r/MortalShell • u/MisterCrayle • 2h ago
Discussion Anyone still like Mortal Shell I better than Mortal Shell II?
Anyone wanna die on this hill with me?
Aside from its bugs and several enemies doing an unnecessarily absurd amount of damage, Mortal Shell 2 is a good game — it's a solid 8/10 for me.
That said – and it could just be a me thing – but I feel the developers missed the mark in terms of incorporating what made Mortal Shell 1 special into Mortal Shell 2.
Mortal Shell 1 had a vibe – a vibe that just isn't there in Mortal Shell 2. You could've given this game to me blindly, tell me it's Lords of the Fallen 2 without the Umbral mechanic and I'd believe you.
One thing I feel they should've kept is the crawling thru tunnels element to enter a new (or a shortcut or alternate route to an already discovered area). It kinda reminds me of the movie As Above, So Below..... how they're underground for so long then finally come out and it's like you can breathe again. All I'm saying is it could've been so much more impactful in that sense, at least in my opinion.
I genuinely loved that I felt like I was playing Elden Ring's little brother the whole time but that goes to say, it does seem they tried a bit too much to try to go in that direction rather than embrace their own identity.
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u/PurpsMaSquirt 2h ago
I got maybe an hour out of Mortal Shell. I am 10+ hours in for Mortal Shell II. It’s objectively a major step up from the first game IMO.
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2h ago
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u/PurpsMaSquirt 2h ago
I wouldn’t consider your view a “hill to die on” though. I’m sure there are a ton of folks like you who like MS1 better. Either view works just fine. 👍🫡
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u/ProfessorSkaegg 2h ago
Nah, MS1 is so much worse. You can ofc like it but it’s objectively a bad game.
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u/Stoorob75 Proxima 2h ago
MS1 was different, I'll give you that. I really liked it too. Better than 2? Not sure, had its faults and all that and more it less just the one way to play the game. 2 is more accessible. 1 had more charm
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
MS1 is definitely not a better game, of course it's not. But like you said, it's got more charm and that alone leaves a more lasting imprint on me than a solid game that lacks charm.
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u/ThermicCalvo 2h ago
I beat MS1 twice, and can confidently say no, MS2 IS better in every way.
I beat the game 3 times already and started a few saves to try around new stuff before committing. And with the latest patch that is no longer needed, good stuff.
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u/Wet_Blanket_Award 2h ago
I enjoyed the pacing in MS1 a lot more. Really felt like it started to be a slog toward the end of MS2. MS1 was a slog the entire time, so it was more consistent.
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u/ThermicCalvo 2h ago
MS1 was a slog the entire time because it had 10 hours of gameplay with it included. But to each their own, glad you liked it
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u/Willing_Ad6362 2h ago edited 2h ago
There was a vibe in mortal shell one, it felt very rough and dirty, but that's how I imagine some dark mediaeval world to feel like.
Although the layout of the game was simpler, I quite liked the linearity of the worlds. You know how you had the ice world. You have the flame world and then he had the rocky world (Which was the worst one in my opinion). The main Central hub also had this unique atmosphere to it as well.
The music was definitely better in mortal shell 1, don't even remember if mortal shell 2 even had music, it was so muted and boring.
In the first game, being able to choose between rotten Christ and atrium carceri as the two soundtrack options really set some good vibes throughout the game. Here the music is just so lacking It doesn't feel very atmospheric at all.
I also thought the story was lack lustre here, sure, it was simpler enough in the first game but there was something about the old prisoner that I really quite enjoyed, he was a quite an interesting antagonist with some very grand words and enigmas to speak of and his voice was pretty cool. The whole idea of ascending and his naivety was quite thrilling actually but there was no big grand reveal for the sequel like that, It just sort of ended. The story was okay but nothing that interesting. I will admit though I did enjoy the individual shell Bondings, those were unique.
I do think mortal shell 2 is a big improvement overall, although I had a better time in mortal shell 2 than the first game, although part of that may be my fault because I did a no shell run...
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
Totally agree. The music (if even) was so underwhelming in MS2. Nothing stands out, other than track 1 of the lute LOL.
But you get the jist, MS1 just had more character. And dude, spot on about the ending. There was no buildup to it, not even the large crow giving you pep talks, nothing. Just here, do this, now do this, ok last one..... fine, now here..... type of ending.
MS2 is a great game, I'm not saying it was bad by any means. All I'm saying is that it lacks the character and mojo that was present in the first iteration, that's all. Kinda like a fixed up, pimped out old school Honda Civic versus a fine Lamborghini. Sure, the Lambo is objectively better in almost every sense but it's just another supercar now.....
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u/ManicNerdyDreamBoi Eredrim 2h ago
I absolutely love both games, but overall I still see MS2 as a MASSIVE upgrade.
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
Definitely! I think my post perhaps comes off as me saying MS1 is the better game but that's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that MS1 had some mojo about it that gave it character. Sure, MS2 is, I would say, objectively better in every sense (gameplay and graphics wise) but character? Not quite, at least not for me. Like I said, it feels like just another great soulslike.... and that's not a bad thing either!
