Recent reviews by Shadowy Figure

--- Full Beta Completed Review + Bug report ---

This beta blew me away with what they had to offer. I've played the first game and to put it briefly, it had good bones but i felt it was missing a lot. Mortal Shell 2 addresses a LOT of the community feedback on what we liked and didn't like.
With the limited shells and weapons they offer in the beta, i was having so much fun with the little that was available. The shotgun weapon they give us is genuinely so much fun to use. I love the resolve system and how they've tied it directly into the combat and abilities of not just your shell but items too.


Combat/enemies - 9/10

While this game doesn't do anything that i would consider industry changing or ground breaking, there is a level of mastery to their combat system that I adore. The way resolve works is beautiful and adds a lot of depth to the combat for the people who want to master combat and get into it. It is by no means required for combat but makes it 10x more engaging.

The weapons and ranged weapons that are available are very limited but the ones available to us in the beta feel great. The animations are smooth and chain well with mixed inputs, it doesn't have the chunky UE5 combat that i feared it would. Chaining melee and ranged attacks felt smooth and even the lock on system felt good, I was able to manage a crowd with the axe+dagger weapon while switching from one enemy to another in a light attack chain.

Enemies were decently challenging, in these early areas i don't expect anything more than low level chaff but the "elite" enemies were phenomenal. The designs of the enemies are incredible, (as someone who is studying to be an animator/modeler for 3d games im jealous of the skill put into these) and some of the more grotesque models genuinely had me shotgun spamming out of instinct.


Level Design / Graphics - 9/10

"Oh my God its so PREETTYYY" The post tar golem sequence had me stopped in my tracks just admiring the texture work on the floor i kid you not. the lighting, the natural textures, the sense of scale, the color, everything is gorgeous in this game. Despite the grim dark setting of this game, the world feels vibrant in its own right. Even on lower graphics settings it looks amazing. The devs should be immensly proud of the work they put into the world.


Bosses - 7/10*
I'll put an asterisk by this score because we are still very early game in terms of where we can go in the beta.

Let me just say, the tar golem had me wanting to just run around and prolong the fight because he is just so cool looking. his animation and model is fantastic.
There are a handful of bosses that i love and a few i love less. I'd like to see more attack variety in the bosses. Maybe i just had bad rng when i fought them but i could just perfect block over and over and they would attack with the same attacks until they died. Some bosses had so much character to them that i wanted to experience but they died too quickly (hall of illusions boss, Shepherd boss, first boss in the tutorial). I think the devs should not be afraid to beef these bosses a tad. I know this is a bit hypocritical coming from a MS1 player who actively said that the bosses were too difficult or just damage sponges, but understand when i say you could get away with buffing some of these lesser bosses to last longer. This is also the purpose of the asterisk as most early game bosses aren't going to be difficult in that sense (but i wish they were personally)


Music / Dialogue 8/10

I love this super unique sound track that you've developed. The mix of metal and dark fantasy is an amazing aesthetic and i hope you choose to go all out on the music for bigger bosses. I can't wait to hear more.

Dialogue i was pleasantly surprised, I was not expecting much from this game in terms of both story and dialogue. I was surprised to see that dialogue was actually very well written and executed. People don't realize how much an npc's mannerisms and voice can impact how a world feels. I love everything about how they've done this. (though i will say, sometimes it gets annoying when an npc sasses me for walking away when i wasn't near him lol)


Bugs 8.5/10
I understand this is an open beta so honestly tying a score to this section feels a little unfair.

The game runs incredibly well, 0 issues on performance. I deduct points on this front just with some things being untested. riposte animations will break on some bosses, causing the player to do the ripost animation to the air or ground. The shadow strike ability will do it's riposte but the enemy will still attack the player. Items that NPCs hold will float on their hand or misplaced, just little things like this that i notice and im sure the devs are aware of. For an open beta in 2026 this is remarkably well polished.

Overall Score 8.5/10
I am beyond excited for this game to release, These devs have clearly taken to heart every word their community has said about MS1 and are coming in with one of the most prominent contenders in the souls like market in my books. This and Lords of the Fallen 2 have me stoked to play. I wish the devs every bit of luck in development. You've made a gem of a game so full of character which is worth so much in today's game market.


