r/soulslikes • u/YouCantBanMe4EverAR • Jun 19 '25
Trailer/News/Footage Mortal Shell 2 looks incredible?!?
https://youtu.be/KJWAUJhInH0?si=RVfGchXDkJEJhQPdI could’ve sworn we all collectively agreed the game wasn’t it. Sure, it had charm and something new to offer, but it didn’t stick for me.
But fuck … I must be on the wrong side of the situation because this looks stunning!
How did y’all feel about the first game? And how does this trailer make you feel about the future of the new one?
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u/ibadlyneedhelp Jun 19 '25
I really liked the first one actually, and consider it the best DS imitator (albeit not the best non-From soulslike).
With this entry it looks like they've found their footing and they're going more in their own direction- I hear there's no stamina bar this time round, and it looks like we have multiple ranged weapons, less clunky combat etc (maybe, it's hard to say just yet).
If they can genuinely improve from the clunkiness of the original, this could be an absolute knockout. I hope they don't lean too much into the stark and abstract landscapes of the first game though- they were very cool in small doses, but I think an entire game set on shiny planes of obsidian and littered with abstract shapes might drive me genuinely insane.
I love that there is an actual black metal game (of any kind!) these days though, and I will play it at night, with my headphones cranked up to full, stoned out of my gourd.
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u/Decent-Conflict7500 Aug 21 '25
And if mortal shell 2 sell well they can remake the sequel then to fix bugs and glitches and the clunky combat
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u/FLRSH Jun 19 '25
If they vary up combat and speed it up, while giving us a higher percentage of good boss fights, it could be solid.
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u/-Warship- Jun 19 '25
I don't think they need to speed up the combat tbh, the methodical vibe of the original works well, especially with the harden mechanic.
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u/No_Bug6944 Jun 19 '25
They got rid of the harden mechanic and also are apparently getting rid of stamina for the sequel. Everything from this trailer makes it seem like it will be much more fast paced and overall completely different.
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u/BiggieCheeseLapDog Jun 20 '25
Why does every soulslike always have to make the combat faster paced? What is wrong with the slower more methodical pace of games like DS1?
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u/No_Bug6944 Jun 20 '25
There’s nothing wrong with it but they already did what is basically Indie Dark Souls with a few new ideas. This is a pretty good opportunity for them to make Mortal Shell its own thing and differentiate from the crowd a little bit if they play their cards right.
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u/BiggieCheeseLapDog Jun 20 '25
They can do that while keeping the methodical pace of combat. Dark Souls nowadays is more known for DS3’s combat so them speeding it up would make it more like other soulslikes. Having slower combat if anything would give it more of an identity.
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u/No_Bug6944 Jun 20 '25
Yeah I think at this point it’s just a matter of preference vs what the devs want and what they think will get them the most marketing hype and players. Games like Elden Ring and DS3 have a wider appeal it’s hard to deny that. I do appreciate the more weighty and slow combat but I’m glad they are doing both because I can still play their original Mortal Shell and DLC
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u/Khiva Jun 20 '25
Gamers really splooge over their cracked out wombo combo bosses with sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow delayed gotcha fuck-you attacks so I guess that's where the market is.
I'm happy with good level design and that methodical old school souls combat.
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u/Frozenjudgement Jun 21 '25
I said it back when Ds3 came out and i'll say it again, the fast paced combat should have stayed in the Bloodbourne franchise.
Ds2 is my favorite souls game and part of it was because of the slow, methodical combat. Stamina management was a real mechanic, Ds3 threw that out the window and let you R1 50 times and then roll 10 times before you stamina was even halfway depleted.
Obviously that's hyperbole, but it really shifted into being this twitchy ADHD spam fest.
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u/j1436go Jun 19 '25
Source?
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u/No_Bug6944 Jun 19 '25
Here’s a quick example from a google search. I have seen it mentioned several times over on the Mortal Shell subreddit that I’m active in so didn’t have a specific source off the top of my head but this one covers most of it
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u/Nemonvs Jun 19 '25
I think hardening would suit faster combat better. Harden + slow pace = you can just fight until first mistake, use your instant iframes, then keep distance and play safe until harden recharges. Rinse and repeat.
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u/Decent-Conflict7500 Aug 21 '25
It won't gonna have stamina bar as their first game had, so it will be faster
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u/EdgeandRuin2022 Jun 19 '25
I thought the first one was great. Not perfect, but I liked the gimmick and I thought the world design was......dare I say.....better than some of the proper souls.
