8 Shells, 60 Dungeons, $50: Mortal Shell 2 Dated

"Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel to Mortal Shell that significantly expands on the original with unrestricted, adrenaline-charged combat, deeper weapon design with extensive upgrade options, and an emphasis on free exploration," reads the pitch from publisher Playstack and developer Cold Symmetry, who today confirmed the game launches August 20 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.

That's a lot of marketing speak crammed into one sentence, but the numbers backing it up are concrete: eight playable Shells, over 60 dungeons, a stamina-free combat system, and a base price of $49.99. For a Soulslike sequel from a small studio, that's a staggering amount of content to promise at ten dollars under the standard AAA price point. I'm surprised by the scope here. The original Mortal Shell was a tight, compact experience you could finish in under ten hours. Going from that to a "compact open world" stuffed with 60-plus dungeons is an enormous leap.

The Shells remain the hook. Each one functions like possessing the body of a fallen warrior, changing your abilities and playstyle entirely. Three have been shown off so far: Tiel the Acolyte for hit-and-run tactics, Proxima the Broodseeker who pulls enemies close, and Eredrim the Venerable swinging colossal weapons for stagger damage. Five more remain unannounced, which means Cold Symmetry is holding back a significant chunk of the game's build variety.

Beta reception and pricing

Anyone curious can still try the open beta on Steam, which covers the Prologue and early portions of the world. It's sitting at 92% positive across 4,601 user reviews. Early ProtonDB reports also suggest the beta runs well on Desktop Linux, a good sign given the original was Steam Deck Verified.

Pre-orders are live now at $49.99 / £44.99 / €49.99 for the base game. A Devout Edition runs $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99 and bundles 72 hours of early access with an Obsidian skin set covering all eight Shells. PS5 players can also grab a physical Revered Edition with a SteelBook case, art book, and fine art prints.

The August 20 date is a smart move. September is packed, and Cold Symmetry clearly wants breathing room. Dropping a $50 Soulslike with this much promised content a few weeks before the rush gives it a real window to build word-of-mouth, especially with a demo already earning strong reviews. If the full game delivers on even half of what that 60-dungeon number implies, Cold Symmetry will have outscaled most mid-budget Soulslikes on the market. The original Mortal Shell was a scrappy proof of concept; this looks like the studio betting everything on the follow-through.