Another review done, thanks for reading.
"Good bye then. Be safe, friend. Don't you dare go Hollow."

This game has so much going for it. If these devs make a sequel and listen to their community feedback, then we could be blessed with one of the best souls-lite adventure games on the market.

Now before I go into anything: Spoiler alert. If you don't want spoilers then here's my piece for you.
This is a short, mechanically fun, narratively good adventure game. It has the UE5 trope of the characters having semi-annoying/cheesy dialogue after every action. It's combat is some of the best i've experienced. Bosses are few and far between but memorable. Buy it if it's on sale but i personally wouldn't pay $40 for this (as much as i do love this game it doesn't have enough content for that price)

Spoilers past this point


Ok lets break this down. 16 hours. it took me 16 hours to leisurely make my way through and 100% this game. doubling back, tripling back, farming, etc. This game is SHORT. but those 16 hours had me hooked. The biggest downfall of this game in my opinion is how much it fails to give the user what they crave. which is more. This is a common theme in Flintlock.

Level Design/Story 8/10
The setting? peak. The art style? gorgeous. the enemy design? simple yet effective.
The amount of exploration that is available to the player from the get go is incredible. These devs should be immensely proud of their map design. I was stunned to see a souls-like game get this part right. Exploration was always rewarding, fun, or intuitive. very little head scratching or frustration or even dead ends. everything had a purpose and it gave the player something for their efforts. The double jump feature could occasionally make the climbing mechanic confused and just not work but it was usually only when i was making an awkward jump.

The story of this game I'm really conflicted on. On one hand it has some REALLY solid bones that have me interested and wanting to learn more. On the other hand it can feel like a nothing sandwich or a "need to know" basis. As in if it doesn't serve the game a story purpose then we wont mention it. We killed 4 gods in this game. Enki makes 5. Are there only 5? what are the other 4 gods OF? do they have worshippers? These kinds of world building questions don't get answered (mostly, like 90% of them are unanswered) and it makes me beyond sad. I could see this game having a massive amount of lore hidden in its giant levels.

Bosses/Enemies 6/10
ok ok before you execute me for that score, hear me out. The big 4 bosses were absolutely insane fights. I adored every second of those fights. However outside of those fights that's kinda all we get. Everything else is swarms, basic enemies with increased damage and HP, and unmemorable fights. But the fights with the gods we're so clean and crisp. The parries and counters, everything blended so well. If we had more big fights like that then i would bump this score up easily to an 9.

Enemies! Normally in my other reviews i would be upset at seeing the same enemy type over and over again but in this context it makes sense because we aren't really changing areas or setting (this is basically a zombie apocalypse after all). We do get different enemy types when we reach new areas and that adds enough variety for the size of this game. My biggest gripe is just the fact that we see basic enemies becoming bosses for basically no reason other than to fill in a gap.

Music/Dialogue: 4/10
I've never done a section on these two specifically but i felt this game needed this. In terms of music, i really couldn't tell you if there was any outside of the major story bosses. Honestly, I don't think i ever noticed music. Which, music is such an important piece in the souls-like genre that it goes without saying that a good soundtrack can help with lackluster bosses or enemies (cough cough vordt). BUT, i also do want to recognize that this game is not in the traditional Souls-like aesthetic which would be gothic fantasy or dark fantasy. I have no idea what music would fill the hole of the choir and orchestral boss music that we know and love. I hope they expand on this in future games.

Dialogue... Probably my biggest tension point in this game.
I love companions in adventure games. they give us lore, they give us tips, they tell us when we're being dumb. but please for the love of God i do not need to hear one of the same three recycled lines every time i do an action. Using rifts, landing from a high distance, collecting resources, etc. I don't mind the low health warnings or alerts that i'm out of ammo, but it's this cheesy dialogue that just icks. Now on the other hand, i really like the times where Nor and Enki have meaningful conversation! Dialogue about Enki's language, Enki wanting to know what a particular thing in the world is called, Enki teasing Nor that she's afraid of spiders, I love this! I want more of THIS! meaningful, worldbuilding, relationship building dialogue! Their voice actors are amazing and I enjoy listening to what they have to say when it's something new!

