Mortal Shell II drops its stamina bar and launches this August

Mortal Shell II is launching on August 20 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Developer Cold Symmetry and publisher Playstack announced the late-summer release date for the action RPG sequel.

The original Mortal Shell arrived in 2020. It was created by a small core team of just 15 people at Cold Symmetry. The game was a surprise hit, eventually receiving an enhanced edition for current-generation consoles. It proved there was an appetite for smaller, more focused soulslikes that did not require a hundred hours to finish. It had a deliberate combat system and a clever central mechanic. Instead of building a character from scratch, players found and possessed the bodies of dead warriors. Each of these "Shells" had specific stats and upgrade trees. It also introduced a hardening mechanic. Players could turn their character to stone at any moment to absorb an incoming blow. The sequel keeps that core body-swapping concept but changes the pacing. The stamina gauge is completely gone.

A faster combat system

Without a stamina meter to manage, combat is much more aggressive. The developers removed the restriction to create a faster flow of attacks and dodges. You play as a being called the Harbinger. Your goal is to recover stolen eggs from a faction known as the Undermether. The world itself is a compact, interconnected map. It has more than 60 dungeons guarded by fanatical enemies. That is a big step up in scale compared to the original game. The environments range from derelict temples built by ancient deities to forbidden forests and icy graves. You will also fight through citadels carved entirely out of bone.

You can find and possess up to eight different Shells across the map. Each one has its own combat style and innate strengths. You unlock their secrets by discovering their lost memories. Finding these hidden lore fragments allows you to evolve your combat style and tailor your equipment. The game also introduces ranged weapons to the formula. You can now use a shotgun alongside your melee attacks and parries. This gives you more options for dealing with crowds or picking off enemies from a distance.

The art direction leans heavily into dark fantasy. The soundtrack includes the song "Darker Thoughts" by British metal band Paradise Lost. The enemy design looks appropriately miserable and grotesque. One boss fight pits the player against a massive toad creature in a desert environment. Other encounters end with brutal, bloody execution moves on armored knights.

Early access and editions

Players who pre-order the Devout Edition get 72 hours of early access before the August 20 launch. That digital deluxe version also includes an Obsidian skin set for all eight playable Shells. A physical Revered Edition is also coming exclusively to PlayStation 5. It includes a steelbook case, an art book, fine art prints, and the pre-order bonus skins packed inside a collector's box.

Removing the stamina bar from a soulslike is a huge risk. The entire genre is built around stamina management. Games usually punish players who get greedy with their attacks and leave themselves without enough energy to dodge away. I am curious to see if Cold Symmetry can balance the difficulty without that limitation. The studio recently ran an open beta on PC, giving players a brief hands-on look at the new pacing. If the enemy aggression scales up to match your infinite stamina, this could end up playing more like a traditional character action game than a cautious dungeon crawler.