Mortal Shell 2 Completed — Review / Analysis
I’ve finished MS2 and wanted to share a few thoughts with players who are still undecided about the game.
Since release, we’ve seen a lot of different opinions. Some people say this game is the savior of the genre, while others call it just another trash Soulslike. Obviously, neither is true. The reality is that MS2 is a seriously good Soulslike, although it may need a few QoL adjustments to appeal to a broader audience. Personally, I had fewer issues with these things, but everyone is different.
First of all, the game is in a good technical state. There are a few bugs here and there, but nothing the developers shouldn’t be able to fix relatively easily. Performance is good as well.
I’m playing on PS5 Pro, and there are two modes: Graphics and Performance.
Graphics Mode looks incredible on the Pro. Seriously, it’s absolutely stunning. I’m not a tech expert, but I assume it’s probably native 4K, running at a consistent 30 FPS with good frame pacing and basically no stuttering. I think this is one of the better UE5 implementations I’ve seen. I played several sections and fights at 30 FPS, and with motion blur set to Low, it really isn’t that bad. If you’re someone who prioritizes graphics, the game is absolutely playable at 30 FPS.
(Side note: Motion Blur on High is basically unplayable for me and makes everything extremely blurry. Even Low looks quite strong at first, but it’s much better than the High setting.)
Performance Mode is also strong. It appears to use 4K upscaling while targeting 60 FPS. There are still occasional micro-stutters and small hitches, although I’ve also played for hours without experiencing a single noticeable stutter. I’m confident the developers can improve this further. Either way, credit where it’s due: Performance Mode still looks very sharp.
In the future, I’d love to see additional features such as HDR, PSSR and 120Hz support. Those would be the cherry on top of an already beautiful game. But for the technical details, I’ll wait until experts like Digital Foundry release their analysis.
Gameplay
Gameplay-wise, MS2 is very good. The combat feels more traditional and is closer to the older Souls games. It doesn’t have as much mechanical depth as some other Soulslikes, but it compensates for that with different playstyles and Shells that continuously expand the gameplay through perks.
There are also Tarnstones that provide different bonuses and attributes, with some even expanding our moveset. Over time, this allows us to create our own individual build, but we can switch things around whenever we want and experiment with something new.
There is one small criticism, though: Shells have to be upgraded individually. This means that when you discover a new Shell, it can be significantly underleveled compared to the one you’ve already been using, especially if you don’t have enough materials to level it up.
A respec system for Shell upgrades would have made a lot of sense here. We can already respec our perks whenever we want, so I hope the developers improve this aspect in the future. That would make the system pretty much perfect for me.
Exploration
This is where MS2 really shines.
The world is huge, and there is something to discover around almost every corner: dungeons, ruins, castles, forests — the full package. There's an incredible verticality that leads us into deep dungeons or high walls. The exploration is truly immersive.
Exploration is also properly rewarded. You’re constantly discovering new Tarnstones, materials, weapons, Shells and other items. It feels genuinely satisfying.
At the same time, the open world is packed with enemies, and Beacon rest points are relatively rare. However, they’re usually placed very intelligently, often around major crossroads. The different locations are also interconnected extremely well.
Even when you feel completely lost, sooner or later you’ll usually end up somewhere familiar and realize how everything connects.
And that feeling when you’ve been exploring forever and finally discover another Beacon? Priceless, haha.
Art Direction & Atmosphere
The art direction and atmosphere are also excellent.
I really like how consistently the game sticks to its visual identity. The world feels believable while simultaneously being bleak, dark, grotesque and threatening. The sound design supports the atmosphere extremely well.
My only real criticism here is the lighting inside some of the smaller dungeons. It can look very sepia-toned, muddy and dull. But that’s ultimately only a minor negative.
Difficulty
The difficulty fluctuates quite a bit.
Some areas are relatively easy, while others suddenly introduce massive difficulty spikes. Of course, this also depends heavily on your playstyle and build. Difficulty is always very subjective, so it’s impossible to universally judge it for everyone.
But this is Souls. It’s supposed to be hard — and MS2 definitely is hard.
There is also a Night Mode that essentially functions as a Hard Mode, offering additional rewards and exclusive dungeons. On the other hand, there’s an Easy Mode Sigil that gives you extremely powerful attacks, although using it disables trophies.
Overall
MS2 is an easy recommendation for Souls players who love challenging exploration and occasionally brutal sections.
However, if you’re primarily looking for extremely deep combat mechanics or heavily rely on modern QoL features, it might not be the game for you.
Conclusion
Definitely one of the best Soulslike games of the year.
MS2 has a strong vision, great ideas and ultimately comes together as a very successful overall package. It has already become one of my favorite Soulslikes.
9/10