Mortal Shell 2 deconstructs the mechanics of Soulslikes even more effectively than its predecessor

Mortal Shell is an action game with the usual smattering of RPG elements; set in a grim medieval/gothic-esque world where everything is terrible and everyone is sad. The dialogue has a lot of Proper Nouns, and is cryptic enough for you to fill in the gaps.

Its combat is meaty, with hefty, sometimes deliberate, animations that punish you for overcommitting, but a joy to witness when your attacks land. You drop your level-up currency upon death, and must retrieve it in the next life or lose it forever. There’s a bonfire that’s not called a bonfire, but serves the same function.

So far, so Soulsy! The moment you get past these surface-level descriptors, however, the clearer the outline of something great starts to take shape. And that’s why Mortal Shell 2 caught my eye this week.

Shadow-dropping a demo alongside some new reveal or big trailer has become something of a theme for a certain tier of game: the power of the demo is undeniable; just look at how many Steam Next Fests there are each year. The 2026 Summer Game Fest showcase had a couple such instances, but Mortal Shell 2 is the one that I rushed to download. The game’s beta went live alongside a trailer that aired during the show, and as a fan of the original, that was all the convincing I needed.

Part of what makes Mortal Shell unique in a crowded world of Soulslikes is that almost every one of the “standard” Soulsy aspects is transformed in some key way; maybe the developers had strong feelings that this or that could be done better, or meaningfully differently, at least. The original game felt akin to a freshman overly eager to share their ideas with the class, only to trip over their words as they attempt to translate their genius into a language everyone else could understand. Mortal Shell 2 is the confident sophomore who walks slowly, and speaks so clearly and assuredly that you can’t afford to ignore them.

I played the beta for nearly six hours, and didn’t come across a single mechanic from the original that hasn’t evolved in some way, which is a tall order given that Mortal Shell’s whole modus operandi is breaking down core elements from Souls and reassembling them to create something fresh.

The first game’s claim to fame is its ‘hardening’ mechanic, which lets you petrify yourself for a few moments to absorb an enemy attack. All characters had access to it, and the same is true here, except it works very differently. Hardening remains in Mortal Shell 2, but it’s now tied to a specific Seal; an item any character can equip. You can choose to equip that Seal, but you’ll be doing so at the expense of others.

Seals play a major role; they contain what would normally be typical Soulslike mechanics, opening up build variety to a level rarely seen in those games. It’s one of the smartest decisions it makes. Want tighter parry windows but more rewarding parries? There’s a Seal for that. Prefer to stay back and break enemy posture with your ranged weapon before closing in for the kill? That’s a Seal. The ability to block? A different one. Yes, even blocking isn’t sacred. Who says blocking is mandatory in a Soulslike?

It also struck me as a counter-balance to Mortal Shell’s rigid character archetypes (Shells), which, unlike most Soulslikes, come with pre-determined stats that can only be upgraded, but not changed. In other words, the Shell intended to be a tank will always occupy that role. This hasn’t changed in the sequel, so it’s clear the developer considers the mechanic part of Mortal Shell’s identity.

As much fun as I’ve had with the beta, this is very much still work-in-progress. It was amusing to see issues I had with the original game’s technical test reappear here, too, like the small subtitle text, and unclear menu highlights. The problems I foresee causing real frustration are born from a lack of polish, which is luckily something that can only get better. I got stuck on terrain often, and one time had to restart a boss fight because the boss was stuck mid-air. Speaking of boss fights, it often feels like the game is too eager to throw you in that there’s no breather between the end of a boss’ introduction and its first attack.

It’s also common to get hit while you’re in the middle of an extended animation, which I can only imagine is unintentional. We still don’t have a release date, so my hope is that it’s going to avoid 2026’s September/October melee in the wake of the GTA black hole that swallows up all of November, but it’s one any fan of Soulslikes needs to keep an eye on.