The best games like Mortal Shell II therefore are not simply difficult action RPGs. They need to capture at least part of its appeal: aggressive melee combat, meaningful defensive mechanics, hostile exploration, dark fantasy, flexible character builds, grotesque enemies, or the constant temptation to investigate a path that probably contains something horrible.
There is no perfect replacement. Mortal Shell is naturally the closest mechanical match, while Elden Ring is the better choice for open-world discovery. Lies of P puts more pressure on precise defensive timing, The First Berserker: Khazan pushes combat mastery harder, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers combines exploration with flexible builds and faster Soulslike combat.
Table of Contents
- How to choose a game like Mortal Shell II
- Mortal Shell II
- Mortal Shell
- Elden Ring
- Lies of P
- Lords of the Fallen
- The First Berserker: Khazan
- Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
- Dark Souls III
- Bloodborne
- Bleak Faith: Forsaken
- Hellpoint
- Which games come closest to Mortal Shell II?
- Author Recommendations
- More Soulslike games on G2A.COM
- Related G2A News articles
- FAQ – Games Like Mortal Shell II
- Change the Shell, keep the pain
How to Choose a Game Like Mortal Shell II
Mortal Shell II sits somewhere between the compact hostility of a traditional Soulslike and the freedom of a modern open-world action RPG.
Several parts of that formula are worth looking for:
- Combat: heavy attacks, positioning, parries, posture damage, dodging, and defensive mechanics that reward timing rather than passive blocking.
- Aggression: Mortal Shell II removes conventional stamina restrictions, so staying active in combat matters more than waiting for a bar to refill.
- Builds: Shells, weapons, sidearms, upgrades, and passive bonuses can change how a character approaches the same fight.
- Exploration: wandering away from the obvious route should lead to weapons, upgrades, bosses, dungeons, shortcuts, or useful discoveries.
- Atmosphere: ruined kingdoms, false gods, diseased landscapes, body horror, strange architecture, and enemies that clearly did not have a pleasant afternoon.
- Difficulty: failure should teach you something about the enemy, your build, or the environment instead of simply demanding higher statistics.
No game below reproduces every one of these elements. Each takes a different part of Mortal Shell II and pushes it in another direction.
Mortal Shell II
Mortal Shell II (PC) - Steam Gift - GLOBAL
Release Date: August 20, 2026
Genres: Action RPG, Soulslike
Check the Steam Gift offer on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 30-50 hours depending on exploration
Rating: Metacritic: 84/100 at the time of writing
Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel that expands Cold Symmetry’s original concept into an interconnected open world. Eight Shells act as distinct warrior archetypes, while weapons, sidearms, upgrades, passive bonuses, and lost memories give you much more room to specialize.
The biggest combat change is stamina. Traditional stamina restrictions are gone, so attacks and movement are no longer interrupted simply because a green bar has emptied. The pressure instead comes from committed animations, enemy posture, timing, positioning, and knowing when aggression is about to become a terrible idea.
Exploration is also central. The world is deliberately compact rather than enormous, but contains dozens of dungeons, hidden paths, Shells, strange weapons, upgrades, and optional encounters.
Why You Might Like It
- Stamina-free Soulslike combat with aggressive pacing
- Eight Shells with different abilities and progression paths
- Harden, posture damage, critical attacks, and sidearms
- A compact open world designed around rewarding exploration
FAQ – Mortal Shell II
Is Mortal Shell II open world?
Yes. It uses an interconnected open world that is deliberately more compact than massive open-world RPGs such as Elden Ring.
Do I need to play Mortal Shell first?
No. Mortal Shell II is designed as a standalone sequel, although the original explains the origins of Shells and Harden.
Mortal Shell
Mortal Shell (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: August 18, 2021
Genres: Action, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out Mortal Shell on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 11 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 69% positive
The original Mortal Shell is naturally the closest recommendation because it contains the same two ideas no other game on this list can properly reproduce: possessing fallen warriors and turning your body to stone with Harden.
