At first glance Mortal Shell on Switch actually looks like a success.
The impact is so striking that at times, the Switch version is a genuine struggle to control.
Starting at the top though, you’ll notice texture assets are dropped in resolution.
Notably the floors, or walls of dungeons, often manifest as a blurry smudge if viewed too close.
So for example, character texture-work is identical to PS4’s.
Armour sets - the so-called ‘shells’ - are crisply defined in close-up, as is the weaponry.
But yes, the environmental detail does take a serious cutback in select spots.
A few other downgrades stick out.
SSR is definitely engaged, and all things considered it’s impressive it makes the cut at all.
Motion blur effects are included, while mist, fog, and other atmospheric effects roll across the distance.
Ambient occlusion is enabled, too, adding shading to its world.
Plus, dynamic shadows, while near torchlight appear to be missing on Switch.
Resolution-wise, there’s a difference too.
PS4 runs at a dynamic 900p, using temporal reconstruction to deliver a 1080p output.
But, again, all of this reconstructs via TAA to 720p, matching the handheld’s screen.
Typically, we’re at between 15-40fps for the run of play.
In fact, there are entire sections across one later dungeon which flow at a near constant 15-20fps.
Here, putting too many enemies on-screen seems to be the culprit.
The good news is that Switch’s suspend and resume feature bypasses all of this anyway.
After the initial load, Switch improves on PS4’s loading times, by a few seconds.
The verdict for Mortal Shell on Switch is mixed.
