Late last year, the Souls-like title Mortal Shell: Complete Edition received a surprise release on the Nintendo Switch.
If you’ve been wondering how this version of the game compares to the others, Digital Foundry has you covered with its latest technical analysis. So how does it hold up? Its ambition comes at a price when it comes to performance and overall playability.
The Switch version uses a newer version of the game, but there are some “obvious” weaker versions – with the system’s 4GB of RAM described as a “limiting factor”. While character texture work is “identical” to the PS4 build, it’s the environments that see some “serious reductions” – with reduced grass blade density, reduced water physics, and tree draw distance.
Despite this, Nintendo’s release still manages to retain “a lot of detail” including motion blur, fog, mist and even enabled ambient occlusion – adding shading to the world. The advantage of the Switch version is improved lighting in certain segments, and there is also faster loading.
In docked mode, the resolution is reconstructed to deliver 720p, but instead runs between 540p and 600p. In portable mode the resolution ranges between 360p and 400p (and is reconstructed via TTA to 720p). In terms of frames per second, the Switch usually runs between 15 – 40 fps in both modes.
Overall, DF considers Mortal Shell on Switch to be an ambitious port and a “fascinating” experiment for a hybrid system. You can find out more in the video above.
