Mortal Shell 2 Review: Bigger, Better, and Rough Around the Edges

Mortal Shell 2 expands the original’s tight soulslike design into a 25-30 hour epic with more combat options and a deeper world. It’s a mostly successful evolution, but player frustration with checkpoints, enemy tracking, and scattered bugs prevent it from being flawless.

Overall Verdict

Mortal Shell 2 is a bigger and more ambitious sequel that mostly succeeds, according to IGN’s review. At 25–30 hours, it’s a substantial soulslike with a memorable world and satisfying combat. Critics and players praise its new ideas, but it’s held back by technical problems and some questionable balance choices. On Metacritic, the game holds a critic score of 83 and a user score of 7.9 at the time of this review.

Players on Reddit echo that sentiment. “Mortal Shell 2 is nearly a perfect soulslike for me,” writes one user, praising the atmosphere and heavy, satisfying combat. “I absolutely adore this game and would give it a solid 8-9/10.” However, they also point out frustrating checkpoint placement and over-aggressive enemy tracking.

Note: Final Verdict: Mortal Shell 2 is a strong evolved soulslike that will delight fans of the genre, but its rough edges make it a hard recommendation for newcomers.

Combat and Shells

The core shell mechanic returns, letting you embody dead warriors. The sequel doubles the roster and gives each shell a distinct active ability. For example, Tiel can briefly disappear for stealth and backstabs, while Eredrim can break enemy poise with a shoulder charge or handle groups. This adds real variety to how you approach fights.

Stamina is gone, replaced by Resolve, which builds when you land melee attacks and is spent on abilities and ranged weapons. This encourages an aggressive playstyle. Seals replace shields, offering different defenses like Harden or parry-focused options. The signature Harden mechanic still feels great, letting you repel an attack mid-swing.

While these additions are welcome, some abilities can whiff due to finicky auto-lock, and the lack of a stamina bar doesn’t fix every pacing issue. IGN notes that landing some abilities, like Tiel’s Shadow Stab, can be frustratingly inconsistent.

Weapons and Builds

Mortal Shell 2 offers eight melee weapons and eight ranged sidearms, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Ranged options really shine, from the returning ballistzooka to a magical lute that confuses enemies. The melee weapons are reliable but less flashy.

You can upgrade both shells and weapons, and then refund those upgrades to reallocate points. Shell upgrades are free to refund, but weapon upgrades lose invested gold. This encourages creative builds but can make late-game experimentation costly.

Glimpses, used to locate shells, are capped per playthrough, which can limit experimentation, as noted by players. If you spend them early, you may miss out on build variety later on.

For a full rundown of every weapon and upgrade path, check out our Mortal Shell 2 Weapons guide.

World and Exploration

The world is larger and more rewarding to explore, according to both IGN and players. However, beacon (checkpoint) scarcity and long boss runbacks can be frustrating. Teleporters also cause enemies to respawn, making retreats tricky.

The world itself is a highlight, with an atmosphere that many players adore. But the placement of save beacons creates tedious runbacks, especially with high enemy density and aggressive enemy tracking. Even slow-walking enemies still aggro from a distance.

If the long boss runbacks are turning you away, our Mortal Shell 2 Walkthrough covers the optimal path through each area. You can also use our Mortal Shell 2 Maps to locate beacons and hidden secrets. And if you’re stuck on a locked door, the Mortal Shell 2 Crypt Key guide explains where to find that essential item.

Technical Issues and Performance

Even though the core design is solid, Mortal Shell 2 has a fair share of bugs and performance issues. Players have reported FPS drops on PS5, enemies spawning inside geometry, souls trapped in walls, and glitched elevators. While these aren’t game-breaking, they occur frequently enough to sour the experience.

IGN’s review also mentions “weird technical things” and balance issues that are especially noticeable near the end of the game. Some bosses can feel underpowered if you invest heavily in the best upgrades.

For platform-specific issues, check out our Mortal Shell 2 on Xbox page.

Should You Play Mortal Shell 2?

So, should you play Mortal Shell 2? If you enjoyed the original and want a grander soulslike with fresh ideas, it’s worth the ride. Be prepared for some rough edges, but the strong combat and world design shine through. If you’re new to the genre, you might want to wait for a few patches.

Ready to start? Check out the Mortal Shell 2 Release Date for what platforms are supported, and if you want to tweak the game, see our Mortal Shell 2 Mods page.

FAQ

Is Mortal Shell 2 good?

Yes, according to critics. Mortal Shell 2 has a Metacritic score of 83, with both IGN and players praising its improvements. It’s an 8-9/10 experience for many, though not without flaws.

How long is Mortal Shell 2?

The main quest takes about 25–30 hours, according to IGN’s review.

Does Mortal Shell 2 have performance issues?

Yes, there are reports of FPS drops on PS5 and various bugs such as stuck souls and glitched elevators.

Can you respec in Mortal Shell 2?

Shell upgrades can be refunded for free and reallocated as many times as you want. Weapon upgrades, however, return materials but not gold spent.

Related

• Mortal Shell 2 Walkthrough
• Mortal Shell 2 Weapons guide
• Mortal Shell 2 Maps
• Mortal Shell 2 Crypt Key
• Mortal Shell 2 on Xbox
• Mortal Shell 2 Mods
• Mortal Shell 2 Release Date