Mortal Shell 2’s closed beta started strong and the early impressions are exactly what fans wanted, but a beta key isn’t a release date. If you read the previews and felt the pull of the shell-swapping, parry-and-harden combat, you’ll be waiting months. These seven Mortal Shell 2 alternatives on PC give you the same brittle-combat puzzle right now.
The picks cover the spectrum: the original Mortal Shell for the closest tone, the most punishing parry game ever made, the genre’s open-world peak, and the best post-Bloodborne fast-action entry. Each is on Steam, runs on current PC hardware, and supports a controller.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortal Shell | Closest tonal match to Mortal Shell 2 | None | About $25, often $5 on sale | The Harden mechanic, shell-swapping |
| Elden Ring | Open world, total freedom | None | About $60 base | Genre-defining scope and stance-based combat |
| Lies of P | Parry-heavy, gothic puppet setting | None | About $50 | Legion arm weapon system |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Pure parry combat | None | About $60, frequent 50% off | Deflection-only sword duels |
| Nioh 2 | Action loot-driven soulslike | None | About $50 | Yokai Shift and stance switching |
| Lords of the Fallen (2023) | Dual-world exploration | None | About $50 | Umbral Lamp realm-shift |
| Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty | Faster, deflection-driven | None | About $60, often discounted | Spirit gauge for offensive parries |
Why people want Mortal Shell 2 alternatives now
Beta access is the bottleneck
The Mortal Shell 2 closed beta has a small footprint and is not open to everyone. Most players who read the previews don’t have a way to actually try it. The release window keeps shifting and the marketing emphasizes “soon,” which means months of waiting for most of us.
The shell system is the hook nobody else copies
Mortal Shell 1 had a deeply specific selling point: four shells, each a full character build, swappable between attempts. Cold Symmetry’s design philosophy is closer to a roguelike of bodies than a single hero’s journey. No other soulslike does this, so the wait stings.
Harden is a defensive verb we don't see elsewhere
Petrifying mid-swing to brick a hit and counter is unique to Mortal Shell. Every other soulslike is parry, dodge, or block. People who connected with Harden in 2020 don’t find that verb in Elden Ring or Lies of P. The closest substitute is the original Mortal Shell, which is on this list.
Cold Symmetry takes its time
Mortal Shell shipped in 2020 and the studio has spent six years on the sequel. Players who burned through Lies of P and Elden Ring DLC are out of soulslikes to chew on while they wait. The list below is what to play in the meantime.
The alternatives
Mortal Shell, the closest tonal match
Mortal Shell is the obvious starting point if you haven’t already finished it. The same studio, the same shell-swap mechanic, the same Harden defensive verb. Two characters from the original return in the sequel based on the beta footage, and the worldbuilding bridges directly.
The base game runs about ten hours, with the Virtuous Cycle DLC adding a roguelike mode that takes maybe another five. It’s been on every storefront sale rotation since 2022, often dropping to $5. If you skipped it the first time, this is the cheapest way to get the tone.
Where it falls short: The shells feel half-finished by sequel standards. Hadern and Solomon have personality, but the other two are thin. Performance was rocky at launch and the Unreal Engine 4 build still stutters on some configurations.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $25 base, $35 with the Virtuous Cycle DLC
- vs Mortal Shell 2: It’s the cheapest way to scratch the exact same itch
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: No migration path, but the lore overlaps. Two NPCs from the sequel beta have direct counterparts here.
Download: Mortal Shell on Steam
Bottom line: If you haven’t played the first game, do this before the sequel ships. The same combat language, half the wait.
Elden Ring, genre-defining scope
Elden Ring is the soulslike people keep coming back to. FromSoftware took the corridor-shaped Dark Souls formula and exploded it into an open world the size of a real region, with dozens of bosses you can sequence in any order. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion added another 25-plus hours and some of the toughest fights in the series.
If you bounced off Elden Ring in 2022 because it felt too big, the 1.10 patch and Shadow of the Erdtree changed the early game pacing meaningfully. The horseback mobility makes traversal painless and stance attacks reward the same patience Mortal Shell teaches.
