In a duo announcement, Mortal Shell will be coming on Steam on August 18 after over 300,000 wishlists. Its paid expansion, The Virtuous Cycle, will also be released on the same day for all platforms (which includes Steam).
"Designing and developing The Virtuous Cycle DLC has been a blast,” said Francesco Zacchini, Technical Designer at developer Cold Symmetry. “We have crammed in over 100 new abilities alongside new lore, the transforming Axatana weapon, and Hadern as a playable shell. I can't wait to see all the ways players are going to break the roguelike mode that we created. I think they're going to have a lot of fun with that."
The Virtuous Cycle will have players adventuring through Fallgrim and beyond as their enemies cycle and shuffle upon the player's death. The game is still the game, but now you will have no idea what's coming for you as you make your way through the games Roguelike mode.
There will be 100 new abilities for players to discover and combine together. These range from exotic weapon enhancements to new combat maneuvers, and with these players are encouraged to create and develop their own combat style.
The Virtuous Cycle will also give players command over Hadem, who is now available to master as Mortal Shell's fifth Shell. He'll be playable within the main campaign and through TVC. Hadern's skill tree will give players new innate talents that range from dagger mastery to a new way of absorbing damage.
Also available in the DLC is the Axatana, which is described as "Fallgrim's most venerable weapon." In the hands of the player it can either be a heavy two-handed axe or fast dual katanas when the situation calls for it. There will also be unique move sets and stances for players to unlock.
If this sounds swell to you, check out Mortal Shell on Steam. It will be released on August 18, 2021, simultaneously across the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. The same applies to The Virtuous Cycle, which will cost players a cool $7.99.