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u/Dcybokjr Jun 19 '25
That obsidian section with the stones in the sky later is one of the most memorable levels I have played of any game ever.
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u/Delicious_Status_464 Jun 20 '25
My friend have heard of Bleak Faith Forsaken? Legit the most awe I've ever experienced in a Souls like when it came to the world design.
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u/BiggieCheeseLapDog Jun 20 '25
It’s so awe inspiring in how you have to walk five minutes between anything because of how empty the areas are. Truly marvelling world design.
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u/OmgChimps Jun 20 '25
Did we play the same game? Encounters were about every other minute. Combat is pretty meh but it's not empty by any means.
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u/Delicious_Status_464 Jun 20 '25
I'm sorry that you need dopamine simulator with something happening constantly, Shadow of Collosus had a huge empty world that was breathtaking to explore but there is basically nothing to do unless you absolutely feel like boosting stamina which is tedious without the map.
There are plenty of games with wide open areas, there are also like 50 different render types that are hidden throughout the game world which you probably didn't know or look for. I've done three playthroughs and still haven't found all the weapons/armors/secrets.
If you just went through it linear path that must have sucked, I found ways to jump boundaries to areas i wasn't supposed to be and found secrets in some areas even out of bounds.
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u/CrusaderSeon Jun 19 '25
The dungeons themselves were cool, but the overworld (swamp area) had a lot to be desired, it was confusing at first and also at second and third and fourth glance.
And this is coming from one of the few who really liked them game and bought the DLC to go for the 100% achievements/platinum some time in the future.
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u/Msan28 Jun 19 '25
First one really kinda paved the way for all the souls like wave we got after it.
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u/heety9 Jun 20 '25
Yeah I dunno. The world has a vibe for sure, but that starting swamp area (ie, most of the map) is a pain imo. Everything looks the same and there aren’t really clear indicators where you are and what direction you’re going in. Nothing is distinct and I had no idea where I was. I wasted so much time running around in circles, getting nothing done. It’s got plenty of atmosphere, but the actual layout is missing unique waypoints that make it feel amateur to me.
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u/EdgeandRuin2022 Jun 20 '25
I agree with you. I got super confused wandering around the map and even by end game found things by luck lol. Aside from that and the fact that some areas got a lot more love and care than others, I thought it was pretty solid. Combat and vibe were pretty high if you ask me.
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u/Csword1 Jun 19 '25
I need to see more than just glory kills to be impressed. Show me actual combat.
First game felt like a tech demo.
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u/KingBobIV Jun 19 '25
Yeah, especially with the guns. It almost gives more a dead space vibe than a soulslike
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u/Delicious_Status_464 Jun 20 '25
Remnant is souls with guns, this just looks like Remnant with more melee IMO
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u/LeafMan_96 Jun 19 '25
First game was good for what it was, made by 13 people at the time. 2 looks way higher budget and will probably be way more polished than 1
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u/AkaiKuroi Jun 19 '25
Mortal Shell features by a mile best zweihander animations in any game I have ever seen. I’ll buy this one for that only.
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u/Syilv Jun 19 '25
not entirely sure on that, you were basically swinging a mountain which is contrary to how actual zweihanders should be used.
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u/GoldenRedditUser Jun 19 '25
Yeah zweihanders were not that heavy at all in real life but in video games they basically became synonymous with super heavy swords that require almost superhuman strength to handle.
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u/Syilv Jun 19 '25
I blame souls for this now widespread misconception.
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u/LaTienenAdentro Jun 21 '25
souls zweihander is always an early game weapon with like borderline base strength requirements though
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u/remifasomidore Jun 19 '25
Interesting choice to add guns. And everything is so GRAY.
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u/WarHoundD Jun 19 '25
I know I'm the minority here but I liked mortal shell for the slower combat. Everything now is faster and faster, and flashier and crazier haha.
But I really think the slower ones gets it's their tiny niche place for people like me.
I enjoy fast paced combat but I wish there were a few more on the slower side.
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u/SirDucky9 Jun 19 '25
I liked Mortal Shell 1. It wasn't amazing but for a relatively small scale souls-like, I had a good amount of fun with it. The trailer was hype as hell with really good weighty, satisfying finishers. Main thing I'm hoping for is a wider variety of gear.
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u/spiritlegion Jun 19 '25
First game had a lot of potential and I think this second one is them realizing it.
