It’s always nice when a sequel comes along that doesn’t just play it safe. Instead, it looks at what came before and asks how it can push things further. Mortal Shell II doesn’t hold back on that front. Taking the foundations of the original and expanding them into something that feels bigger, nastier and, in a lot of ways, more confident in what it wants to be.
The first Mortal Shell had a pretty clear goal: take the winning soulslike formula and put its own spin on it. That spin was the Shell system, letting you take over the bodies of fallen warriors and effectively change how your character played. Mortal Shell II builds on that idea while throwing you into a much larger and more dangerous world.
There is a tale at its core, but it’s overall forgettable. Mortal Shell II picks up from the first game, taking the local, cult-driven collapse into a more grand, cosmic crisis. It also explores the consequences of the original game. But on the whole, it took a back seat quickly.
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The world itself, however, is a dark, dank and foreboding place, which is pretty much exactly what you would expect from a soulslike. Ruined locations, deadly enemies and plenty of environmental storytelling fill the world, with enough hidden paths and secrets to make exploring worth your time.
Exploring is something you will be doing a lot of, as the game doesn’t simply point you from one objective to the next. There are plenty of moments where you will need to look around, experiment and work out where you are supposed to go next. It can be a little frustrating at times, but there is something truly satisfying about finally figuring it out.
Mortal Danger
Combat is where Mortal Shell II really shines. It’s deliberate, brutal and requires you to be alert at all times. Dodging, blocking and managing stamina are all important. Learning enemy attack patterns becomes essential if you want to survive.
It’s also very focused, as you don’t have a sprawling arsenal of weapons. Instead, there are eight main weapons backed up by a slimmer number of sidearms, which do mix up combat a fair bit.
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It’s the Shell system that remains one of the more interesting ideas here, giving you different ways to approach combat rather than simply relying on bigger and better gear. Finding the right Shell from the now eight available, which is double the original game, that clicks with your playstyle can make a massive difference. This is especially true when taking on some of the tougher bosses.
Speaking of bosses, there are plenty of big, ugly things waiting to put you on your backside. More than a few encounters are genuinely memorable. Others can feel a little too familiar if you’re a die-hard soulslike fan.
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There are a few rough edges here and there, with some difficulty spikes feeling more annoying than challenging overall. A few encounters also lack the level of polish seen in others.
Mortal Shell II is still a very enjoyable soulslike that understands what makes the genre work while building on its own core vision. It takes the ideas of the original, expands them and delivers a darker, more ambitious adventure that rewards patience, exploration and a willingness to die a lot.
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