Info about Mortal Shell II:

Official game description:
PRE-ORDER BONUS
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About the Game
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Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel to Mortal Shell that significantly expands on the original with unrestricted, adrenaline-charged combat, extensive weapon upgrades, and free exploration.  
The forgotten Shells of eight lost warriors are scattered throughout Mortal Shell II’s ravaged world. Seek and possess these Shells, unleash their innate abilities, and discover the story of each by unravelling their secrets.
Mortal Shell II offers a clean, agile and grounded combat system, with options to think strategically about upgrading melee and ranged weapons.  
Unrestricted by stamina, players exploit multiple tactics to shatter enemy posture and strike critically.
Mortal Shell II’s open world is compact, tightly interconnected and immersive. It is designed with respect for the player's time.  
Those who wander from the golden path can discover new Shells, weaponry, upgrades, curiosities and more.

Release date: Aug 20, 2026

Categories: Soulslike Combat, Action RPG, Open-World Exploration, Character Progression, Weapon Customization, Parry and dodge combat mechanics, Shell system with classes, Survival horror night mode

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: All filtered user reviews indicate that the game works perfectly on Proton, with smooth performance, no crashes, and no required tweaks. The positive consensus across multiple users places Linux/Proton compatibility in the lowest friction bracket.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Playable with Workarounds; summary: The Steam Deck experience is affected by an achievement bug that prematurely awards all collectible achievements, and technical barriers such as hidden advanced settings requiring a launch option workaround and a resolution lock to 2K. One user reports smooth performance under Proton, but the overall experience requires tinkering and has a notable platform-specific bug.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game performs well on most VRAM tiers, especially 8-11GB and below, but the 16GB+ cohort experiences widespread crashes and stuttering. The 12-15GB tier is mostly positive with some isolated issues.
  - Sample size: 331 (34% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (positive, 151 reports): Most users report smooth high-settings performance, though some encounter crashes and audio bugs.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 79 reports): Reports indicate great optimization, high frame rates, and smooth gameplay across settings.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (negative, 48 reports): Frequent crashes and stuttering dominate even on high-end hardware, significantly impacting playability.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (positive, 48 reports): Performance is generally solid with most users having smooth experiences, though some report freezes or crashes.
  - Caveats: 331 of 985 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $30.00 - $45.00
  - Reasoning: The majority of reviews express that the game is worth its current price, with one noting it has a lower price point than typical AAA titles, making it accessible. However, a dissenting review claims it is not worth the asking price, indicating a minority perceive the price as too high. Balancing these views, the community considers a fair base-game price between $30 and $45, capturing both the value perceived by most and the threshold where some find it overpriced.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 40.0h
  - Story completion: 40.0h
  - Session length: 8.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The 40-hour playtime reported by a player who completed the game on standard difficulty provides a strong estimate for game and story completion. The 8-hour session described as lost track of time indicates a typical session length. The 4-hour replay of demo content further supports session durations. No specific endgame hours are given; the mention of new game plus lacks a time estimate, so that metric is left null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Mortal Shell starts with a challenging and punishing opening that can frustrate players, but after about 20 minutes of leveling up and acquiring initial shells, the combat becomes more manageable and the game's rewarding loop emerges.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Gaining first few levels and finding initial shells
  - Time to anchor: 0h 20m
  - Friction: high early difficulty with enemies that one- or two-shot the player; obscure progression with no clear main quest or goal; camera issues in tight corridors; random gank fights and traps that cause frustration
  - Unlock drivers: gaining first few character levels; finding initial shells and weapons; learning enemy attack patterns; improving player skills and confidence
  - Conditions: player must endure first ~20 minutes of high early difficulty; player must be patient with obscure progression and limited guidance; player must adapt to camera and trap-related frustrations; player must find initial shells to unlock combat options and reduce difficulty
- Player Archetypes:
  - Shell Build Artisan (buy)
    - Motivation: Deep character customization and build experimentation through shells and tarstones.
    - Playstyle: Methodically tinkering with shell abilities, stats, and tarstone upgrades to optimize playstyle.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Soulslike Connoisseur (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a high-quality soulslike experience that matches FromSoftware standards.
