Fans typically have to wait years for sequels or spinoffs to their favorite games. For fans of "Mortal Shell," they had to wait five years.
Now that the standalone sequel is here, has it been a crowd-pleaser or a letdown?
'Mortal Shell II'
Released on August 20, 2026, "Mortal Shell II" is developed by Cold Symmetry and published by Playstack.
In "Mortal Shell II," players take on the role of the Harbinger, a mysterious figure tasked with recovering the lost Ova for the Mether in a ravaged dark-fantasy world. The standalone sequel revolves around possessing the Shells of eight fallen warriors, each with their own abilities and stories that players can uncover as they explore the world and confront powerful enemies and false gods.
Gameplay builds on the Soulslike foundation of the original with a more open-ended combat system that removes the traditional stamina bar and gives players greater freedom in how they approach encounters.
Players can upgrade melee and ranged weapons, exploit enemy posture to land critical attacks, and explore a compact interconnected world filled with Shells, weapons, upgrades, dungeons, and other secrets.
The official release date trailer for "Mortal Shell II" can be found below.
What Do the Critics Say?
The wait for the sequel has been five years, but is it worth it? For GameSpot's Richard Wakeling, "Mortal Shell II" is an eight out of 10.
"'Mortal Shell 2' constantly surprised me, whether it was the mechanics behind a newly discovered Shell, the layered improvements to combat, a bulbous monstrosity of a boss fight that was more mouth than anything else, or the ways you can tinker with a build and make it wholly your own," Wakeling said in his review.
He adds, "It stumbles at times and could use some fine-tuning to really hone its balance issues, but even if it can be irritating or too simplistic at times, these moments are overshadowed by its unmistakable strengths."
As for Metacritic, the game has a score of 82 based on 52 critic reviews as of press time.
"'Mortal Shell II' seems to be built for those who enjoyed the oppressive atmosphere and brutal combat of the first game but longed for greater depth," Gamesurf said in its review, where it gave the game a score of 90. "It retains the weight of the combat, the enigmatic narrative, and the punishing philosophy typical of the series, while expanding progression, situational variety, and freedom of action."
"'Mortal Shell II' isn't a flawless sequel," IGN Turkey said in its review, rating the game an 80 out of 100. "However, it largely succeeds in taking the foundations of the first game and transforming them into a much larger, more varied and freer experience."
'Very Positive' Reviews on Steam
Over on Steam, the game has more than 18,000 user reviews as of press time. These reviews have been classified as "Very Positive" by Steam.
Steam user Twiig calls the game a "Crazy step up from the first game! And that's coming from someone who really enjoyed the first 'Mortal Shell' in its entirety."
"It was fun, some neat puzzles, cool bosses, and some nice bits of humor," Steam user Worrier of Asgard said in a review. "All around enjoyable."
