Imagine Dark Souls.
Dark fantasy.
Brutal bosses.
Massive swords.
Relentless combat.
Now imagine solving your problems with a giant shotgun.
Yeah.
That’s exactly why everyone is talking about Mortal Shell 2.
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During Steam Next Fest, hundreds of demos are competing for attention.
But one game keeps showing up in discussions among Soulslike fans.
Mortal Shell 2, the sequel to Cold Symmetry’s cult hit from 2020, is quickly becoming one of the festival’s standout surprises.
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At first glance, it looks familiar.
Dark world.
Terrifying monsters.
Heavy melee combat.
Dodge rolls.
Punishing encounters.
Everything fans expect from the genre.
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But then…
You pull out a shotgun.
And suddenly the rules change.
The sequel places a much bigger emphasis on ranged combat, allowing players to seamlessly combine sword attacks, special abilities and a devastating shotgun-like weapon capable of staggering enemies and creating brutal combo opportunities.
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What’s impressive is that it doesn’t feel like a shooter invading a Soulslike.
It feels like a natural evolution.
The shotgun isn’t there to make the game easier.
It’s there to make combat faster.
More aggressive.
More satisfying.
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And that’s exactly where Mortal Shell 2 seems to improve on the first game.
One of the biggest criticisms of the original was its heavy and sometimes rigid gameplay.
According to early impressions, the sequel feels smoother, more dynamic and offers much deeper customization through its Shell system, weapons and abilities.
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The result?
A game that still respects the DNA of the Souls genre while trying something genuinely different.
Which is becoming increasingly rare.
Because let’s be honest…
Most Soulslikes today are trying to become the next Dark Souls.
Very few are trying to become the first version of something new.
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And maybe that’s why Mortal Shell 2 is generating so much hype.
Not because it copies FromSoftware.
But because it dares to ask a simple question:
What if Dark Souls had a shotgun?
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If the full game delivers on the promise shown in its demo, Steam Next Fest may have just revealed one of the most exciting action RPGs of 2026.
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But here’s the real question…
Should Soulslikes keep evolving with new ideas like firearms and faster combat… or should they stay faithful to the formula that made the genre legendary?