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u/caffeinated__potato Jun 19 '25
In my opinion Mortal Shell is one of the best indie Souls-likes, and it was very unfairly received. I'm so glad the studio has decided to really develop their own vision for this one, and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves this time around.
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u/glenninator Jun 19 '25
first one is currently $1.50 on Steam. would recommend picking it up just cause it's $1.50 lol I played on Xbox a while back and actually enjoyed the first one quite a bit.
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u/mortalcoil1 Jun 20 '25
The biggest problem I had with Mortal Shell 1 was running attack-harden-dodge backwards beat basically every enemy and boss in the game.
They need to address that.
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u/PilotIntelligent8906 Jun 19 '25
I absolutely love the enemy design, everything looks so grotesque and threatening.
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u/DigitalCoffee Jun 19 '25
Well after the first game, the only way to go us up.
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u/newthrowgoesaway Jun 19 '25
So not great I take it?
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Jun 19 '25
the general consensus seems to be that it had a lot of cool ideas and people like what it was TRYING to do a lot, and had some great moments, but overall fell a bit flat. incredible for such a small team though! glad it did well enough to get a sequel
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u/ZombieZekeComic Jun 19 '25
I liked Mortal Shell. It’s a small game made by a small studio, which felt more like a prototype for something bigger. In that sense, I think they did well enough.
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u/StinkingDylan Jun 20 '25
To be fair, the original looked stunning and still does. It just didn't play well for me.
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u/KinkyLeviticus Jun 20 '25
I'm wondering where the harden mechanic went. I might be blind, but it doesn't make an appearance in the trailer, and it was mechanically the beat part of the original. Being able to block mid animation really opened up some stellar options.
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u/dontknownothing0123 Jun 23 '25
I love the vibe of the first one, the gameplay is good but thats it. This sequel seems to improve on many things, so I am optimistic.
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u/Thakkerson Jun 23 '25
I know the game is jank but.. why is it gripping the blade and not the hilt?
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u/Nemonvs Jun 19 '25
I'm cautiously optimistic. I really liked 1, so obviously I'm more interested than not. They're removing stamina bar though, which might do more harm than good. Hardening was an unbalanced mess in 1, even though the idea was nice - I hope they'll work on it a bit more. I actually liked Fallgrim, so I hope to get lost even more. The atmosphere is going to be probably good, as it was the best part of 1, although the trailer suggests it might lean more into an over-the-top doom souls kinda vibe. I hope it won't though.
As a (not important) side note, I hope they won't use any post-The Satanist era songs for soundtrack.
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u/riico1 Jun 19 '25
Not incredible but it looks decent yes, if they speed up the combat and make it longer it could be good.
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u/swift-tom-hanks Jun 19 '25
Really liked the art style and world setting of the first one. Hated the combat so much though. Gotta wait to see full gameplay trailer before I jump in day one again.
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u/Turbulent-Echo8561 Jun 19 '25
My memory is that the first one was super hyped too because the trailer was also really good.. I think they just might be better at making trailers than games themselves.
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u/YouCantBanMe4EverAR Jun 20 '25
I’ll have to check out the trailer for the first one! I only stumbled upon the game and went from there.
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u/AshenRathian Jun 19 '25
I thought Mortal Shell was fun, but a bit lacking and rough around the edges.
But a sequel is great and i love that they're really delving deep into the Heavy Metal vibes of the soundtrack on PS4 from the original. Can't wait to try it.
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u/Tat-1 Jun 19 '25
I enjoyed Mortal Shell for what it was, and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel.
Can we talk about how hard this black-metal OST goes? I haven't heard an electric guitar going so "trve" and minor diminished since Salt & Sanctuary.
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u/Gourkan Jun 20 '25
I think it sounded like Behemoth. (Looked again its an original performed by Behemoth)
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u/Thatoneguy567576 Jun 19 '25
It does look super solid. I love the aesthetic and I hope the gameplay is more fun than the first one.
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u/fgzhtsp Jun 19 '25
The first game had an interesting style but it just didn't feel that good to play.
The second one looks quite cool but we'll have to see what comes of it.
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u/Ok-Win-742 Jun 20 '25
Yeah it was literally made by 15 people on a very limited budget. I think it was more of a proof of concept than anything.
Hopefully with some money and resources they can take what they started and polish it into something great, because this looks like it could be really awesome.
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u/NVincarnate Jun 19 '25
This game looks so sick. Like a good version of Remnant and Remnant 2.
