Mortal Shell 2: Beginner Tips

The open world of Mortal Shell 2 can feel overwhelming at first, especially for players completely new to the concept of Shells. Enemies are brutal at early levels, and it is very easy to find yourself in situations you’re simply not equipped to handle. Once you understand the basics, get a few upgrades under your belt, and know what to look out for, the rest comes naturally.

I’ve clocked over 100 hours of playtime in Mortal Shell 2, and these are the tips and tricks I’d say new players need to know before starting their playthrough.

Keep an Eye Out for Secrets

False Walls Around Every Corner

Mortal Shell 2 is filled with secrets that are incredibly easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. The game does a fairly good job of clueing players in when a secret is nearby, but some are made to be deliberately hard to find. In general, there are five types of secrets you should always be looking out for:

• False Walls: A white arrow or dagger symbol is a clear indicator of a false wall, but it isn’t present on every one of them. Luckily, unmarked false walls have two tells: there is always a light source nearby, and there is never any furniture in front of them, blocking the way.
• Levers: If you see a large metal gate or an elevator spot, look for a lever nearby.
• Plates: If you see a wall that looks like it’s fake, but attacking it doesn’t seem to do anything, there is a pressure plate somewhere nearby. They are also used to lift certain gates.
• Bells: Look for metal bells around broken bridges and blocked paths. Once found, attack them with a sidearm to repair what was broken.
• Resolve Stalks: If you see a Resolve-giving stalk in a seemingly innocuous location, look around. There is something you need to hit with your sidearm. Maybe a bell, maybe a gong.

Farm Gold Using Proxima

The Best (and Only) Way to Farm Currency

One of the two early-game Shells the game marks for you automatically is Proxima. Don’t sleep on this Shell. When you upgrade her to Tier 3 Shell Bonding, you can unlock the “Collector” skill, which allows her to harvest “Biosamples” from enemies when using her hook skill.

What the game doesn’t tell you is that these Biosamples can be sold to Merrick in Marrow Keep for 100 Golds apiece. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, you have to understand that it is the only way to farm gold in Mortal Shell 2, and harvesting is very easy once you get into the groove of it.

Hunt Down Map Fragments

Reveal the Fog of War

At the start of a new playthrough, the entire map is covered in a fog of war, making it impossible to use the map to see which route to take. To reveal the map, you’ll need to find map fragments.

To find them, look for the “crow” icons on the map, which are visible through the fog of war. These show the locations of all map fragments in the game. In the early game, finding these map fragments should be your first priority.

Upgrade Weapons & Sidearms Without Worrying About Cost

Upgrades Can Be Refunded

Spending Gold, Ventrium, Laterite, and Dorsalite to upgrade your weapons and sidearms seems like a major commitment when you first come across the Tarforge in Mortal Shell 2. You may find yourself thinking that you should save up these materials for weapons you’re really sure you want to use. That is not the case.

All weapon and sidearm upgrades can be refunded after you find the “Foundry Stone” item in the Outskirts of Mammon, and the only cost for refunding the upgrade will be Gloom. Therefore, don’t be hesitant about upgrading new weapons. Gloom is easy to come by the more you progress, and the more the weapon you’re using is upgraded, the easier that progress will be.

Mark Dungeons Complete

So You Know What You’ve Explored

Mortal Shell 2 lets you set dungeons in the game world as “Complete” by marking them on the map. The dungeon icon lights up, indicating that you’re “done” with that place.

Don’t forget to use this function every time you fully explore the dungeon. There is no worse feeling than venturing out to a seemingly new dungeon only to find out that you’re already done with it.

Siphon Ova to Unlock Fast Travel

6-7 Ova Needed

After you collect 6-7 Ova, use the Gloom Siphon in the Ova Nursery room in the Marrow Keep to unlock the Mether’s Breath item. This item unlocks the ability to fast travel between any beacon you’ve “revitalized,” removing the need to come back to the Marrow Keep and use the elevator every time you need to go somewhere. Additionally, it also unlocks the ability to cleanse corruption that blocks certain paths, opening up the world massively.

Ova can only be found by cleansing corrupted beacons in the game world. You’ll find plenty during your exploration.

Don’t Waste Glimpses

Save Them For Your Favorite Shell’s Upgrades

Glimpses in Mortal Shell 2 are limited, and there is no way to farm more of them. In a single playthrough, you can only get roughly 90 Glimpses, which are barely enough to upgrade 3 Shells to max level.

Do not waste your Glimpses on finding Shells at Zhirelle, or unlocking Shell Companions before boss fights. Of course, you can ignore this advice if you’re planning on entering NG+ down the road, which is the only way to get more Glimpses, but for most players, that won’t be the case.

Swap Out Tarstones at Every Opportunity

Level Up Every Tarstone To Level 2

One of the hardest currencies to get in Mortal Shell 2 is Tarcore, an item needed to upgrade Tarstones to max level. The only way to get Tarcore is by upgrading Tarstones themselves.

A good habit to get into early in the game is to farm experience for your currently equipped Tarstones by defeating enemies. Once the EXP bar is full, upgrade them to level 2 at the Tarfoge to get a Tarcore. Then, swap out these Tarstones for unupgraded ones so that you can start the cycle anew. With more Tarcores, you’ll be able to fully max out your loadout by the time you reach the endgame.