Mortal Shell 2 Beginner's Guide: Best Tips for Getting Started

Mortal Shell 2 is a direct sequel to the first game with a number of new features. The stamina bar has been removed, many systems have been reworked, and the world is now open. In this guide, we will cover the main questions you may have when starting the game for the first time: how to upgrade your character, how to defeat enemies more easily, and where to look for gear.

Once you reach Marrow Keep, you will get access to something like a base, with several active characters inside. By talking to them, you can learn where new gear is located either for free or for a certain price. After that, an area will appear on the map showing where the item is hidden. It can be located either in the open world or in a nearby dungeon.

It depends on your current goals and the situation. Ideally, yes. Killing monsters can reward you with coin and Gloom, which are needed to strengthen your Shell. In addition, fighting weaker monsters helps you get used to the game's rhythm, making further progress easier.

If you have already spent many attempts on a boss and are tired of fighting through a horde of enemies every time, you can simply run past them. It will be faster, and the repeated fights will not become as tedious.

Despite the open world and the lack of enemy levels, many passages are blocked by corruption. To remove it, you need to cleanse every Beacon you find. In addition, a cleansed Beacon lets you level up your character, use fast travel, and change your Shell.

No, but there is a separate item that makes the game much easier. You can find it in Marrow Keep by heading south from the Beacon. Go past Merrick until you reach an open area. Near the cliff, there will be an altar and the Slayer Seal. The game will warn you several times that this piece of gear disables achievements.

Spend everything you find right away and upgrade whatever you are currently using. The starting sword will serve you well through the first half of the game, so there is no need to hoard resources. Besides, you can lose all your savings by dying twice in a row, which will slow your progress even more.

Resources can also be spent on locating gear, but we recommend using guides instead so you can save them for upgrades.

After cleansing a Beacon, you can use it to return to Marrow Keep at any time. Once you climb onto the keep's roof, approach the platform and launch yourself toward any Beacon you have already unlocked. Because of that, it is worth returning often and upgrading your equipment, as this will make the walkthrough noticeably easier.

Shells are versatile and suit different playstyles. There are no completely broken characters, but many of them become much stronger after you unlock additional Memories and upgrades. For example, Tiel can stealthily kill an entire group of enemies, dealing huge bonus damage while remaining invisible, while Proxima increases her damage for killing the same type of enemy, turning the path to a boss into a useful warm-up.

Your character has many slots for passive and active Tarstones, so there are plenty of build options. At the same time, each Tarstone has several upgrade levels. The more enemies you kill, the more bonuses you receive. Because of that, the most important thing is not simply finding the right Tarstone, but leveling it up so you can gain a real advantage.