Mortal Shell 2 greets the protagonist, the so-called harbinger, with a vibrant celebration in his honor. People are noisy, girls invite him to dance – the hero even gets a wreath of flowers. Many fans of the gloom and swamps of FromSoftware games would have turned off the game and gone for a refund at this point, which is a great pity, because literally in the next scene everyone dies, and the protagonist himself is plunged headfirst into a world full of pain, suffering, and grotesqueness. And as if that weren't enough, some cultists ask the harbinger to obtain almost two hundred eggs from a certain Submother.
If you suddenly think that fans of the original would easily figure out what the hell is going on here, you are very wrong. Although Mortal Shell 2 takes place in the same universe with several familiar characters (shells), the sequel is so far from the original that it can well be considered a standalone game.
Mortal Shell 2 stands out from other soulslikes because all the gameplay in the game is built around shells that the harbinger can inhabit. There are 8 fallen heroes here (7, if you don't count Genessa, who is technically not dead, but let the lore diggers figure that out), each with their own unique abilities and skills that can fundamentally change the gameplay. There are archetypes like Tiel and Eredrim, familiar from the original Mortal Shell, playing the roles of rogue and tank respectively, as well as truly unique characters like the deranged berserker Gragu, capable of knocking out even bosses with a single right hook, or the masochistic fanatic Smert, who sacrifices part of his health to stop time and beat enemies with his bare hands, applying various curses that trigger all at once and deal simply colossal damage as soon as time resumes.
Strengthening the bond with the shells not only allows you to learn more about what sins they committed in life, but also to improve their abilities. Tiel, for example, can be taught to become invisible after a successful dodge, leaving behind a poisonous clone, and Gragu can rip out enemies' hearts, simultaneously exploding their corpses. The only problem is that the resource needed to strengthen the bond with the shells is extremely rare in the game. Even after exploring the entire map and clearing all the beacons, you can only fully strengthen the bond with two shells. Mortal Shell 2 seems to unambiguously hint at a continuation of the acquaintance in New Game+.
Mortal Shell 2 has a very aggressive combat system. Since there is no stamina bar in the game, you can shower enemies with blows and dodge counterattacks almost endlessly. Moreover, constant attacks fill the hero with resolve – a resource needed to use abilities and fire weapons.
It might seem that the absence of stamina significantly simplifies the game, but this is far from the truth. Enemies quickly and easily explain to the stubborn hero that he won't be allowed to swing his sword and roll around with impunity. Opponents can take a hit well and like to press the attack themselves, forcing you to master parrying to unbalance them, leaving them open for a critical attack with a spectacular and brutal animation – and each enemy has their own: some get a seal driven into their ear with the sharp side, some are disfigured with their own weapons, others are simply stomped on.
Speaking of seals. This mechanic has been significantly refined since the first game. There is the Flawless Seal, which allows you to block blows and parry attacks if you catch the right moment. The Vatra Seal turns you into a statue, absorbing incoming damage. The Infinity Seal completely removes blocking and significantly reduces the parry window, but deals huge damage to enemy poise. The Assassin's Seal is the most powerful in the game and is essentially an easy mode.
The strong emphasis on action is also supported by Mortal Shell 2's rather modest arsenal. There are only 16 types of weapons here – 8 melee and 8 ranged. However, building playstyles and specific builds around them is pure pleasure due to how well they are designed.
The map in Mortal Shell 2 is not as large as in Elden Ring, but it is simply enormous when compared to the original game. Curious explorers are well rewarded with new weapons, shells, and tarits. The latter are essentially various buffs that passively or actively improve shells or allow weapons to be enchanted.
All the most valuable things are hidden in numerous dungeons, and the path to treasures is blocked not only by various freaks, but also by various puzzles that require searching for hidden buttons, pushing columns, and climbing through portals.
The weakest aspect of Mortal Shell 2 is the bosses – there aren't many of them, and they all have only a limited set of attacks. Fights with them are boring, and all the difficulty comes down to absurd hitboxes, sometimes strange animations, and simply ridiculously huge health pools. The last two bosses can even make you abandon the playthrough until patches – they are so unfair. The insane design of the villains, which is sometimes brought to absurdity – in a good way – saves it a little. How about some giant maw that crawls around an arena strewn with corpses and showers the hero with a stream of feces? Or a one-legged dragon that will rub its swollen scrotum on the player's face 99% of the battle?
Verdict
Cold Symmetry not only fixed their mistakes but also made one of the best soulslikes in recent years.