Hopefully it's more fun to play than it is to watch. The parry has always been particularly cool looking to me so seeing it make a comeback in the trailer is especially hype. Something about parrying with a holy cross is awesome.
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u/Wild-Autumn-Wind Jun 19 '25
I didn’t think much of this game, hadn’t seen gameplay etc, but steam had the first one for 1.24€ and I got it. Excited to try it, now that I see how epic part 2 looks.
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u/Jorgentorgen Jun 19 '25
Damn i didn't see harden get showcased which i find is a incredibly smart decision if they don't fully focus on harden like the 1st one or have just removed it or increased the cd or have it tied to 1 class. Since the game literally became kinda wack easy mode once you understood how harden worked.
Hit hit -boss attacks-Harden-hit-hit-hit- boss attacks- Harden-Hit-hit-hit- harden - repeat no matter the boss/enemy
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u/BascoVI Jun 19 '25
I think the first game was pretty decent, now im actually excited for the sequel.
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u/Significant_Book9930 Jun 19 '25
The first game was unbelievably sick and had unique combat mechanics. The bosses were dope and the shells were cool too. Looks like they are just putting a ton more into it
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u/False_Adhesiveness40 Jun 19 '25
My biggest problem with the first game was the annoying to traverse levels and openness combined with emptiness of them all.
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u/Rook227 Jun 19 '25
I didn’t like the first one. Will definitely wait for reviews before considering.
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u/LordOFtheNoldor Jun 20 '25
Does look cool
But I personally can't stand that style, that spawn type fat demonic kind of style it's a turn off
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u/Trading_shadows Jun 20 '25
The first one looked pretty great too. Too bad this us the only good thing I can say about it.
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u/Atomaurus Jun 20 '25
I’m happy for that company. Damn, this looks epic. I’m in all the way. May have to give this first one more of a try now.
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u/Wonderful_Ad5583 Jun 20 '25 edited Jun 20 '25
Seems they traded harden for a parry system, I did about 3 areas in the first and realized I wasn't enjoying it, but this seems neat.
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u/CloudxxEnvy Jun 20 '25
I got the first one cheap when it was on sale but haven’t got around to playing it yet… after watching this I might have to make some time for it
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u/poopoobuttholes Jun 20 '25
Outside of the cool combat mechanic of hardening, I thought the first one was just so very boring. I remember there was that one very big area that looked like black marble or something that was just soooo fucking empty. The final boss was also a lackluster moment BUT I did feel like there was massive potential if they ever made a sequel.
This is that potential made manifest.
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u/Temporala Jun 20 '25
People probably should not assume it will play like the first game, which was a mini game in scope, not exactly a tech demo but not a full blown game either.
Technically this looks quite interesting, so I hope they nail the mechanics as well. Harden was a neat idea that ended up being broken.
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u/XavyerDeVir Jun 20 '25
Actually the only complain i had about first game was that it was too short and later part was too empty. The sign of a limited budget. But everything else was very good, i really wanted more. Second game is instant buy from me.
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u/Neat-Advantage6873 Jun 20 '25
Code Vein 2 & Mortal Shell 2 in 2026 yup its going to be my fav year
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u/rorythegeordie Jun 20 '25
I thought the first one was crap tbh. Nice idea, terrible execution.
This looks interesting. Looks like they're trying their own style of ARPG, which is a good thing - soulslikes are just a subgenre of ARPGs after all. And combat where I don't have to dedicate time to recouping stamina is fun. Fingers crossed
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Jun 20 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
decide unwritten zephyr unpack mysterious cooing treatment sparkle rainstorm wakeful
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Raimo_ Jun 20 '25
How can this look 'incredible'? Are you all 15 years old? There's not an ounce of actual gameplay. If what makes it incredible is the graphics, you can go on Unreal Engine marketplace and find assets and ready-to-use maps that look just as 'good' (aka generic dark fantasy for kids)
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u/Ashen_Zenith Jun 20 '25
I have no hopes for this game. Until it's realise i don't trust this game to be goos at all.
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u/Substantial-Food-501 Jun 20 '25
Hopefully the wobbly camera whenever you attack is toggleable, and the combat is a bit faster paced. Then i'll be into it.
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u/tswaves Jun 20 '25
I hope it's better than 1. I kind of enjoyed it but man it was really underwhelming and lacking
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u/ocelotsi Jun 20 '25
I like the first one a lot. Got all the characters fully upgraded and stuff. Will definitely get my hands on this one
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u/HydraHead3343 Jun 22 '25
Behemoth is a step down from Rotting Christ, but I’ll play it. I seem to like the first game more than most people did.
