.

Mortal Shell’s length contrasts sharply with the genre’s expectations, with most Souls-likes easily reaching the 40-50 hour range on the main campaign alone. Add secrets, optional bosses, hidden weapons, and more, and those lengths become much longer than initially thought. Mortal Shell doesn’t fit that mold, despite the availability of a newer game plus that lets you keep gear from your previous race.

To learn more, you can check out our Mortal Shell review. In other news, publisher Playstack has confirmed that physical editions of the game will launch on October 2 for $ 30 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The digital version, also priced at $ 30, releases on August 18.