Mortal Shell 2 Preview. Impressions After Trying Out the Beta

Even from the first gameplay reveal trailer for Mortal Shell 2, it was clear that Cold Symmetry had seriously refined the concepts established in the original. After playing through the extensive demo, which also served as a beta, it became evident that almost every aspect of the game has been improved. Even now, it's safe to say that Mortal Shell 2 is poised to become one of the best representatives of the soulslike genre. But more on that in this article.

Right at the start of the prologue, before all the nuances of the new combat system have been revealed, the first thing that stands out is the character and enemy animations. Mortal Shell 2 features incredibly "meaty" impact, accompanied by hit-stun that interrupts almost any enemy attack. This alone is crucial for the overall feel of the combat system. Additionally, the game has spectacular finishing moves (or ripostes, depending on the situation), implemented via paired animations and uniquely scripted for each monster type — much like in God of War (2018). So, the visual aspect of combat is excellent.

The inhabitants of Fallgrim, by the way, feature quite original and memorable art design. Take, for instance, the grandmothers with accordions, who will try to hit the hero over the head with them at the first opportunity.

To defend against attacks, you can use dodges, blocks, and parries. At first glance, it's a standard set, but there are important nuances. Much depends on the "shells" that the protagonist — the Harbinger — can wear. Each shell is essentially a class with unique abilities. For example, the rogue shell allows the use of timed dodges with various effects and the ability to slip into shadows to land a stealth backstab. The knight shell, on the other hand, allows you to petrify any opponent and deal damage with impunity. These skills consume a resolve gauge, which is replenished by successful parries and dealing damage to enemies.

Parries, in turn, are implemented as simply and intuitively as possible: you need to block just before taking damage. The window for this timed block is quite generous. However, the game features equipment that alters block properties. These are called seals. One of them reduces the parry window but increases the enemy's resolve damage in return. Another replaces the block with petrification, during which the hero becomes immobile but immune to damage — this skill carried over from the original Mortal Shell. There were only a few such seals in the beta, each with different effects. It's worth noting that combinations of these seals with upgradable passive skills can radically change the combat system, allowing for fine-tuning of its components. If you prefer pure action and shooting without worrying about min-maxing a build, check out our top Best First-Person Shooters: Top FPS Games on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Switch.

Several types of resources are spent on upgrading the Harbinger and the shells. The protagonist's attributes are increased using Gloom — an analogue of Dark Souls' souls. Accordingly, it can be lost upon death, as it remains at the spot where the character fell. But killing the Harbinger isn't that easy: unlike the original game, the hero without a shell isn't sent back to the checkpoint after a single missed hit. In Mortal Shell 2, he has a decent amount of health. To return to the shell, you need to deal a certain amount of damage, after which you can simply press a button at any time to re-inhabit it. The restored shell will have about one-third of its HP, which opens up certain tactical possibilities.

To upgrade a shell, you need to accumulate two separate resources. Glimpses unlock tiers with skill branches, while Shell points allow you to customize those skills. Moreover, these points can be refunded and reallocated at any time — which is incredibly convenient and allows for free experimentation with builds. Additionally, these resources are not lost upon a "game over." However, there is a suspicion that the developers might have added this feature specifically for the beta to allow players a field for exploration and build testing (Related: Best RPGs of All Time: Top 77 on PC and Consoles).

Clearing levels, by the way, will be done solo, as co-op hasn't been announced. The absence of online components allows you to pause the game. And you won't have to worry about someone invading you as a red phantom while you're exploring the open world.

But that's for the full release; in the beta, the open world was heavily restricted. So, I haven't had the chance to fully explore it yet, making it difficult to draw specific conclusions. Except that it's quite multi-tiered in terms of elevation changes, densely packed with enemies, points of interest with loot, and numerous dungeons. And these dungeons are worth looking into more closely: clearing them accounted for nearly half of the beta's content (More: TOP-20 Best Games Like Dark Souls: Souls-likes on PC and Consoles).

The equivalents of Dark Souls' bonfires in Mortal Shell 2 are beacons. As expected, they restore health, respawn common enemies, and allow for leveling up. But that's not all they're for. Beneath each beacon lies a dungeon. Some of them house bosses, defeating which grants a unique piece of equipment and a Glimpse (as mentioned above). Clearing others will unlock sealed gates and open access to a new location.

Most dungeons feature puzzles and traps, and in one of them, there was an illusory wall hiding a boss. So, in terms of level design, the underground areas presented in the beta were quite well-executed — making it difficult to tear yourself away from clearing them (Read our material: 35 Hardest Games For PC and Consoles in 2026).

This preview was written after completing the beta to 100%. As for negatives, the only notable one is that Mortal Shell 2 currently feels a bit easy, though the balance will likely be adjusted later. Overall, during seven and a half hours of gameplay, I didn't encounter any major flaws. There were a couple of instances of getting stuck in textures, and I noticed one missing animation, but the developers will surely have time to fix those before release.

What do you think about the game? Have you tried the beta yet? Share your thoughts in the comments.