Where it falls short: The open world makes pacing your own responsibility. Some players never adjust to that. Boss difficulty in Shadow of the Erdtree spikes hard and the optimization on certain GPUs (especially older AMD cards) is still poor.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $60 base, $40 for Shadow of the Erdtree
- vs Mortal Shell 2: A hundred hours where the sequel will offer maybe fifteen
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: Different combat language entirely (stance-and-stagger, not Harden), but the same patience pays off.
Download: Elden Ring on Steam
Bottom line: Get this if you want the genre’s biggest game and don’t mind a longer onboarding.
Lies of P, parry-heavy and gothic
Lies of P is the 2023 entry that surprised everyone. A Pinocchio retelling in a Belle Époque city overrun by puppet violence, with combat built around deflection and a Legion Arm weapon system that swaps mid-fight. The game-of-the-year buzz was real.
The Legion Arm replaces the typical off-hand parry shield. You build it across the game with parts from defeated bosses, and the variety covers everything from a flamethrower to a grappling hook. The dual-weapon-handle system also lets you mix and match blades and hilts for unique movesets.
Where it falls short: The early-game parry timing is brutal and the tutorial doesn’t communicate it well. Many players bounce before they reach the second area. Performance on Steam Deck is acceptable but not great.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $50 base, $25 for the Overture DLC
- vs Mortal Shell 2: Closer to Sekiro’s parry intensity than Mortal Shell’s brittleness
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: No save transfer, but the parry-as-defence muscle memory translates directly.
Download: Lies of P on Steam
Bottom line: Pick this if you want a recent soulslike with strong production values and don’t mind a hard parry curve.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, pure parry
Sekiro is the FromSoftware entry that removed the build variety on purpose. One weapon, one defensive verb (deflection), and a posture meter that determines whether you live or die in any duel. People love it or bounce off it inside two hours.
The Genichiro duel and the Sword Saint Isshin fight are the standard reference points for “I learned how to play this game.” The reward for getting through them is the cleanest sword combat ever shipped. Mortal Shell’s Harden is a slower verb, but the patience-and-reaction loop is the same shape.
Where it falls short: No multiplayer, no co-op, no summons. If you struggle, you struggle alone. The lack of build variety means there’s no way to “level over” a wall, only to learn the timing.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $60, frequently 50% off
- vs Mortal Shell 2: The other end of the patience-and-rhythm spectrum
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: Different verb (deflect, not Harden), but the rhythm is the closest match on this list.
Download: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice on Steam
Bottom line: Buy this if you want the purest combat-skill expression in the genre, and only if you’re willing to fail for hours.
Nioh 2, action loot-driven
Nioh 2 trades the slow Mortal Shell tempo for a Diablo-style loot grind crossed with a stance-switching combat system. Three stances per weapon (high, mid, low), each with its own moveset, plus a Yokai Shift transformation that lets you fight as one of three demon archetypes.
This is the genre’s deepest combat system if you’re willing to engage with it. The downside is that the same depth becomes a barrier: the early game throws Ki Pulse timings, stance changes, Burst Counters, and Soul Cores at you all at once. People who push through to Way of the Strong love it.
Where it falls short: Mission-based structure breaks immersion compared to Mortal Shell’s continuous world. The PC port still has rare control input lag spikes on certain controllers.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $50 for the Complete Edition with all DLC
- vs Mortal Shell 2: Faster, denser, much louder
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: Different rhythm but the same precision-and-punishment loop.
Download: Nioh 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick this if you love the genre’s combat depth and want hundreds of hours.
Lords of the Fallen (2023), dual-world
Lords of the Fallen is the 2023 reboot from Hexworks. The signature feature is the Umbral Lamp: you can shift between the world of the living (Axiom) and the world of the dead (Umbral) anywhere, anytime, and the two layers overlap. Solving a stuck path often means lifting your lamp to see the Umbral version.