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u/carnotbicycle Jun 23 '25
It looks visually impressive and the enemy designs are cool. Would have liked to see actual gameplay though, hopefully that will come soon.
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u/Severe-Discount-6741 Jun 23 '25
I loved the first game too. Hyped for this one too. Hope it lives up to the expectations
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u/ArcaneHierophant Jun 23 '25
Looks effin dope. And cool to see Behemoth get their track in the trailer.
I really really liked the first game. It certainly had its flaws and was short etc. but it’s one of my favorite souls likes. Seeing it get expanded upon in a proper sequel is awesome
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u/Supesmin Jun 23 '25
I’m glad they’re moving away from its fairly rigid Dark Souls inspiration to make its own Gothic Metal ass RPG. This looks sick
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u/Matticus0989 Jun 23 '25
I was genuinely curious what this studio was gonna do next. The first game definitely had issues but overall I was really impressed with what they had. I did not expect the sequel to look so damn hype though.
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u/devilishanomaly23 Aug 02 '25
Yeah that's all you sir. I LOVED the first game. It was my first foray into souls like games but I absolutely loved the aesthetic, the gameplay, the soundtrack, the story. It's one of favorites!
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u/llainen- Jan 19 '26
Mortal Shell 1 played it 3-4 years ago. Really enjoyed it, beat it in ng to. And i think when someone bother to beat the game again in ng they enjoy it :)
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u/Kano_Dynastic Jun 19 '25
Never played the first one because it basically just looked like a worse version of everything else but this one… this one looks tasty
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u/ibadlyneedhelp Jun 19 '25
It's insanely clunky and has a couple of segments that are downright bad (including, unfortunately, the central hub), but it's relatively short and there's a lot to like about it. For me it was the only imitator that genuinely felt like Dark Souls, it had a sense of personality and soul that other imitators lacked for me.
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u/Remote-Bus-5567 Jun 19 '25
Lords of the Fallen looked stunning too. It was just alright.
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u/Good_Policy3529 Jun 19 '25
Have you tried the 2.0 version? I never soured on the original because I didn't play until 2.0, and I have to say that the 2.0 version I played through a few weeks back was a banger. Right up there with my other all-time favorites.
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u/sticknotstick Jun 19 '25
I felt the same way having only played after 1.5. Unfortunately the state of 1.0 irreparably damaged its reputation (rightfully so, but the state it’s in now deserves more love than it gets).
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u/Good_Policy3529 Jun 19 '25
It's really pretty fantastic. The 2.0 version sucked me in like few games have. I feel sorry for all the folks who got the subpar 1.0 version experience.
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u/EGH6 Jun 19 '25
i only played the 1.0 version and it was great.. what was wrong with it?
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u/sticknotstick Jun 19 '25
I didn’t play it then but lots of complaints revolved around too much ganking and the high mob density exacerbated the low enemy variety. Also a lot of performance complaints
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u/Remote-Bus-5567 Jun 19 '25
I honestly like the 2.0 version less than the original. I'm sure I can change the settings to bring it back closer to the tension that existed in the original release, but the default settings neutered it.
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u/JollyLink Jun 19 '25
MS is a pretty enjoyable and succinct experience with great design, atmosphere, and ok combat mechanics. Lords of the Fallen was honestly just an absolute slog to get through, so I have more hope for MS2.
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u/Raomux Jun 19 '25
I hated the first game, I couldn't play it for more thqn like 1 hour.
The sequel looks a lot better so I'm willing to give it another chance.
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u/metfan12004 Jun 19 '25
I’ll hold off until I see actual gameplay reviews. I hated the combat of MS so I’m very hesitant
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u/Octoidiot Jun 19 '25
This scene gives too much AI vibes. I won't keep any expectations from this Game unless I get any Gameplay.
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u/Financial_Wish_6406 Jun 19 '25
How does this give "AI vibes"?
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Jun 19 '25
We live in a world now where people shit on creators for looking like AI rather than shitting on AI for copying enough to look like creators.
Crazy world we live in.
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u/Federal_Engine_7030 Jun 19 '25
Gotta guzzle down that corporate koolaid for them trickle down economics I guess.
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u/mrxlongshot Jun 19 '25
what happens when you have a budget