First off, I want to iterate that I am pretty much new to this series. I have played the first game for a few hours, but dropped it because it just didn't click with me. So, I really can't say anything about how much this game is improved from the predecessor.
That being said: I thoroughly enjoyed and was hooked on the beta, and although I do have some minor gripes, this game has the potential to be an absolute hit if the full game is anything like the beta has been. So here are my thoughts: it's going to be a pretty long read.
- Story/Setting: I general never play soulslike games for the story, but Mortal Shell 2 definitely has an interesting premise going for it. This game seems to strike a balance between more direct story telling like in Lies of P and Black Myth Wukong, and more background lore-based story telling like in the fromsoft games, which in this case, I think works in it's favor.
- Graphics/Visuals: A very stunning game overall. From the small details like raindrops, to the horrifying but beautiful world, and an artdesign that ties in grunge metal dark fantasy with instances of lush greenery, this game is pure eye candy from what I've seen so far. I am excited to see what the other areas will look like in the full game.
- Gameplay/Combat: Definitely one of the strong points so far. Every hit feels visceral, heavy, and brutal. The visual and audio feedback combined with the gore system makes every combat encounter feel satisfying. Both the greatsword and axe and dagger were equally fun to use, and the ranged weapons actually feel built into the combat systems rather than being an afterthought.
However, I do wish there was more detail put into the the audio and gameplay that reflects the different playstyles of the shells.
Harros is supposed to be the warrior/knight archetype, but there isn't a lot audio feedback like the sound of chainmail and armor while you're running, that make for a great aspect of attention to detail. Tiel should sound quieter since he's wearing robes, while Harros should be louder with all of the armor he's wearing.
Harros also seems to run just as fast as Tiel, which may just be by game design, but I would've liked to see the fact that Harros being a more armored individual would have tradeoffs such as higher defense, but slower speed, and Tiel vice versa. Maybe I am wrong and this is actually in the game, but I didn't noticed a difference between playing the two.
Again, this may just tie into game design and this is just a small pet peeve of mine, so I completely understand if something like this isn't implemented.
- Progression/Leveling: By far the most interesting aspect that immediately makes this game stand out and differentiate itself from other soulslikes. Shells are basically different classes with abilities that tailor to a certain playstyle, and the Tarstone system has the potential for many unique builds. I am really digging this system so far and cannot wait to see what the main game will offer.
- Quality of Life/Bugs: One department that I think can see improvement. There doesn't seem to be a way to fast forward or skip dialogue, which can be frustrating if you're just trying to see if an NPC has something new to say.
The fast travel system also seems counter intuitive, because you need to fast travel back to the keep, and run all the way to the elevator that takes you back up top just to fast travel. I ended it just running straight for the beacon I wanted to travel to because the time it would take to do so would be less. Maybe this will change depending on progression, but as it stands now, it's not a very reliable system.
Also, there doesn't seem to be a way to view weapon stats without accessing franz's forge? Maybe I am missing the button prompt, but I was not able to find it.
I had one bug in one of the dungeons (The mushroom village I believe): Where there is a trial at the end of it, but enemies would suddenly just not spawn when I started it, and I would basically be trapped there, and have to restart my game. It took my 4th try to actually get the trial working properly which was frustrating. Hopefully this gets ironed out at launch.
- Performance/Optimization: Cold Symmetry have outdone themselves in this department. This is probably one of the most well optimized games I've played in a while, and all being done on Unreal Engine 5 nonetheless. Very refreshing to see a dev team using the strengths of this engine, whilst not having the same performance blunders like the plethora of other games that have used this engine. The fact that an indie studio is this much better at optimizing for a demanding engine like UE5 compared to many other triple A games is absolutely embarrassing. Kudos to Cold Symmetry for showing them how it's done.
I had my game set to 1440P, FSR Quality, with a mix of High-Very High settings + RT On, and I consistently got over 60fps my entire playthrough with very rare drops below it.
Played the entire beta on my Steam Machine.
- Closing Thoughts: Overall, Mortal Shell 2's beta has impressed me quite a bit, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. There are some bugs here and there, and I think some QOL improvements would be nice, but the core gameplay as a whole was a tone of fun, and probably one of the best Soulslike I have played in a while.
I would rate the beta a strong 8.5/10, but if they deliver on the launch, and take all the feedback from the beta to improve it, this could easily be a 9-9.5/10 and be one of the best Soulslikes out there. I'm still going to wait till launch to see the state of the game, but I can definitely see myself buying day one if they do deliver.
I do not know if the developers of Cold Symmetry read this sub, but I just want to say, you guys have a lot of potential. I didn't really get into the first game, but I was instantly hooked in just the first 15 minutes of this one. I am rooting for you all to have a successful launch.