The level design is the highlight. Hexworks built Mournstead so that almost every corner has an Umbral-side path or shortcut, and the constant verticality keeps exploration interesting. Combat is competent but not the star.
Where it falls short: Mob density was tuned too high at launch. The 1.5 patch fixed most of it, but some areas (notably Lower Calrath) still spam enemies in a way that feels cheap. Bossfights are uneven.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $50 base, often 60% off in seasonal sales
- vs Mortal Shell 2: Bigger world, less interesting combat verbs
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: No save transfer. The Umbral Lamp gives a similar “punish-the-fearful” pressure as Mortal Shell’s brittle health.
Download: Lords of the Fallen on Steam
Bottom line: Get this for the dual-realm exploration if you don’t mind average bosses.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, deflection-driven
Wo Long is Team Ninja’s faster, lighter soulslike. Set in a Three Kingdoms-era China overrun by demons, it strips out Nioh’s stance system and replaces it with a Spirit gauge that powers both offensive and defensive parries. The result feels closer to Sekiro than Mortal Shell.
The Spirit gauge mechanic is what hooks players. Land a Martial Art and your gauge fills; take damage and it empties. This makes the fight rhythm an aggressive give-and-take rather than a defensive grind. The Three Kingdoms setting and historical figure casting give it more colour than most Soulslikes.
Where it falls short: Loot variety is thin compared to Nioh 2. The story missions repeat a few key biomes too often. Steam reviews flag mid-fight controller drift issues on some configurations.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: About $60 base, $40 for the Complete Edition with all three DLCs
- vs Mortal Shell 2: Faster, lighter, more colour
Migrating from Mortal Shell 2 beta: No save transfer. The Spirit gauge replaces Harden as the standout verb but the precision is similar.
Download: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty on Steam
Bottom line: Pick this if you want a faster soulslike with strong parry mechanics and a colourful setting.
How to choose
Pick Mortal Shell first if you skipped the 2020 original, since the sequel directly builds on its worldbuilding and combat verbs. It is the cheapest entry on this list and the only one that ports the Harden mechanic.
Pick Lies of P if you want a recent, polished soulslike with high production values and don’t mind a hard early curve. The Legion Arm system gives it a build-variety that Mortal Shell 2 likely will not match.
Pick Sekiro if you want pure combat skill expression. It is the genre’s hardest game and the closest in rhythm to what Mortal Shell 2’s previews show.
Pick Elden Ring if you want the genre’s biggest game and the most replay value. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC alone runs longer than most full games on this list.
Stay focused on the Mortal Shell 2 beta if you have access. The studio’s shell-swap is unique and no other game on this list replicates it.
FAQ
Is there a free Mortal Shell 2 alternative?
Not really. The genre is overwhelmingly paid. The closest free experience is the Elden Ring network test windows that Bandai Namco occasionally runs, and the free trial weeks on Steam for some titles. The original Mortal Shell often drops to $5 on sale, which is the practical “free-ish” option.
Which Mortal Shell 2 alternative has the most similar combat?
Sekiro is the closest in rhythm if you focus on the deflect-and-counter loop. The original Mortal Shell is the closest in tone and tempo. Lies of P is the closest in defensive-verb intensity. None of them have Harden, which remains unique to Cold Symmetry’s series.
Can I import a Mortal Shell 2 beta save into the full release?
Cold Symmetry has not said. Their public communications so far have only mentioned that beta feedback is shaping balance changes. Plan on starting fresh when the full game releases.
Is Lies of P harder than Mortal Shell 2?
Probably yes, based on the beta’s posted combat clips. The Lies of P parry window is one of the tightest in the genre. The original Mortal Shell was more forgiving than the sequel previews suggest.
Will Mortal Shell 2 come to Steam Deck?
The beta runs on Steam Deck per community reports, though with framerate dips. Cold Symmetry has not officially confirmed a Verified rating. Mortal Shell 1 is Verified, and the sequel is built on the same engine generation, so a Verified rating at launch is likely.
