Mortal Shell 2 Review | A Bigger, Faster, and More Complete Soulslike

Six years after the original Mortal Shell, Cold Symmetry returns with a sequel that feels considerably larger and more ambitious without abandoning the ideas that gave the first game its identity.

Mortal Shell 2 once again revolves around inhabiting fallen warriors, but the scale has changed significantly. Fallgrim is now a much larger interconnected world, combat has become faster and more aggressive, the Shell system offers considerably more variety, and exploration is now one of the central pillars of the experience.

Eight Shells With Distinct Identities

The story follows the Harbinger, born from the last remaining Ova of the mysterious Undermether and tasked with recovering what was stolen from her.

The central narrative remains intentionally cryptic, mixing religious fanaticism, corruption, ritual and cosmic horror. It establishes an intriguing setting, although the main plot does not always give that world the narrative weight it deserves.

The individual Shells are considerably more compelling.

There are eight in total, and each fallen warrior has their own personality, history and playstyle. Their stories gradually unfold through short playable flashbacks, ranging from personal material such as Tiel's struggle with addiction to much stranger and more symbolic sequences.

These stories make the Shells feel like actual characters rather than interchangeable bodies with different statistics.

Mechanically, the system has also evolved. Shells can be switched at rest points, while losing all of a Shell's health ejects the Harbinger and leaves us vulnerable, with one final opportunity to reclaim the body before the attempt is lost.

Faster Combat Without Stamina

Combat represents the biggest departure from the original Mortal Shell.

Stamina has been removed entirely, allowing us to attack, dodge and sprint without constantly managing an energy bar. The result is noticeably faster and more aggressive combat, while individual attacks still retain the sense of weight and timing expected from a Soulslike.

In place of stamina is Resolve, generated through successful melee attacks and spent on special attacks, sidearms and Shell abilities.

The returning Harden mechanic remains particularly effective. It can be activated even during an attack, allowing us to absorb an incoming blow before completing our own strike. Different Seals also provide access to Guard and Parry, giving players several defensive approaches rather than forcing everyone into the same rhythm.

Shell abilities further change how encounters are approached. Tiel can disappear before launching a surprise attack, Eredrim can heavily pressure stagger, and Proxima can use a mechanical hook either to pull smaller enemies towards her or propel herself towards larger targets.

The arsenal includes eight melee weapons and eight sidearms, ranging from greatswords, scythes and pikes to crossbows and considerably stranger tools. Combined with Shell abilities, Seals and other upgrades, the game allows for a wide range of genuinely different builds.

Enemy variety supports that flexibility. Heavily armoured knights, explosive creatures, giant snails, human-faced spiders and other grotesque enemies regularly force us to adjust our approach, while bosses generally offer distinctive designs and attack patterns, even if not every encounter reaches the same level of depth.

A Much Bigger World to Explore

Fallgrim has been transformed from the relatively confined environment of the first game into a far larger interconnected world.

Ruined kingdoms, swamps, snow-covered caves, underground complexes and dense vegetation give the sequel significantly more environmental variety while preserving the macabre identity of the series.

Exploration is constantly rewarded.

Shells, weapons, Tarstones, dungeons and useful items are scattered throughout the world, and maps usually reveal only a general search area rather than an exact objective marker. It was common for us to set out towards one destination, notice a different path and eventually end up fighting a mini-boss or exploring an entirely unexpected dungeon.

Those dungeons are one of the stronger additions because they are not limited to straightforward combat. Some introduce unusual rules or environmental puzzles, including areas built around avoiding a lighthouse beam, reversed controls or finding unconventional ways through apparently blocked paths.

The downside is navigation.

The world contains a large number of branching routes, shortcuts and points of interest, but the map does not offer particularly robust annotation tools. Similar-looking regions can also make it difficult to remember where something was discovered, especially after several diversions.

Exploration is consistently rewarding. Finding your way back is sometimes considerably less enjoyable.

