💀 Sinigaming Review

Mortal Shell II Review: An Early 10/10

Cold Symmetry · Released Aug 20, 2026 · PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S · We play on PC (Steam)

Early ReviewSoulslike 💀 10 / 10 so far🕹️ 3.5 hrs played

Our Score What It Is The Shells Beginner Tips Verdict

💀 10/10 so far, and here's the honest fine print

We're 3.5 hours into Mortal Shell II, and every one of those hours has been a 10 for us. That's an early score. A Soulslike can change a lot over a full playthrough, so we'll keep playing and update this review, including the score, as we go. Every screenshot on this page is from our own game.

Mortal Shell II screenshot: a hooded warrior with a greatsword on his back stands before towering stone gates carved into a cliff — Standing at the gates.

📖 What Is Mortal Shell II?

A Soulslike built around stolen bodies

Mortal Shell II is the sequel to Cold Symmetry's 2020 Soulslike Mortal Shell, released August 20, 2026. You play as the Harbinger, a fragile being who can't do much on its own. Its power comes from shells: the bodies of fallen warriors that you find, claim, and step into. Each shell plays like a completely different class, so unlocking a new one is like starting a new build.

If you're coming from Elden Ring, as we are (it's our other 10/10), you'll feel at home fast: tough, deliberate combat, and a gloomy, rain-and-fog world that makes you want to see what's around the next corner.

Mortal Shell II screenshot: a pale, gaunt figure sits on a stone pedestal in a rain-soaked canyon between twisted trees and dark cliffs — Rain, fog, and dead trees. The mood is set from the first steps.

🛡️ The Shells

The ones we've found so far

1
Harros: your starterThe shell you use in the prologue. You'll lean on him while you learn the basics, and the other shells come after.
2
Proxima: one of the earliest unlocksFound inside a shattered beacon near Blackridge Cliff, with an enemy guarding it. Expect a fight before you can claim her.
3
Tiel: the rogueBuried beyond a wooden fence in a village south of the Widow's Overlook beacon. Returning players will remember him as the quick, dodgy one from the first game. Unlocking him earns the Steam achievement “Forever Alone?”, which about 81% of players have.

There are more shells later in the game. We'll add them here as we find them, without spoilers for anyone who wants to discover them on their own.

Mortal Shell II screenshot: an armored figure in dark, horned armor sits on a fallen log beneath a huge tree in thick fog — A shell resting under a giant tree in the fog.

Steam overlay for Mortal Shell II showing 3.5 hours total playtime and the achievement Forever Alone? for unlocking Tiel — Our Steam overlay, Wednesday, October 7: 3.5 hours played and Tiel unlocked.

⚗️ Beginner Tips

What to know going in

4
Go get Proxima earlyShe's one of the easiest shells to reach. A second shell early on gives you a real choice in how you play instead of being stuck with the starter.
5
Try every shell you unlockEach one changes how the game feels. If a section is giving you trouble, switching shells can change the whole fight.
6
Treat it like a Soulslike, because it isFights are slow and deliberate. Learn enemy patterns, don't get greedy with attacks, and expect to die while you learn. That's the fun.
7
Explore off the pathShells are tucked away in villages, beacons, and side areas, not handed to you on the main road. Poke around.

Mortal Shell II screenshot: the dark, muscular Harbinger seen from behind, standing in a murky blue void filled with drifting particles — Somewhere deep and strange. No spoilers on where.

🍲 The Sinigaming Verdict

Our take on Mortal Shell II

🕹️ Our SiniPlay take

3.5 hours in, and it's a 10/10 so far. Proxima and Tiel are unlocked, and we can't wait to see what's next.

✅ An early 10/10: the first 3.5 hours hooked us completely
✅ The shell system means every new body plays like a new class
✅ Elden Ring fans should feel right at home
✅ A gloomy, fog-soaked world that's worth exploring
⚠️ It's a Soulslike: expect to die, a lot, while you learn
💡 This is an early review. We'll update it, and the score, as we play more

Want the play-by-play? Read our first look, and catch our Soulslike clips on Elden Daddy.

← All Guides Also read: Elden Ring Guide