# Mortal Shell II: what players say > Cold Symmetry’s soulslike sequel wins players over with fast, weighty combat and eight Shells to master, and loses many of them in its second half. Developer: Cold Symmetry. Publisher: Playstack. Released 20 August. 80% of 20,009 player reviews recommend it (as of 12 October). ## In short Players rank the combat with the best in the genre outside FromSoftware, and enjoy switching between the eight Shells. Many turn on it in the second half, where enemies repeat, damage spikes feel unfair and the last area feels untested. Soulslike fans who want fast, parry-led fights get the most from it, and the latest reviews say the patches keep improving it. ## What players say Players praise the combat and the Shells, and find the second half repetitive and harshly tuned. Crashes and lost progress were common early on, and the latest reviews mention them less after a run of patches. We read these reviews in full on 10 October. - 80 most helpful reviews: 35 positive, 12 mixed, 33 negative. - 40 latest reviews: 24 positive, 5 mixed, 7 negative, 4 off-topic. - **The combat is the best part.** Hits land with weight, movement is quick without a stamina bar, and the parries, ripostes and finishers look and feel good. Even players who turn on the late game single it out. - **The second half loses players.** A strong first half gives way to reused enemies, damage that can kill in two or three hits and a final area many call untested. It’s the fullest reason behind the negative verdicts. - **Enemies repeat.** Most enemy types appear early, and later areas bring them back with more health and more damage, in denser groups. - **Late-game damage feels unfair to many.** Players describe grabs and combos they can’t answer and boss attacks that land after a clean dodge. Some call it a fair challenge, and more find it artificial. - **The Shells are the best idea, and resources limit them.** Players enjoy eight Shells with distinct styles, and switching between them changes how the game plays. Limited points and materials mean a run fully builds only two to four, though the Week 1 update added a way to respec. - **Stability depends on the PC.** Some players lost progress or crashed often in the first weeks, while others report high frame rates without a crash. The latest reviews mention crashes and lost progress much less. ## Questions ### Is Mortal Shell II worth it? Most players say yes. As of 12 October, 80% of 20,009 reviews recommend it, mostly for the combat and the Shells. The players who don’t lose interest in the second half, over repeated enemies and harsh damage. ### How long is Mortal Shell II? Players finish it in about 25 to 30 hours with most of the map explored, and around 40 hours to complete everything. ### Is Mortal Shell II hard? Yes, and it gets harder in the second half, where players say ordinary enemies can kill in two or three hits. Night Mode makes it harder still, and an optional Adaptive Difficulty setting added on 5 September eases or toughens enemies to match how you play. ### What are Shells in Mortal Shell II? Bodies you possess, each a class with its own playstyle and upgrades. There are eight, and players say a single run can fully build only two to four of them. The Week 1 update added a way to respec a Shell. ### Is Mortal Shell II open world? Yes. Players explore an open world between dungeons, and some find the checkpoints too far apart. The Week 1 update added beacons to shorten the runbacks. ### Has Mortal Shell II been patched? Several times. The Week 1 update on 29 August reworked the upgrade economy, added respecs and fixed bugs, and a hotfix on 24 September fixed lost Gloom and falls through lifts and tuned the final boss. ### What PC do you need for Mortal Shell II? Cold Symmetry lists a single spec, a Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 5 3600 and a GeForce RTX 2060 Super or Radeon RX 6600 with 8 GB, on Windows 10 or 11 with an SSD. ### When did Mortal Shell II come out, and how much is it? 20 August 2026, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, at $49.99. The $59.99 Devout Edition let players start on 17 August. ## Sources 65. Steam: Mortal Shell II, store page and user reviews: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2584270/ 66. Cold Symmetry and Playstack on Steam: Mortal Shell II release date, pricing and pre-orders, 8 July: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2584270/view/1836506165580838 67. Cold Symmetry and Playstack on Steam: Mortal Shell II Advance Access, 17 August: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2584270/view/1840944183786960 68. Cold Symmetry and Playstack on Steam: Mortal Shell II Week 1 update, 29 August: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2584270/view/1842212951305852 69. Cold Symmetry and Playstack on Steam: Mortal Shell II update, Adaptive Difficulty, 5 September: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2584270/view/1842846814449143 70. Cold Symmetry and Playstack on Steam: Mortal Shell II hotfix, 24 September: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2584270/view/1844751498222819 Page: https://creativecult.digital/games/mortal-shell-ii