What is Mortal Shell II?
Mortal Shell II is Cold Symmetry's dark-fantasy action RPG sequel, released August 20, 2026. Here's what the game is, who it's for, and what's new.
What is Mortal Shell II?
Mortal Shell II is a dark-fantasy action RPG developed by Cold Symmetry and published by Playstack. It is the sequel to the 2020 soulslike Mortal Shell, and it launched worldwide on August 20, 2026 for PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5.
Where the first game was a tight, experimental dungeon crawl, the sequel is described by its creators as "the ambitious, adrenaline-fueled sequel to Mortal Shell, unleashed across an interconnected open world." Its official tagline: "Their flesh is your weapon."
The core idea: possess the dead
You play as a mysterious husk known as the Harbinger, sent into a strange, gothic, otherworldly realm to recover seemingly alien eggs for an enigmatic being. The series' signature mechanic returns in a bigger form: you possess the shells of dead warriors, and each shell is a distinct character with its own look, stats, and playstyle.
As covered in gameranx's Before You Buy review (551K views), the shells are more than skins:
- One shell can turn invisible for special backstab attacks
- Another has a grappling hook
- One carries a self-generating healing flask
- Another trades half your health for powerful hits
Beyond shells, you collect seals that change the rules of combat — some enable timed blocks and parries, one lets you harden like stone mid-attack-animation to tank a hit, and others deliberately remove your block in exchange for greater rewards on perfect parries.
Is it a soulslike?
Yes — you grind for currency, lose it when you die unless you recover it, rest at shrines that respawn enemies, and get crushed by bosses. But Mortal Shell II does its own thing:
- No stamina meter — swing and dodge as much as you like
- More generous parry timing than many games in the genre
- An open world you can explore in any direction, with vendor-sold maps hinting at weapon and shell locations
- Ranged weapons you can swap to at any time, including a shotgun-style firearm, a crossbow, and even a magic lute that confuses enemies into fighting each other
Do I need to play the first Mortal Shell?
No. Per gameranx's hands-on impressions, Mortal Shell II "feels stand-alone, and you could just like jump in fresh." It's a new adventure in the same grim universe.
Platforms and versions
The game is available on Steam (appid 2584270) and PlayStation 5 (including a PS5 Pro option listed on the official site). Beyond the standard edition ($49.99 at launch per Steam's listing), Cold Symmetry sells the Devout Edition and the Revered Edition — higher tiers covered in our editions guide.
Note: the developers describe the content as containing "violence including sword fights with blood sprays, execution maneuvers, and medieval firearms," and both Steam and the official site sit behind an age check.
Is it worth playing?
Early community takes are largely positive: gameranx called it "mostly a really good time" with standout exploration, art direction, and progression systems, while bigger channels like Fextralife asked whether it might be "the best soulslike of all time." For the full picture, see our review roundup.