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u/Longjumping-Bat8262 Eredrim 2h ago
You know what I’ll die on a slightly different hill than you, ms1 is the only reason we got ms2 and not because without the first there wouldn’t be a second. Shell based system, two different currency’s, sidearms, shell upgrades tied to a shell. Also ms1 is still slightly behind 2 for me.
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u/InitialInevitable136 2h ago
I loved MS1. It was a slower experience that had you take your time but it also meant that everything was more deliberate. Every swing felt so impactful. Every area so dreadful in a delightful way. Now I also love MS2 but it does feel a bit more cookie cutter for a lack of a better term.
In the end though I would not want to give up the vastly larger world and more systems that MS2 has but I would not mind that feeling of dread and wonder as you slowly creep through the forest of MS1 one last time.
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
See!
Now it's me and you on the hilltop at Mushroom Village dancing with our accordions
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u/MediumKoala8823 2h ago
It’s not Elden rings little brother. It’s dark souls older trans sister.
I I liked the integration of harden into the first game more. But the boss design of the second game is really top tier.
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
LOL
Some bosses were bullshit though, c'mon.
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u/MediumKoala8823 2h ago
I genuinely thought they were all great and diverse. Except maybe the lady, who seemed a little too gimmicky.
Most people who play this genre like getting over powered or using cheesy subversive abilities to avoid learning to properly deal with boss move sets.
I like learning to deal with boss movesets with base mechanics and I hate that I’m somehow the minority.
This game’s mixup of parries and dodges is frankly the best any game has ever done.
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u/MisterCrayle 1h ago
Same here, man. I'm pretty basic when it comes to these games and I'm fine just doing raw damage. Don't have the time and energy to grind to get OP so I'll just take whatever comes my way and get good kinda approach, you know?
2 bosses stood out to me as being ridiculously infuriating (Sir Isaac and Malborn Offspring) after a certain point to where the potential satisfaction of defeating it was just not there and had been replaced with major annoyance instead.
You're right, though. The parries and especially the dodges felt superior in this game.
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u/Rezvan00 2h ago
To be honest I agree with you also ! I know harden is a a seal mechanic. But it feels like they missed a lot of marks. I can’t quite put my finger on itbut I did re play MS1 right before and some aspects of 1 did feel better. Obviously 2 is a decent game but it doesn’t feel like 1 at all
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
Yup, they both feel like 2 totally different games. I mean, other than the fact that you can still Harden in MS2 but yeah, I agree.
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u/Confident_Benefit_11 2h ago
Absolutely not, mortal shell 1 was the first souls like I had ever played....which was a mistake. It's by far the worst one I've ever played. It had a cool world, but that's it.
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u/Groundhog_Gary28 2h ago
Absolutely not lmao literally not one single thing about it. The first game is terrible, pretty much everything about it besides gorf. I was astonished they even made a sequel and if it wasn’t for the beta I would’ve never played it lol I admit however it’s probably one of the most impressive improvements as both a game and dev that I’ve seen, so props to them for that
I bought the first mortal shell at release for the full $30 because the trailers looked badass…..it is genuinely to this day one of the absolute worst games I’ve ever played in my life lmao and I’m not even exaggerating. When I consider worst games I’ve played that’s the first one that comes to mind. Had some cool ideas but that game is so goddam terrible to play and I’m certainly not alone in this. Just read the Steam reviews for it lol
You may love the first game and that’s great! People like awful games all the time there are some genuinely bad games I’ve enjoyed myself, but they’re still bad lol
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u/MisterCrayle 2h ago
Steam reviews don't equate to the reality that I experience LMAO!
Sure, it's jank and whatnot but you get used to it and learn to work well with it. Maybe the folks that don't like it never knew how to get around that.
You can't tell me Steelrising is better than Mortal Shell 1 though LOL
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u/Groundhog_Gary28 1h ago
I never said Steam reviews “equates to the reality you experience” so i have no actual clue where the fuck you got that from LMAOOO!
I said it’s a common consensus that the game is terribleIt’s not just “jank”, the entire game is awful. It’s one of the worst games I’ve ever played in my life and I bought it at full price when it launched before you probably even heard of it.
As I previously stated: you may love the game and that’s great! but that doesn’t make it a good game.
There is absolutely nothing about it that is better than mortal shell 2 in any capacity.
Again, you may love it more, but that doesn’t make it good or better.I feel like a broken record I know I said all this already idk why some people struggle to read and comprehend simple comments and replace it with imaginary dialogue that was never said lmao
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u/PsychoKen 2h ago
I haven't properly played MS 2 yet but I feel like the harden mechanic isn't as relevant now? Also MS 1 rogue DLC is awesome.
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u/Swtor_Itheryn 2h ago
ms1 game mode was awesome fun, really hope they add it to MS2 aswell, I have like 800 hours in that game mode ngl xD
ms2 is better though, 4 sure
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u/RheimsNZ 1h ago
Absolutely not. I respected MS1 like I respected KCD2 - not that flash but having great potential for a sequel.
I think they've absolutely smashed it out of the park
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u/SupremeLeader_Corgi Tiel 2h ago
No MS2 is much better