It is considerably smaller and slower than the sequel. Each Shell functions more like a rigid class, exploration is concentrated around a central swamp-like hub and several major temples, and stamina has a much bigger influence on the pace of combat.
That makes going backward surprisingly interesting. Mortal Shell shows just how much Cold Symmetry changed for the sequel, while still delivering the oppressive dark fantasy and strange defensive rhythm that established the series.
Why You Might Like It
- The original Shell possession system
- Harden is central to almost every fight
- A shorter and more concentrated Soulslike structure
- The same bleak, grotesque dark fantasy identity
FAQ – Mortal Shell
What is the biggest difference between Mortal Shell and Mortal Shell II?
The sequel is larger, faster, more open, and removes traditional stamina restrictions while greatly expanding builds and weapons.
Does the first Mortal Shell have Harden?
Yes. Harden originated in the first game and allows your character to temporarily turn to stone to absorb attacks.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring (PC) - Steam Key - EUROPE
Release Date: February 25, 2022
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Check the GLOBAL Steam Gift offer on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 60 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 94% positive
If the best part of Mortal Shell II is leaving the obvious route and finding something worthwhile, Elden Ring is the strongest recommendation on this list.
The Lands Between offer vastly more space, but the basic reward loop feels familiar. A ruined tower can hide a spell. A cave can contain a boss. A suspicious elevator can turn a short detour into an entirely new underground region.
Build variety is much broader too. Weapons, Ashes of War, sorceries, incantations, attributes, armor, summons, and status effects let players specialize far beyond Mortal Shell II’s Shell framework.
The main difference is combat economy. Elden Ring still uses stamina, so aggression has to be balanced against dodges, blocks, and attacks.
Why You Might Like It
- Exceptional exploration with valuable discoveries off the main path
- Huge freedom in weapons, magic, stats, and builds
- Difficult bosses and hidden optional encounters
- Dark fantasy that rewards curiosity rather than checklist exploration
FAQ – Elden Ring
Is Mortal Shell II similar to Elden Ring?
Yes, particularly in free exploration, difficult combat, dark fantasy, optional dungeons, and build experimentation.
Which game has more build variety?
Elden Ring. Its combination of weapons, spells, attributes, Ashes of War, armor, and summons is much broader.
Lies of P
Lies of P (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: September 18, 2023
Genres: Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out Lies of P on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 28-30 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 93% positive
Lies of P is the best choice if Harden and precise defensive timing are the parts of Mortal Shell II combat that interest you most.
Perfect Guards reward learning the exact moment an attack lands. Successful defense contributes to stagger opportunities, while weapon assembly lets you combine different blades and handles to modify movesets and scaling.
The world is much more directed than Mortal Shell II’s. Krat contains side routes and secrets, but it is built around carefully controlled progression rather than open exploration.
That tighter structure makes every major encounter feel deliberate. If you would happily sacrifice some exploration freedom for more concentrated bosses and defensive combat, this is the obvious pick.
Why You Might Like It
- Excellent parry and Perfect Guard mechanics
- Strong boss-focused progression
- Weapon assembly encourages experimentation
- A dark, distinctive Belle Époque setting
FAQ – Lies of P
Is Lies of P open world?
No. It uses connected but mostly linear areas with shortcuts and optional side paths.
Why is Lies of P good for Mortal Shell II players?
Both reward precise defensive timing, aggressive counterattacks, build choices, and learning difficult enemy patterns.
Lords of the Fallen
The Lords of the Fallen (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: October 13, 2023
Genres: Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out Lords of the Fallen on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 28 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 73% positive
Lords of the Fallen is one of the stronger alternatives for players who want Mortal Shell II’s dark fantasy and interconnected exploration but would rather build a conventional RPG character.
Its defining mechanic is the relationship between Axiom, the world of the living, and Umbral, the realm of the dead. The Umbral Lamp can reveal paths, platforms, objects, and threats invisible in the normal world.
Exploration therefore becomes a puzzle. A dead end in Axiom may continue in Umbral, while entering the second realm also exposes you to additional enemies and mounting pressure.
