It’s a testament to the enrapturing nature of Mortal Shell 2 that this review is only just going live. While the game might be getting over-hyped in some circles, that mood has a solid foundation in the sheer creativity, variety and self-awareness that Mortal Shell 2 presents. This is a videogame not pretending to be anything but a videogame, and that results in a tight, densely-packed game that always has something new up its sleeve. Final boss notwithstanding, Mortal Shell 2 manages to be an accessible and arcadey take on a usually overly serious genre.
Mortal Shell 2 presents the world and everything in it on a platter. There’s no restriction in where you go and what you do, nothing stopping you seeking out a specific weapon from an endgame area to use for your playthrough. The open-world is right there from the start and the game isn’t afraid to say “Here’s the entire game, enjoy”. In some ways it demystifies the exploration aspect of the game, but for every way in which Mortal Shell 2 gamifies the world (with purchasable maps for almost every single piece of equipment available from the moment you begin) there’s a way in which it adds depth. You might be able to see the whole world from the hub, but there’s a lot hidden under the surface.
The Mortal Shell 2 developers aren’t afraid to ask “What if?”
It’s hard to pinpoint the moment I realised that the developers of Mortal Shell 2 were going to fully exercise their free will. Maybe it was when I found an artifact that allowed me to turn into a sheep after doing a quest for a forest witch who was boiling a man in a soup pot. Maybe it was when I circled the final room of a dungeon and couldn’t see any way out, with none of the puzzle elements from previous rooms working…and then looking up and seeing the dungeon boss clinging to the ceiling waiting for me to look and trigger the fight. Maybe it was when I found myself inside a recreation of a level I’d recognise anywhere, in any skin, DOOM’s E1M1: Hangar.
Part of me doesn’t want to talk about the specific dungeons and designs in this game because the joy of stumbling into something unique makes up at least 50% of the experience, but also this game is so jam-packed with hidden interactions and varied dungeons that even if I spoke about every one I completed there’d be a dozen or so left for you to find yourself.
The developers are smart. They know that this world isn’t as big as Elden Ring or as vertical and detailed as Cyberpunk. What Mortal Shell 2 has isn’t just breadth and depth, it’s soul. You can easily miss little hideaways and dungeon entrances, encouraging a level of exploration and an attention to the world around you that some games can’t muster. Not only that, but once you’re in a dungeon they are as diverse as something like Zelda, rather than just a “enemies and a boss” style dungeon that you’d expect from this genre.
Here’s a list of out-of-context clues for how some of these dungeons behave that should showcase the variety without spoiling specifics:
- “Rocks fall, everyone dies”
- Reversed controls
- Illusory walls
- Oops all archers
- First person indie horror game
- Literally DOOM E1M1
The harden mechanic makes Mortal Shell 2 play like a piano
One of the core changes to the moment-to-moment gameplay from the first game is that Mortal Shell 2 doesn’t actually have Harden by default. For those unfamiliar, Harden is a system where your shell (the class you are and the body you inhabit) can Harden which negates the next instance of damage. Unlike a parry or block there’s no animation to Harden, so you can encrust yourself mid-attack, mid-stagger, mid-healing animation, even mid-fall! In Mortal Shell 2 Harden is just one of multiple “Seal” options for defensive play. There’s a tight-timing parry, a generous “block” or a leeching “Slayer” seal among others.
Playing without Harden, though, wouldn’t quite be the same. I’ve heard that Harden is for noobs who need to press the button five years before being hit to stay safe, but Perfect Hardens do exist. If you time a Harden right not only will it negate all damage like normal, but it will also refill your Harden meter in that instant. This means you can Perfect Harden entire strings of attacks all while attacking back yourself in the moments in between. The game becomes reminiscent of playing piano, with your left hand timing the Hardens to your enemies strikes while your right hand is still focusing on using abilities and attacking. People think Harden must be the least aggressive Seal, but in my experience the exact opposite is true.
With Parry, I can’t play as aggressively as I can’t guarantee I’ll be ready to parry at any time, so I have to wait for the enemy to attack first. With Harden, you can just initiate right away and no matter what combo you’re in or ability you’re charging, you can Harden in response.
Short, sweet and full to the brim
My Mortal Shell 2 playthrough in which I collected all the Ova possible (did I mention the main mission of the game is to collect God eggs? Must have slipped my mind), maxed out my main and sidearm weapons and collected all but two of the titular Shells, clocked in at 20 hours. You can spend countless more doing extra dungeons, finding all the weapons and shells and even progressing past the final boss.
For me though, the game had more than served its purpose. To be able to have such a consistently innovative, fresh and engaging time in a world that is just there to be played in was a joy. Some dungeons I was overlevelled for, some I was out of my depth. Some shells I resonated with and loved levelling up, some I played once and ignored forever (Sorry, Smert). Mortal Shell 2 doesn’t mind. All it asks is that you simply play; your way. Do that, and Mortal Shell 2 will deliver.
Mortal Shell 2 is available on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X | S and PC
