On the surface, Mortal Shell checks every box on the modern Soulslike checklist. It drops you into a grim, gothic world where everything is terrible and everyone is miserable. The dialogue is a cryptic soup of Proper Nouns, the combat is a meaty dance of deliberate animations that ruthlessly punish overcommitment, and dying means dropping your level-up currency for a high-stakes recovery run. There’s even a bonfire that isn't called a bonfire, but absolutely acts like one.
So far, so Soulsy.
But the moment you peer past those surface-level descriptors, the outline of something truly great begins to take shape. That unique identity is exactly why Mortal Shell 2 completely stole my attention at the 2026 Summer Game Fest.
The Power of the Shadow-Drop
Shadow-dropping a playable slice of a game alongside a major trailer has become a brilliant staple for mid-tier studios. The undeniable pull of hands-on impressions is exactly why Steam Next Fests dominate the calendar. While the Summer Game Fest showcase had a few surprise drops, Mortal Shell 2 was the one that had me rushing to my console. The open beta went live right as the trailer aired, and as a fan of the original, that was all the convincing I needed.
What made the original 2020 game stand out in a crowded genre was how it fundamentally subverted standard Souls tropes. The developers clearly had strong opinions on how to iterate on FromSoftware's blueprint. However, that first outing felt akin to an overeager freshman—bursting with brilliant ideas to share with the class, but occasionally tripping over their words trying to translate that genius into a cohesive language.
Mortal Shell 2, by contrast, is the confident sophomore. It walks slowly, speaks clearly, and carries itself with an assurance that you simply cannot ignore.
Breaking Down the Foundation
Spending nearly six hours with the open beta made one thing clear: Cold Symmetry isn't resting on its laurels. I didn’t encounter a single mechanic from the first game that hasn't evolved. That is an incredibly tall order for a franchise whose entire identity relies on dismantling the core elements of the genre and reassembling them into something fresh.
The most radical evolution hits the game's signature feature: Hardening.
What We Know So Far
Cold Symmetry confirmed that the game is being built for Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, with improved visuals, new mechanics, and environments designed around the storybook theme.
We wanted to create a world that feels like stepping into a storybook — full of wonder, surprises, and discovery around every corner.
— Cold Symmetry
Related Game
Mortal Shell II
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5 · Cold Symmetry · Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
View Game