It also supports online co-op, giving it an immediate advantage for anyone who wants to share the suffering.
Why You Might Like It
- Dense interconnected dark fantasy environments
- Two overlapping worlds that change exploration
- More conventional RPG classes, magic, weapons, and builds
- Online co-op and PvP
FAQ – Lords of the Fallen
Does Lords of the Fallen have co-op?
Yes. It supports online co-op alongside PvP.
What is most similar to Mortal Shell II?
The strongest overlap is dark fantasy exploration, demanding melee combat, interconnected areas, bosses, and build progression.
The First Berserker: Khazan
The First Berserker: Khazan (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: March 27, 2025
Genres: Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out The First Berserker: Khazan on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 34 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 93% positive
The First Berserker: Khazan is the combat-first recommendation.
Its mission-based structure means there is much less wandering than in Mortal Shell II. Instead, the game spends most of its energy creating enemies and bosses that demand dodging, blocking, parrying, stamina control, skill use, and increasingly accurate timing.
Khazan’s combat is fast but deliberate. Bosses have long strings and dangerous delayed attacks, making improvement feel less like increasing stats and more like gradually understanding exactly when you are allowed to press a button.
Choose it when the exploration in Mortal Shell II is nice, but the real reason you are playing is to fight something enormous until one of you stops moving.
Why You Might Like It
- Excellent boss-focused combat
- Strong emphasis on blocking, dodging, and precise timing
- Weapon skill progression and character customization
- A more focused alternative with less open-world downtime
FAQ – The First Berserker: Khazan
Is Khazan open world?
No. It uses a mission-based structure rather than an interconnected open world.
Is Khazan a good choice if combat is my favorite part of Mortal Shell II?
Yes. It puts even more emphasis on difficult encounters, boss patterns, defensive timing, and mastering your moveset.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: July 24, 2025
Genres: Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out Wuchang: Fallen Feathers on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 31 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 73% positive
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is one of the most balanced recommendations here because it overlaps with Mortal Shell II in several areas at once.
Its world rewards branching exploration, while the combat supports multiple weapon categories, active abilities, status effects, and builds shaped around Wuchang’s supernatural Feathering condition.
The setting is completely different. Wuchang draws from the final years of the Ming Dynasty and Chinese mythology rather than European dark fantasy, but the world is similarly consumed by disease, mutation, monsters, and people making extremely questionable decisions around supernatural power.
It is a good middle ground for players who want both exploration and difficult combat instead of choosing one over the other.
Why You Might Like It
- Branching exploration with hidden routes and rewards
- Fast Soulslike combat
- Flexible weapon and ability builds
- A diseased dark fantasy world with strong body-horror elements
FAQ – Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Is Wuchang similar to Mortal Shell II?
Yes. Both combine difficult melee combat, exploration, build experimentation, status mechanics, and dark supernatural worlds.
How long is Wuchang?
A main-story run averages around 31 hours, with additional time needed for side content and alternative endings.
Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Check out Dark Souls III on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 31 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 94% positive
Dark Souls III is the classical answer. If Mortal Shell II is one of your first Soulslikes and you want to see the foundation many of its ideas grew from, this remains one of the easiest FromSoftware games to recommend.
Combat is faster than in the earliest Souls titles, while weapons, armor, magic, stamina, shields, dodges, and parries let players construct very different approaches.
The world is not truly open, but levels fold back into themselves through shortcuts and hidden routes. Bosses are frequently the main event, with later encounters requiring increasingly precise reactions and pattern recognition.
It lacks anything directly comparable to Harden or Shell possession, but almost everything around those unique mechanics should feel immediately familiar.
Why You Might Like It
- Precise melee combat with strong boss design
- Layered environments full of shortcuts and secrets
- Wide range of weapons, spells, and builds
- Classic ruined-world dark fantasy
FAQ – Dark Souls III
Is Dark Souls III a good game to play after Mortal Shell II?