Mechanics/bugs 9/10
This game has nearly perfected their combat system. Everything feels useful or viable. Guns feel powerful but not too limited. Parries feel not too difficult but not too easy. I love the variety in weapons, everything has a unique aspect to it that gives a new playstyle. The skill tree (pyramid?) doesn't feel bloated. everything has a particular purpose and it does well to not overwhelm the user with new combos. I would load up this game even after I've 100% it just to play with the combat again! Very very excited to see what the devs can cook up with this existing system.

As for bugs i feel like i have to dock a point or two for this. They aren't everywhere but there are a few systems in the game that don't work or have really screwed me over. The system of denying the player the ability to interact with certain objects like rift skulls while in combat seems to be very touchy. I've gotten stuck in the revenant crown areas because it detects combat and i have no way out. This happened multiple times. I will also note that the dodges sometimes feel like they lose I-frames on certain attacks? I don't know if this is intended or not. certain enemies seem like they can hit you regardless of your dodge.

OVERALL, 7/10 I recommend when on sale
Developers, y'all are COOKING with this game and I hope you have plans to continue this story. I mean when i say i was hooked on this game after the tutorial. Please continue your work with passion!

Phew, another game done. thanks for reading and i hope this review proved insightful.

Goodbye then, stay safe friend. Don't you dare go hollow.
-Figure

I want to preface this with the overall message of "I had fun"

DS2 is the neglected middle child of the souls series and i think personally people are harsh on it because thats just the culture around it. At least that was the mindset i had going into this game.

I love souls games. they're my favorite genre, i play them religiously. Going into this game I knew about adaptability, i knew the enemy placement was infamous, i knew about some atrocious runbacks. All that considered, now, after getting all the achievements i understand why the game is both beloved in a cult following stronger than any other souls game and why it is hated so passionately by the rest of the souls community.

Level Design/Enemy Placement: 5/10

Holy hell this game is beautiful. DS2 has some stunning areas and genuinely interesting concepts for areas. The DLC I think is hands down the most beautiful/interesting designs we've been given (from DS1-3). There were several moments where i stopped by desperate search for a bonfire to just look at the area (promptly dying for this action as the enemies caught up to me but it was worth it).
However, i have some major gripes with the level design. Particularly in areas such as Lost Bastille, No-Man's Wharf, The Gutter, to name a few. Exploration is supposed to be rewarding, not a detriment. Times where i went out of my way to go the less obvious way, fighting through hordes of enemies only to find a door that just drops the player off the map. Or a secret area that just drops you into a death pit. An ambush for a consumable or 2 that you can buy from a merchant. It was beyond frustration and i felt like it discouraged a lot of the enjoyable exploration that i felt in other DS games.
This brings me to enemy placement. Early to mid game is some of the most frustrating gank fights i've ever had to deal with. I would take blight town with permanent toxic and 10fps over some of these fights. Narrow passageways with sometimes 10 or more enemies that dont stagger and if you get hit by one you get stun locked if one of the other enemies is in range. Until i got to late game this felt like the predominant feature of the game.
If i had to point at one thing that made this game "the hated DS game" it would be this.

Combat/Game Mechanics: 6/10

I think DS2 had some cool innovation on the souls like formula. The ideas implemented are cool on paper but the way they put it in i think missed the mark. For example, Hollowing. This is dark souls, you die. A lot. Losing a % of your max health every time you die to represent hollowing i think is cool as an idea but all it does is punish the people who suck at the game. souls vets have their stash of embers/humanities but the average joe who just wanted to get into dark souls will be punished so much harder by this. Combine this with the trap nature of the levels and gank fest that is early game, its no wonder why people didn't like this game as much as ds1 or 3.
Torches were another one of these mechanics that just punish the noobie. The last bit i want to touch on is I-frames. The infamoous I-frame conversation about DS2. Honestly I'm not the most upset about this. I think it makes sense to not have I-frames when pulling a lever, opening a door, going through a fog gate. It makes the player confront the danger around them instead of running past. However combined with the gank-design of the levels and the runbacks to some bosses/areas is truly awful. I can see why so many people are upset about this.

combat is stiff but methodical. There is a rhythm to things. After learning how the movement feels and combat plays i realized i had 3 options in boss fights: heal, attack, or regen stamina. Which i don't hate. I think in todays market we are used to complex fights with flashy visuals and fast paced combat. This was honestly refreshing. Slow and methoidcal with deliberate inputs. no panic rolls or anything like that. Some little things need work like enemies having way too much poise or attacks from enemies having little to no telegraph. but i can overlook that by just saying "don't overcommit. play smart".

