Mohrta is an incredibly well-crafted game in some departments, and rather mediocre in others.
The most polished and memorable aspect is its art style. If nothing else, Mohrta boasts an absolutely unique visual identity, brimming with charisma, personality, and original designs executed with mastery. I do highlight the weapons; while each aspect of the visual department is of consistent quality, the weapons are among the most memorable for me. Mohrta features some extremely original weapons in both design and function, but when it comes to more classic weapon concepts, it is equally impressive. An organic appendage that spits out larval hatchlings acts as a grenade launcher. See this sniper-like weapon? It's actually a railcannon and can transform into a harpoon. You wanted a flamethrower? Here's an experimental syringe that expels a toxic substance that can contaminate the ground, creating an area that damages any enemies who pass through it...
And it's not just the quality of the art itself, but its variety. Mohrta features 18 distinct stages, a prologue, an epilogue, a hub, and 15 unique stages spread across 5 main locations. The variety between locations results in one of the richest worlds I've seen in recent years, and it's rich in every aspect, standing out not only visually but also musically, with a soundtrack that earns all the praise for the visuals and even surpasses it, featuring some of my favourite tracks in recent years. Add to that the thematical, tonal, and mechanical variations... and you have a simply delightful world to discover in your hands.
The game's flaws are evident at a mechanical level; it's a mediocre shooter. This is something I noticed especially in the first few hours, where various aspects combine to create a rather uncomfortable experience where artistic beauty and mechanical tedium are starkly juxtaposed. Poor arena design and enemy positioning, recurring glitches with enemies behaving erratically at the slightest elevation variation in the scenario, and the expected scarcity of weaponry that takes longer than necessary to resolve, making the repetitive and shallow mechanics EXTREMELY noticeable. I'd say the first few hours are tough, but all of this, which sounds quite serious, is resolved relatively quickly once you reach the second world. There, the variety of weapons combats the repetition and makes the lack of depth less noticeable, along with admittedly much better arena design and enemy positioning. I'd say that after finishing the game, while I still maintain it's mediocre as a shooter, managing to be tedious at times during the adventure, it's adequate. The entire art style compensates for the mechanical tedium, and the variety of weapons and enemies is enough to make it more enjoyable than tedious once you progress further in the game. However, if you're a regular shooter player, I'd advise caution here.
However, I want to avoid ending on a sour note and insist once again, Mohrta is art, it is a work of art, it is a visual, sound and narrative experience, which stands out for the uniqueness of its premises and for its impeccable execution of them, and I am sure that I will remember this game for the years to come.
