Mortal Shell II arrives on August 20 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and the small team at Cold Symmetry is swinging for something much larger than the original. If you own the Devout Edition you can start on August 17, three days early.
Bigger, and more open
The first Mortal Shell was a lean, tightly-built soulslike that punched well above the size of its studio. The sequel goes the other way on scope: an interconnected open world built around free exploration, with more than 80 dungeons to pick through. Combat has been widened too, with deeper weapon upgrades and a less restrictive approach to fighting than the fairly rigid original.
The Shells are still the hook
The signature mechanic returns. You possess the bodies of fallen warriors, each Shell bringing its own abilities and combat style, so swapping between them is how you tune the run to a fight or to your mood. It was the most interesting idea in the first game, and it is good to see it carried forward rather than quietly dropped.
Worth a little caution
Going open world is a genuinely big ask for a team this size. The original worked partly because it was compact and knew exactly what it was. A sprawling map with 80-plus dungeons is a different kind of design problem, and the risk is that ambition outruns the polish. Standard edition is around 40 pounds. I am optimistic, because the first game earned the benefit of the doubt, but this is the sort of leap where the launch-week reports will tell you a lot. Worth watching closely on the 20th.
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