    - Playstyle: Analytical combat, demanding precise controls and challenging encounters similar to FromSoft games.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: veteran
    - Reference games: Sekiro; Dark Souls 3; Elden Ring; Lords of the Fallen
  - Technical Stability Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: A stable, bug-free gameplay experience without crashes or progress-halting bugs.
    - Playstyle: Cautious purchasing; waiting for patches before playing.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Accessibility Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: An accessible entry point into the soulslike genre with reduced grind and learning curve.
    - Playstyle: Exploratory learning, focusing on progression without excessive punishment.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Mortal Shell 1


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Combat is satisfying and weighty (weight 0.51): The combat system receives widespread acclaim for its heavy, impactful feel and satisfying feedback. Multiple clusters emphasize the combat's fluidity, responsiveness, and depth, making it a central pillar of the game's appeal.
- Massive improvement over predecessor (weight 0.5): Players consistently praise the game as a major step up from the first Mortal Shell, highlighting vast improvements in combat, environment, and overall polish. This sentiment appears frequently across multiple clusters, indicating strong approval of the game's evolution.
- Graphics and visuals are stunning (weight 0.31): Reviewers consistently praise the game's high-quality graphics, beautiful art direction, and striking visual presentation. The game is often described as gorgeous, with top-tier visuals that enhance the overall experience.
- Top-tier souls-like entry (weight 0.26): The game is considered one of the best souls-likes outside FromSoftware, often cited as a standout in the genre. Its balanced difficulty, refined mechanics, and engaging combat set it apart from other titles.
- Overall game is fantastic (weight 0.25): The game is frequently described as amazing, incredible, and a masterpiece, indicating high overall satisfaction. Reviewers express strong enthusiasm and recommend it to others.
- Excellent performance and optimization (weight 0.25): Players report smooth gameplay with high frame rates, no crashes, and low stuttering. The game is well‑optimized, running flawlessly even on high settings, which contributes to a polished and enjoyable experience.
- Gameplay is highly engaging (weight 0.21): Players find the core gameplay deeply fun and rewarding, describing it as visceral, responsive, and polished. The combat, exploration, and overall mechanics keep players hooked.
- Combat is best of its kind (weight 0.1): Some players claim the combat is among the best seen in any game, praising its high quality and top-notch execution. The combat's excellence is a major draw for the game.
- Music and atmosphere praised (weight 0.09): The soundtrack and overall atmosphere are well‑received, enhancing immersion and complementing the game's visuals. Beautiful music and strong art direction contribute to a memorable experience.
- Unique and fresh soulslike (weight 0.09): The game brings a fresh take to the soulslike genre, offering distinctive gameplay elements that set it apart from other titles. Reviewers appreciate its originality and innovative approach.

Common complaints:
- Difficulty too high overall (weight 0.13): The game is widely considered very difficult, especially when relying only on parrying. Enemies deal heavy damage and night mode introduces one-hit kills, pushing challenge beyond a fair threshold.
- Enemy density and placement frustrating (weight 0.11): Players report excessive numbers of enemies stacked tightly together, often hidden in dark corners near doorways. This makes encounters unfair and contributes to a frustrating combat experience.
- Boss design is unsatisfying (weight 0.11): Bosses are consistently described as annoying, poorly designed, and not fun to fight. Defeating them feels unrewarding, and specific bosses like 'the lost child' suffer from bugs.
- Significant bugs on release (weight 0.11): Players report many bugs present from day one, ranging from minor glitches to crash-inducing issues. While some are tolerable, the sheer quantity detracts from enjoyment and feels unpolished.
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.1): Multiple reports describe random crashes, crashes after a few minutes of play, and crashes looping after death. The instability is severe enough to ruin the experience for many players.
- Crashes reset player settings (weight 0.08): After crashes, the game resets all settings to zero curves, including language and accessibility options, forcing full reconfiguration. Shader recompilation following a crash adds further inconvenience.
- Combat feels clunky or floaty (weight 0.08): Melee combat is described as either floaty and unresponsive or clunky and awkward. Players find the core combat mechanics lacking in weight and polish, reducing satisfaction.
- Game feels unpolished and unfinished (weight 0.08): Many players believe the current state is less polished than the beta and not ready for release. General polish is lacking, with the game needing significant refinement across multiple systems.
