The Holding Cells in Mortal Shell 2 can be entered through wells in Blackridge Hamlet and just outside the Citadel of Penance. This dungeon isn't as hard or complex as some others, but the boss fight at the end can be very difficult for players who are underleveled or ill-prepared. If you're having trouble completing the Holding Cells dungeon in Mortal Shell 2, here's a guide to help you out.
Where to Find the Holding Cells in Mortal Shell 2
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
You can enter this dungeon either through the Blackridge Hamlet near the Blackridge Pass Beacon, or a secluded area near the entrance to the Martyr's Prison dungeon near the Gloomshade Grove Beacon. Look for old water wells once you reach those areas.
It doesn't matter which entrance you pick, but I recommend the one at Blackridge because the Beacon there is closer to the dungeon entrance.
Holding Cells Gloomshade Grove Secret Entrance
If you enter the Holding Cells from the Gloomshade Grove, you'll be greeted by a heavy knight as well as some basic soldiers. This entrance might seem like it leads to a dead end, but there are actually two ways out of here:
- Walk off the ledge and perform a plunging attack to negate fall damage
- Smack the illusory wall to your left at the end of the corridor to dispel it
While the Blackridge entrance is much closer to a Beacon, the Gloomshade entrance is closer to a Revered Gland, which you'll find just past the illusory wall.
Feeding Room Key Location
Your goal in the Holding Cells is to open the locked door at the bottom of the pit by finding the Feeding Room Key. It's inside one of the shacks at the bottom of the dungeon; specifically, it's inside the shack at the opposite end of the Blackridge entrance's side.
If you start from the Blackridge entrance, make sure to dispel the illusory walls to the left of the hallway just past the room with the iron maidens. This leads to a Ventrium totem. There's another totem outside that you can reach by dropping from a nearby ledge.
You can reach the bottom of the pit by using a plunging attack or the elevators on the upper level. Either way, there are a lot of enemies at the bottom of the Holding Cells, and the dungeon boss is just beyond the locked door, so try not to waste any of your healing charges.
Holding Cells Rabid Grisha Pack Boss Fight
The boss battle in this dungeon is a cage match against two Grishas. As intimidating as this sounds, the fight actually isn't as hard as one would think. If you focus on dodging and deflecting attacks with Harden or Perfect Block, you'll be able to deal with the twin Grishas pretty easily.
The best thing you can do against the Rabid Grisha Pack is to stay calm and read their attacks carefully. They're pretty easy to defend against once you've memorized their moveset.
In my playthrough, I beat the twin Grishas on my first try at level 18 using Eredrim and an upgraded Axatana. My whole strategy revolved around breaking the Grishas for Ripostes and hoping that my equipped Grisha Remnant would trigger. Your choice of Shell and weapon doesn't matter much here, though I do recommend the following:
- Tiel is great for attrition matches like this, as perfectly dodging attacks with him builds the enemy's Break meter
- Proxima with her upgraded Seizure ability lets you inflict Stasis and Lightning on both Grishas, slowing them down and inflicting a damage-over-time effect on them
After you beat the twin Grishas, you'll get 2x Grisha Remnants and the Inflamed Clawstone, a Tarstone for the Veteran's Battle Axe that infuses it with fire.
Mortal Shell II
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85/100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- August 20, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Cold Symmetry
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Franchise
- Mortal Shell
- PC Release Date
- August 20, 2026
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- August 20, 2026
- PS5 Release Date
- August 20, 2026
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Action RPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