Progression Encourages Experimentation

Mortal Shell 2 divides progression across several systems.

Gloom improves the Harbinger's base attributes and is the main resource lost upon death, while Glimpses are used to develop Shell abilities. Each Shell has an individual skill tree, and skill points can be refunded freely, making it easier to experiment without permanently committing to one direction.

Tarstones provide additional customisation through effects such as faster attacks, greater resistance, elemental damage or entirely new abilities.

Resources are not unlimited, however. Developing multiple Shells, weapons and Tarstones simultaneously can become expensive, forcing more deliberate decisions about where materials and Gold should be invested.

That limitation also gives New Game+ more purpose. Fully developing all eight Shells in one playthrough is impractical, so another run offers a genuine opportunity to explore characters, weapons and builds that received less attention the first time.

Flexible Difficulty, Uneven Balance

Mortal Shell 2 allows players to influence how demanding the experience becomes.

The standard game remains challenging, while the Slayer Seal provides stronger survival tools and increased Break damage for players who want a more accessible experience, at the cost of disabling achievements.

At the opposite extreme, Night Mode strengthens enemies, improves rewards and introduces additional content while making the world much darker and therefore harder to navigate.

The difficulty curve itself is not completely consistent.

Some Shell and Tarstone combinations can become excessively powerful, reducing the threat of later bosses, while certain ordinary enemies become unusually durable towards the end of the game. There are also moments where gathering Gold or upgrade materials can require repeated combat.

The issue is therefore not a lack of challenge, but an uneven distribution of it.

A Stronger Visual and Atmospheric Identity

Visually, Mortal Shell 2 is a major step forward.

Unreal Engine 5 gives environments significantly more detail, richer lighting and a broader colour palette than the heavily muted original. Armour, ruined structures, natural environments and grotesque creatures are presented with considerably greater variety, while several black-and-white sequences are particularly striking.

The closer camera also adds intensity and gives combat and executions a more cinematic feel.

Atmosphere remains one of the game's strongest qualities.

Mortal Shell 2 combines dark fantasy, grotesque horror and an unmistakable heavy-metal aesthetic, but it is also willing to become surprisingly surreal. Strange enemies, bizarre characters and unexpected situations prevent the world from feeling relentlessly serious.

The sound design supports that identity particularly well. Weapon impacts and executions carry the necessary weight, while environmental audio and music reinforce the dark atmosphere without overwhelming it.

Small touches such as being able to use the Troubadour's Lute either as a sidearm or simply sit down and play music give the world additional personality.

Technical Issues Still Need Work

The technical side is where Mortal Shell 2 remains noticeably rougher.

During our playthrough, enemies occasionally stopped attacking or became stuck in the environment, including during a boss encounter. We also encountered collision issues, temporary progression blocks and attacks missing despite having a target properly locked.

The camera can become troublesome near walls or when surrounded, while the lock-on system is not always reliable.

More serious problems included taking damage while trapped in certain animations and, on one occasion, lost Gloom spawning outside the playable boundaries after death, making it impossible to recover.

None of these issues ruined the overall experience, but Soulslikes are particularly sensitive to technical problems because a bug can cost the player resources, progress or an entire fight.

The Evolution Mortal Shell Needed

Mortal Shell 2 is the sequel the series needed.

Cold Symmetry keeps the identity of the original while expanding almost everything around it. Combat is faster and more satisfying, the eight Shells offer genuinely different playstyles, build freedom is significantly greater, and the larger world constantly encourages exploration.

Navigation could be clearer, balance is inconsistent in places and the technical issues still need attention.

Those weaknesses, however, never overshadow the overall experience.

Mortal Shell 2 is an ambitious, distinctive and highly enjoyable Soulslike with enough mechanical depth and personality to stand on its own rather than simply exist in the shadow of the genre's biggest names.

For the complete breakdown, final score and full verdict, read our full Mortal Shell 2 review on Gaming-Sanctum.