Yes. Its combat, bosses, dark fantasy, exploration, build progression, and death-driven learning loop make it one of the closest genre foundations.
Does Dark Souls III have Harden?
No. Defense comes from shields, dodging, parrying, armor, positioning, and character builds.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne (PS4) - PSN Account - GLOBAL
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Genres: Action, Role-playing (RPG)
Check the PSN Account offer on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 32 hours for the main story
Rating: Metacritic: 92/100
If Mortal Shell II convinced you that waiting behind a shield sounds terribly inefficient, Bloodborne agrees.
Its Rally mechanic lets you recover recently lost health by immediately attacking enemies. Firearms are primarily used to interrupt attacks and create visceral openings rather than to turn the game into a shooter.
Everything pushes you toward aggression. Shields are barely relevant, weapons transform between different forms, and many encounters become easier once you stop backing away and start controlling the space around an enemy.
The horror also escalates beautifully. What begins as gothic monster hunting gradually reveals something much stranger hiding underneath Yharnam.
Why You Might Like It
- Aggressive combat that rewards pushing forward
- Excellent parry and counterattack systems
- Transforming Trick Weapons
- Gothic horror that develops into cosmic nightmare fuel
FAQ – Bloodborne
Is Bloodborne faster than Mortal Shell II?
Generally yes. Bloodborne heavily rewards aggression, quick dodges, and immediate counterattacks through its Rally system.
Is Bloodborne open world?
No. Yharnam is built from large interconnected areas rather than a conventional open-world map.
Bleak Faith: Forsaken
Bleak Faith: Forsaken (PC) - Steam Account - GLOBAL
Release Date: March 10, 2023
Genres: Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Check the Steam Account offer on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 30 hours
Rating: Steam overall reviews: 75% positive
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is a recommendation for the player who spends as much time staring at Mortal Shell II’s world as fighting through it.
The Omnistructure is difficult to categorize. Ancient ruins, brutalist megastructures, fantasy, decaying machinery, cyberpunk elements, and enormous empty spaces combine into a world that constantly feels too large for the person exploring it.
Combat is rougher than the biggest games on this list, but positioning, timing, blocking, character statistics, gear, abilities, and builds all matter.
The real attraction is exploration. Paths are not always clearly marked, climbing and vertical navigation matter, and the world is designed to make you feel small, lost, and slightly concerned that the architecture may be alive.
Why You Might Like It
- One of the strangest worlds in the Soulslike genre
- Strong focus on exploration and atmosphere
- Gear, stats, abilities, and build experimentation
- Dark fantasy blended with surreal science fiction
FAQ – Bleak Faith: Forsaken
Why is Bleak Faith similar to Mortal Shell II?
Both combine hostile exploration, oppressive atmosphere, strange architecture, difficult melee combat, and flexible character progression.
Is Bleak Faith as polished as Mortal Shell II?
No. It is a much smaller production and has rougher combat and technical edges, but its world design is unusually distinctive.
Hellpoint
Hellpoint (PC) - Steam Key - GLOBAL
Release Date: July 30, 2020
Genres: Action, Role-playing (RPG)
Check out Hellpoint on G2A.COM
Average Playtime: Around 17 hours for the main story
Rating: Steam English reviews: 79% positive
Hellpoint asks what happens if you keep the Soulslike structure but replace ruined castles with a dead space station orbiting a black hole.
You explore Irid Novo, uncover shortcuts, fight mutated creatures, recover resources after death, develop weapons through use, and slowly piece together what happened to the station.
The setting is the major reason it belongs here. Science and occult horror constantly overlap, making the station feel just as hostile and unknowable as Mortal Shell II’s corrupted fantasy landscapes.
It also supports co-op, giving players another option if they want difficult exploration without experiencing every corridor alone.
Why You Might Like It
- Soulslike progression in a science-fiction setting
- Dense, interconnected level design
- Occult horror and environmental storytelling
- Co-op support
FAQ – Hellpoint
Is Hellpoint a Soulslike?