Bosses: 3/10

Bosses weren't memorable. A lot of them were push overs. I didn't die to a boss until i reached The Rotten. Each boss has their 2-3 basic attacks they do over and over and over again. once you learn those moves its just a time suck at that point. There were a handful of bosses i thought were cool, but they were far outweighed by the dozen bosses that just confused me on why they were a boss. (looking at you RRE). Also I am a firm believer that gank fights should never be the bosses main form of difficulty. Gargoyles were the one that honest broke me. That whole fight was awful. RRE, Prowling Magus, Gargoyles, Flexile Sentry, etc. DS3 I think was close to doing this in an acceptable manner (deacons of the deep) but I still am heavily against it unless it's a gimmick fight.

Also, The final boss i think is just wack. 3 bosses in a row is insanity. each one making no sense on how they connect. Aldia is also just a meh fight. it lacks the same impact that DS1 and 3 had for their bosses.


OVERALL SCORE: 5/10

This game is good. It's not the best, it's the "worst" in a weird objective way. As in a developer "we were on to something here but didn't mix the ingredients right" way. A few tweaks would bump the game's feel to at least a 7/10. If you've played DS1 and 3 and just want more? play it. You won't regret it. It has all the familiarity of a souls game. If you are looking to get into souls games this is a rough pick but it's only up from here if you stick with it. If you played DS2 for your first game and beat it? more power to you. You did the dark souls thing of not giving up.

I wouldn't mind playing through the game again now that i am familiar with it, but it's unforgiving to new players. more so than i think any other souls game.



So good luck and stay safe, friend. Don't you dare go hollow.

--- THIS GAME IS A CHALLENGE RUNNER'S DREAM ---

And I cannot stress enough on this point:

THIS IS NOT DARKSOULS OR ELDEN RING

It is it's own game with a very different identity.
Now, with that point out of the way, this game is great in it's current state given the history of this dev team. This is very much a similar vibe to Dark souls 2's "you just have to stick it out" experience. it takes about 10-15 hours to beat (depending on your skill level) and is a very fun first play through.

The level designs can feel confusing or clunky but EVERYTHING has a purpose. The umbral realm mechanic makes this game feel much more like a 3d platformer and I'm personally a big fan. If you are not a fan of environmental puzzles while enemies try to eat you, i do not recommend this game to you. If you enjoy the stress and challenge then there you go.

A couple of things im NOT a fan of in this game:

- Enemy variety. Ok it was cool the first time i saw a guy with dual axes attacking me. but after the flaming dual axe guy and the ice axe guy it starts to get old. Archers are invisible and do some status effect. cool. great. maybe give the poison one a different ability than the ice one(some to differentiate them besides damage types)? idk just a personal gripe.

- Bosses becoming common enemies. I am 100% ok with this being a tutorial boss (soldier of God, Rick from elden ring, Tauros demon from Dark souls 1) and early game bosses im ok with too. but by the time im 3 or 4 bosses away from beating the game? are you kidding me? the assassin/hunter enemy in the abby to grab the rune of adyr becomes a common enemy in the next area.

- Unique Weapon DESIGN but not function. Dont get me wrong i ADORE the weapons in this game. there is no end to the variety of weapons you can use. however i do wish there was something similar to the weapon arts or ash of war from DS3 and ER. The weapons are "Big hammer that does holy damage" and "a hammer that does slightly more holy damage" but the designs are wildly different. give weapons a sense of uniqueness and the game would feel so much better.

phew, ok. still with me? good.
the real charm of this game comes when you beat the game for the first time. Congrats. that WAS the tutorial.

Veteran mode and the modifiers for your run really set this game apart. I'm such a fan of this "semi-roguelite" mechanic and i think this dev team is cooking with this idea. Iron man runs with tremendous vestige decay made me want to blow my brains out (in a good, soulsborne way). So if you want to have a dark souls 3 or elden ring experience with this game, you wont find it here. this is a Dark Souls 2 + Risk of Rain love child.

260,000 gamers bullied sony into leaving a good dev team alone. May 5th, 2024 shall be known as the day we fought against the tyrannical PSN and won.