- Checkpoint spacing too large (weight 0.07): Bonfires or beacons are placed too far apart, causing players to lose significant progress when they die. This creates unnecessary backtracking and frustration between safe zones.
- Combat camera issues persist (weight 0.07): The camera frequently gets lost or becomes chaotic during combat, especially when objects are behind the character. This obscures the player and enemies, harming visibility and control.
- Elevator glitches cause deaths (weight 0.05): Elevators have bugs where players clip through walls and fall infinitely, or the elevator gets stuck in the ground and teleports upward, killing them. These glitches lead to unfair deaths and lost progress.
- Bear traps remain annoying (weight 0.04): Bear traps are still placed everywhere and can be highly irritating, often feeling like cheap damage rather than a fair environmental hazard. They compound already high enemy density issues.
- Achievement bugs on Steam Deck (weight 0.04): On Steam Deck, achievements may unlock prematurely all at once, including collectible achievements, which undermines the intended progression and reward structure for players.
- Weak story and unclear objectives (weight 0.04): The story is considered weak, with no main quest line and only a vague goal of collecting eggs. This leaves players without a strong narrative drive or clear direction.
- Sound bug forces game restart (weight 0.04): A specific sound bug triggers a waterfall-like noise that doesn't stop, forcing players to restart the game. This can interrupt play sessions and was reported by multiple users.
- Map design and exploration poor (weight 0.04): The map design is somewhat lacking and exploration is not satisfying. Poor level layout reduces the joy of discovering new areas and hinders navigation.
- Limited weapon variety and moveset (weight 0.04): There is only one weapon per type, limiting moveset variety and build diversity. This restriction reduces player choice and long-term engagement with combat.
- Progression system has shortcomings (weight 0.04): The progression system is criticized for its flaws, with a generally bad experience for players. This can include unclear upgrade paths or feels unfulfilling, detracting from character growth.
- Freezes cause loss of souls (weight 0.04): The game has frozen at checkpoints in the prologue. These freezes can cause players to lose accumulated souls or experience, which is particularly punishing early on.

Gameplay feedback:
- Parry and dodge combat mechanics (weight 0.26): The game heavily emphasizes parrying and dodging as core combat actions, with multiple types of parries and a perfect block/parry mechanic that operates on a cooldown. This is the most frequently mentioned feature across feedback clusters.
- Souls-like gameplay genre (weight 0.24): Reviewers consistently identify the game as a Souls-like or Soulsborne-style title, noting its dark fantasy theme, weighty combat, and familiar mechanics such as bonfires and challenging difficulty. This genre classification shapes player expectations and comparisons.
- Satisfying tactile combat system (weight 0.21): Combat is described as fluid, smooth, visceral, and weighty, with impactful hits and responsive controls. The fighting includes parries, counterattacks, block mechanics, and dismemberment/gore for a satisfying and tactile experience.
- Shell system with classes (weight 0.16): A unique Shell mechanic serves as a class system, offering eight distinct shells (like Harros, Tiel, Solomon, Eredrim), each with different stats, strengths, weaknesses, and skill trees. This provides build diversity and varied playstyles.
- Open world with exploration (weight 0.15): The game presents an open world that allows unrestricted traversal and exploration, featuring expansive interconnected areas and over 60 dungeons. This encourages player freedom in choosing the order of locations and rewards thorough exploration.
- No stamina bar system (weight 0.14): The game notably lacks a stamina bar, providing unlimited dodges, sprints, and combat actions, which affords players greater freedom in offensive and defensive moves. This differentiates it from typical Souls-like stamina management.
- Bonfire checkpoints and fast travel (weight 0.13): The game features bonfires as checkpoint and respawn points, similar to the Souls series. Fast travel via bonfires becomes available after defeating the first main boss, which gates early exploration and progression.
- Adjustable difficulty options (weight 0.13): Players can adjust difficulty through optional modes that either reduce or increase challenge, including a night mode that heightens difficulty and transforms the game into a survival horror segment. This flexible difficulty accommodates different player skill levels.
