Mortal Shell II is shaping up as a bold evolution of the Souls-like formula, trading traditional stamina-based combat for faster, more aggressive action while expanding exploration, build variety, and its dark fantasy world. Critics largely agree that the sequel is a major step forward, though technical issues, uneven enemy AI, and balance problems prevent it from being flawless.
8.3
Average Score (adjusted)
Confidence: High
Some disagreement
Reviews: 7
Top Review: Hardcore Gamer (9.0)
Spread: 1.5
⭐ 8 / 10
Gamespot concludes that Mortal Shell 2 is a fresh and exciting shake-up of the Souls-like formula, with its main pros being the removal of the stamina meter for more aggressive combat, the deep and flexible build variety through Shells, Seals, and Tarstones, and a densely packed open world that rewards exploration. The main cons mentioned are that falling to your death is too common and feels cheap, some bosses and mini-bosses have overly simplistic attack patterns, and the game has balance issues with weapon upgrades and difficulty modifiers that disable achievements.
⭐ 8 / 10
Mortal Shell 2’s expansion into a large scale action-RPG is a largely successful one. It struggles with some technical bits and doesn’t completely fix some of the first game’s nagging problems, like how confusing it can be to navigate its beautifully nightmarish world or how you can outpace the endgame’s challenges without much effort. But all of its new ideas are great ones, especially the new options like active shell abilities. Its more open world is seductive in how it can have you willingly jumping down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. Its expanded combat adds personality to the colorful cast of warriors whose bodies you’ll borrow and abilities you’ll steal. And it's all dipped in a remarkable dark fantasy setting, filled with some of the most striking monsters and memorable imagery in the genre.
⭐ 4.5 / 5
HardcoreGamer concludes that Mortal Shell II is a
must-play for Souls-like fans, with the main pros being its gorgeous
visuals and excellent optimization, the Shell system, and the variety of
dungeons. The main cons mentioned are that the game is grindy, retains
the typical frustration of the genre, and has underwhelming audio
design.
⭐ 90 / 100
COGconnected concludes that Mortal Shell 2 is an
immensely impressive upgrade over the original, with a fully realized
shell system, excellent combat driven by the new Resolve mechanic, and
impressive level design. However, the conclusion also notes that the
game has some drawbacks, including occasionally slow progression, bugs, a
few undercooked zones, and a lack of a compass.
⭐ 4 / 5
GamesRadar+ concludes that Mortal Shell 2 is the best
Soulslike they have played since Elden Ring, praising its speedy combat,
the removal of stamina, the brilliant variety of shells and
death-dealing toys, and its beautiful, visually striking world. However,
the review also notes significant cons: the camera can be unhelpful and
panicky, some upgrades can make the difficulty curve too easy, and the
night mode that increases challenge makes navigation frustrating due to
poor visibility.
⭐ 9 / 10
GamingBolt concludes that Mortal Shell 2 is an excellent Soulslike that meaningfully expands on the original with engaging exploration, satisfying combat, and focused progression mechanics. The main pros highlighted are the excellent open world exploration, great enemy variety, rewarding exploration, difficulty options, and engaging build customization. The cons mentioned are noticeable enemy bugs and AI issues, and a worthless story. The final verdict is "Amazing."
⭐ 7.5 / 10
Wccftech concludes that Mortal Shell II is a frustrating and intriguing sequel that vastly improves on the original with a diverse assortment of shells and weapons, an Elden Ring-inspired world, and a stamina-free combat system, but it is a tough sell due to significant issues. The main pros mentioned are the diverse shell classes and weapons, the world design with micro-dungeons, the combat system, the playable lute, the budget price, and multiple difficulty options. The cons highlighted include predictable enemy AI, unbalanced combat against multiple enemies, frequent glitches and crashes, frustrating checkpoint placement, oversimplified progression, and the Slayer Seal disabling achievements.