Mortal Shell 2 has arrived with strong critical reception across major gaming outlets. According to Polygon, the game is positioned as a meaningful competitor in the soulslike genre in 2026, finally offering competition to established titles.
Reviews consistently highlight a significant improvement over the original 2020 release. IGN states the sequel is "bigger and better in almost every way," while maintaining the core mechanic of possessing fallen warrior corpses to harness their abilities. The story campaign runs between 25 and 30 hours, according to developer Cold Symmetry.
GamesRadar called it "the best Soulslike I've played since Elden Ring," praising the fast-paced and varied combat system. Rock Paper Shotgun commended the game's willingness to deviate from strict soulslike formula, blending humor, open-world exploration, and DNA from '90s PC games.
The title launched in early access via the Devout Edition on August 17, with the full release arriving August 20 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Destructoid noted that the PC version can experience performance issues on high settings, though graphics adjustments resolve most reported stuttering problems.
While reviews are largely positive, some outlets flagged rough edges, including odd technical quirks and balance issues, particularly toward the end of the campaign.