- Challenging difficulty level (weight 0.11): The game is described as hard, punishing, and difficult, but some reviewers note that it has balanced or reasonable difficulty. It offers optional difficulty reduction modes, suggesting a challenging yet fair experience.
- Dense enemy encounters and variety (weight 0.1): The game features dense enemy encounters with a variety of foes, including ranged attackers and enemies that attack in groups. There are also deadly grab attacks that can one-shot the player, adding tension and requiring careful combat positioning.
- Dark immersive atmosphere (weight 0.1): The game features a dark fantasy setting with an immersive, atmospheric world. Reviewers praise the artistic vision and particular atmosphere that draws players into the game's bleak and moody environment.
- Survival horror night mode (weight 0.08): Activating night mode increases difficulty and shifts the game into a survival horror style segment, changing combat and exploration dynamics. This optional mode provides a distinct challenge for experienced players.
- Finishers and dismemberment (weight 0.07): Combat includes finisher animations and limb dismemberment, adding visceral and brutal feedback to kills. This gore element enhances the combat's tactile feel and reinforces the dark fantasy theme.
- Boss fights with double boss (weight 0.06): The game includes boss fights, notably featuring a double boss encounter that adds complexity and difficulty. These battles are a core part of the gameplay experienceressing progression and testing player mastery.
- Traps and environmental hazards (weight 0.06): The game incorporates traps, such as bear traps and other hazards, particularly in tomb locations. These environmental dangers require attention and caution while exploring, adding a layer of challenge beyond combat.
- Weapon upgrade system (weight 0.04): The game features a weapon upgrade system that allows players to enhance their armaments, contributing to build diversity and power progression. Upgrades are a key part of character growth.
- Action RPG with survival elements (weight 0.04): The game is an action RPG that incorporates survival elements, blending traditional role-playing mechanics with resource-management and survival challenges. This genre blend adds depth beyond standard combat.
- Save and death reload mechanic (weight 0.04): The game features a save/reload mechanic that operates on death, meaning dying triggers a reload rather than a continuous world state. This affects progression and how players approach risky situations.
- Achievement disabling item (weight 0.04): An item called Slayer Seal can be used to disable achievements, likely as a trade-off for some gameplay benefit. This is a unique mechanic that some players may find noteworthy or avoid.
- Sequel to Mortal Shell (weight 0.04): The game is identified as a sequel or follow-up to Mortal Shell, which sets expectations based on the previous title's mechanics and universe. This context influences player familiarity and interest.

Performance notes:
- Excellent smooth performance (weight 0.3): Many players report the game runs smoothly with high frame rates across various settings. With comparable hardware, users experience fluid gameplay without noticeable issues.
- Good optimization praised (weight 0.21): Players consistently praise the game's optimization, often noting no performance problems. The feedback indicates the game runs well on a variety of hardware configurations.
- High FPS at high settings (weight 0.17): Players with modern GPUs achieve high frame rates (80-160 FPS) at 1440p or 4K with ultra settings and ray tracing. Frame generation further boosts FPS but can introduce input lag.
- Frequent crashes disrupt experience (weight 0.16): Players frequently encounter crashes, sometimes every few minutes and multiple times per hour. These crashes occur on high-spec systems and significantly harm the gameplay experience.
- Stuttering and freezing issues (weight 0.09): Some players report occasional or frequent stuttering and freezing during gameplay. These performance hitches can interrupt the experience, though they are not as prevalent as crashes.
- Crashes after death events (weight 0.09): Multiple players experience crashes specifically during or after death events, sometimes requiring a forced restart. This appears to be a recurring bug tied to the death mechanic.
- Hardlock during prologue boss (weight 0.04): Some players experience a hardlock during the prologue final boss fight, where the game freezes and continues running in the background. This requires a forced termination.
- Steam Deck performance acceptable (weight 0.04): On Steam Deck, the game runs around 40-60 FPS on medium-high settings. Players find the performance acceptable, though lower settings improve frame rate.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for soulslike fans (weight 0.23): Multiple reviews strongly recommend the game to fans of soulslike games, describing it as a must-play and essential for the genre's enthusiasts.
- Overall strong recommendation (weight 0.18): Several reviews give an absolute and enthusiastic recommendation, urging players to buy and play the game without hesitation.