Yes. It uses checkpoint progression, difficult melee combat, death penalties, builds, bosses, shortcuts, and exploration.
Does Hellpoint have co-op?
Yes. Hellpoint supports multiplayer and cooperative play.
Which Games Come Closest to Mortal Shell II?
Mortal Shell remains the closest mechanical match because Harden and Shell possession are unique to the series. If the sequel’s open-world structure is more important, choose Elden Ring. For combat, move toward Lies of P or Khazan. For something that balances combat, exploration, and flexible builds, Wuchang is one of the strongest alternatives.
Author Recommendations
Lies of P – For the Fighter
If your favorite part of Mortal Shell II is learning how enemies attack and turning their aggression against them, start with Lies of P. The Perfect Guard system makes defensive timing feel deliberate, and the boss lineup rarely lets you forget why you started paying attention in the first place.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – For the Explorer
If you want something that preserves more of Mortal Shell II’s balance between combat and exploration, choose Wuchang. It gives you branching routes, secrets, multiple builds, supernatural progression, and enough strange monsters to make wandering away from the main road feel appropriately irresponsible.
More Soulslike Games on G2A.COM
Several games from this list currently have related offers on G2A.COM. Check the activation method carefully, because not every listing below is a standard Steam key.
Get More From the Marketplace With G2A Plus
A G2A Plus subscription can help you get better prices on eligible marketplace offers, collect Plus Points, receive gaming benefits and rewards, and access additional member perks.
Related G2A News Articles
- Mortal Shell II Gameplay Revealed: New Combat and Mechanics
- Mortal Shell II Release Date and Editions
- Games Like Elden Ring
- Games Like Bloodborne
- Top Reasons to Play Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
FAQ – Games Like Mortal Shell II
What Game Is Most Similar to Mortal Shell II?
Mortal Shell is the closest mechanical match because it uses the same Shell possession system and Harden mechanic. The sequel is much larger and faster, but the original remains the only game built around exactly the same defensive foundation.
What Should I Play After Mortal Shell II?
Choose Elden Ring if exploration is your priority, Lies of P or Khazan if you want difficult technical combat, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers if you want a balance of exploration, builds, and faster Soulslike combat.
What Game Like Mortal Shell II Has the Best Open World?
Elden Ring is the strongest choice for a much larger open-world experience. It offers more exploration, optional bosses, dungeons, weapons, magic, builds, and environmental discoveries.
Which Game Is Best if I Like Harden?
Play the original Mortal Shell if you specifically want Harden. No other game on this list reproduces the mechanic directly. Lies of P is the next best choice if what you enjoy is precise defensive timing and turning an enemy attack into your own opening.
Which Game Has the Fastest Combat?
Bloodborne, Khazan, and Wuchang are the strongest picks for players who want fast, aggressive melee combat. Bloodborne is particularly committed to keeping players close to enemies.
Are There Co-op Games Like Mortal Shell II?
Yes. Lords of the Fallen, Elden Ring, Dark Souls III, and Hellpoint all provide multiplayer or cooperative options, although their co-op systems work differently.
Is Mortal Shell II Harder Than Elden Ring?
There is no universal answer because both games allow progression and build choices to change difficulty substantially. Mortal Shell II has faster stamina-free combat, while Elden Ring gives players more ways to bypass difficult encounters, explore elsewhere, summon help, or redesign a build.
Change the Shell, Keep the Pain
Mortal Shell II pulls from several corners of the Soulslike genre, which means the best replacement depends on which part of the formula you want more of.
If you want the actual Shell and Harden mechanics, go back to Mortal Shell. If wandering into the unknown is the main attraction, Elden Ring is difficult to beat. If you want to spend your evening learning exactly three frames of a boss animation, Lies of P and Khazan are ready for you.
Wuchang provides the strongest middle ground, while Bloodborne, Bleak Faith, and Hellpoint are better choices when atmosphere and horror matter as much as the combat system.
Different worlds. Different bodies. Different ways to lose the same boss fight twenty times.