With Mortal Shell II open beta currently playable thanks to Steam Next Fest, which runs until June 22, 2026, I’ve had a chance to get acquainted with a new form of attack in the game, referred to as Red Attacks. This is something new that Cold Symmetry has added for the follow-up, and after getting hit by a few of them, I quickly learned that these are not attacks you want to take lightly.
Red Attacks get their name from the brightly lit red circle that appears on enemies right before they attack. These attacks are extremely deadly, as they are unblockable, and trying to block or parry them will usually end badly. In some cases, you’ll take severe damage, while other Red Attacks can outright kill you if you aren’t paying attention. And every enemy in the game can dish them out, it’s nor reserved for only bosses.
And yes, they ae somewhat similar to the unlockable attacks from the first game. The only difference is that the enemies will indicate the unblockable, instead of your equipped seal, which wasn’t noticeable if you didn’t pay attention. Still, if you see an enemy winding up for an attack, it’s likely going to be an unblockable.
Be very afraid!
So, how do you deal with Red Attacks? The first and most obvious answer is dodging. As soon as you see that red circle appear, you need to quickly determine the best way to get out of danger, whether that means dodging backward, moving to the left or right, or even dodging through or past the enemy.
That said, this is where environmental awareness becomes just as important as timing. Dodging away from a Red Attack is great, but not if you end up rolling off a platform, into another enemy, or directly into one of those pesky bear traps. Yep, those make a return from the first game, and they are still just as annoying.
I also wouldn’t recommend trying to panic and use Harden as a get-out-of-jail-free card. From what I experienced, Red Attacks can still hit you through it, as they will instantly break your Harden and still land damage. It feels like Cold Symmetry wants players to learn how to properly dodge out of danger instead of relying on Harden to save them every time.
Red Attacks are an interesting change from the first game, and I can see why Cold Symmetry added them. They help liven up the combat and force players to think on their toes instead of simply relying on blocking, parrying, or hardening their way through every encounter. After getting caught by a few of them myself, I’m all the better for learning how they work.
Mortal Shell II is currently planned to release in 2026 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. As of now, Cold Symmetry and Playstack have not announced a final release date.