- Worth full price (weight 0.17): Reviewers affirm the game is worth its price tag, with some specifically recommending purchase at full price, citing good value for money.
- Negative or conditional recommendations (weight 0.11): Several reviews advise against buying the game at this time or not recommend it due to various issues, including one that rates it below Dark Souls.
- Fans of similar games recommended (weight 0.11): The game is recommended to fans of dark fantasy RPGs, Elden Ring, Sekiro, and Lords of the Fallen, noting its thematic and gameplay similarities.
- General recommendation issued (weight 0.09): A few reviewers give a straightforward positive recommendation without specific conditions or caveats.
- Wait for sale or fixes (weight 0.08): Some reviewers suggest waiting for a discount or for future updates to address issues before purchasing.
- Good entry point to genre (weight 0.07): The game is seen as accessible and a good starting point for newcomers to soulslike games, easing them into the genre's mechanics.
- Combat mechanics praised (weight 0.06): Reviewers highlight the weighty combat and parry mechanics, appealing to players who enjoy these specific gameplay elements.
- Fans of previous games should buy (weight 0.06): Those who enjoyed earlier titles like Mortal Shell or similar games are strongly encouraged to purchase this one.
- Not for beginners or unskilled (weight 0.06): Reviews warn that the game is not recommended for players lacking skill in action games or those new to the genre, given its difficulty.
- Try demo before purchase (weight 0.06): Some advise trying the free demo first to determine if the game suits your preferences before making a purchase decision.
- Bugs block recommendation (weight 0.06): Issues such as control remapping bugs and missing beacons lead reviewers to not recommend the game in its current state.
- Curated recommendations for specific players (weight 0.05): Some reviews give recommendations tailored to specific preferences such as grinding combat moves, preferring quality over scale, and enjoying challenging action RPGs without huge time investment.
- Good for ARPG fans (weight 0.04): The game is also recommended to fans of action RPGs due to its genre-blending elements.
- Positive on atmosphere and humor (weight 0.04): Reviewers appreciate the game's atmosphere and its self-deprecating humor, recommending it to those who value these aspects.
- Mixed but positive with caveats (weight 0.04): A few reviews recommend the game with reservations, noting it is not highly recommended despite being good, or pointing out minor issues.
- Specific class and shell recommendations (weight 0.03): A couple of reviews recommend the rogue class for story progression and a particular shell for Warframe players with specific preferences.
- Support small developer team (weight 0.02): A reviewer encourages supporting the small development team by purchasing the game, emphasizing the indie nature.
- Game may be too easy for veterans (weight 0.02): One reviewer notes the game may be too easy for veterans of the genre, potentially reducing long-term challenge.

Other player notes:
- Big improvement over predecessor (weight 0.54): Reviewers consistently note this sequel is a massive improvement over the first Mortal Shell, with better polish, tuning, and overall quality. Many call it a huge evolution and a major step forward for the series.
- Sequel to Mortal Shell (weight 0.25): The game is widely recognized as a sequel to Mortal Shell, with reviewers referencing the original to frame their expectations. It is seen as a worthy follow-up by the same development team.
- Top-tier soulslike outside FromSoft (weight 0.2): Critics place the game among the best soulslike titles, often ranking it above competitors like Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen. It is considered a genuine contender even when compared to FromSoftware's own games.
- Beta version played (weight 0.16): Several players experienced the game through its beta phase, which was well-received. Participating in the beta could unlock rewards for the full game.
- Playable demo available (weight 0.12): A demo version of the game exists entry, allowing players to try it before purchasing. Some reviewers felt the demo was actually better than the full release.
- Comparable to Elden Ring (weight 0.1): Reviewers evoke feelings similar to playing Elden Ring for the first time, with some even preferring this game. It is described as a fresh take that captures the same sense of discovery and challenge.
- Developer growth recognized (weight 0.08): Reviewers acknowledge significant growth from the development team since the first Mortal Shell. The sequel shows they learned from past mistakes and applied that knowledge effectively.
- Early access and editions (weight 0.08): Players could access the game early through Deluxe or Devout editions, adding to pre-release engagement. An early access version was also available for purchase.
- Accessible compared to Dark Souls (weight 0.07): The game is compared to Dark Souls, with many noting it is more forgiving, accessible, and faster-paced. This makes it appealing to players who find typical soulslike titles too challenging or unforgiving.
- Excellent value for price (weight 0.07): At a lower price point than typical games of its length, the game is considered well worth the money. Reviewers find it to be a very good value for what it offers.
- Polished and finished release (weight 0.04): The developers delivered a complete, polished experience at launch, a notable strength for a soulslike. Many appreciated the game being finished and refined from the start.
- Sekiro-inspired risk gameplay (weight 0.04): Comparisons to Sekiro highlight the game's risky, action-oriented combat mechanics. This sets it apart within the soulslike genre, offering a distinct flavor similar to character-action titles.
- Atmospheric like Lords of the Fallen (weight 0.03): The game's atmosphere is favorably compared to Lords of the Fallen, with reviewers placing it above that title in quality. This contributes to its overall positive reception.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.17): Players are frustrated by frequent crashes, bugs, and performance issues that cause loss of souls and progress. The high difficulty, unfair enemy placement, and lack of checkpoints make combat feel punishing rather than rewarding.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Players are satisfied with the game's combat, performance, and overall polish, noting smooth framerates, satisfying hit feedback, and improvements over the first game. The atmosphere, visuals, and boss fights are frequently praised.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Excitement stems from the game's dynamic combat, atmospheric world, and engaging exploration. The removal of a stamina bar and the abundance of secrets and builds keep players hooked, with many noting it as a top-tier soulslike.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the gameplay, world design, and combat mechanics, often getting absorbed for hours. The improved performance and satisfying controls enhance the overall experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.07): Admiration is directed at the game's production quality, atmosphere, and technical execution, with many considering it among the best non-FromSoftware soulslikes. The game's improvement over its predecessor and strong art direction are highlights.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment arises from the game not living up to the demo or initial expectations, with issues like combat floatiness, clunky animations, and lack of fast travel. Some players feel the full release lacks the flow and charm of the beta.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance is caused by minor but persistent issues such as camera problems, sound bugs, and missing rewards. Exploration is also hampered by dense enemy placement and limited checkpoints.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger is triggered by unfair and unbalanced game design, including enemy swarms, one-shot attacks, and frustrating boss fights. Crashes and bugs that lead to progress loss also incite anger.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement comes from the game's quirky and humorous elements, such as bizarre NPCs, funny enemy behaviors, and comical deaths caused by glitches. These lighthearted moments provide entertainment despite the game's dark tone.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is expressed for the game's atmosphere, combat, and overall quality, with many finding it a spiritual successor to FromSoftware titles. The dark aesthetic and mechanics resonate with players.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Impression is based on the game's excellent optimization, smooth performance on high-end settings, and responsiveness. The significant improvements over the first game are also praised.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is fueled by the game's early promise)Skip of strong gameplay, art, and story, leading players to expect a memorable experience. Many are eager to continue and see how the game evolves.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Frustration is exacerbated by random crashes, unfair boss mechanics, and camera issues during combat. The parry system and body shell mechanics also feel unbalanced, making combat punishing.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation is shown for the developers' efforts in improving the game, fixing performance, and delivering a polished experience. Players also value the game's regional pricing and its fresh take on the soulslike genre.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Amazement is expressed at the game's brutal gore, impressive improvement over its predecessor, and high overall quality. The visual and mechanical polish leaves a strong impression.
- Satisfied (weight 0.01): Satisfaction is derived from the game's smooth performance, responsive combat, and faithful fulfillment of expectations. The improvements over the first game are well received.
- Delight (weight 0.01): Delight is brought by the game's unique and whimsical features, such as toad romance, petting dogs, and absurd combat scenarios. These joyful moments add a layer of charm to the experience.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness results from the fun combat, engaging bosses, and rewarding exploration. Players find the game a breath of fresh air, with satisfying visuals and gameplay.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy stems from the stunning art direction, zero technical issues, and the studio's clear improvements. The consistent enjoyment of exploration and combat throughout the playthrough contributes to a positive experience.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Approval is granted for the game's dark world, solid performance, and effective fixes to issues from the first game. It is seen as a worthy successor and a top non-FromSoftware soulslike.}