Mortal Shell 2 Receives Mixed Ratings on Steam, Accused of 'Demo Fraud'

Summary

The action game Mortal Shell 2 has officially launched on Steam, priced at $29.99 in the US region and 198 RMB in China, with Simplified Chinese support. However, player reviews on the platform show a stark split: while other language versions hold a 'Very Positive' rating, the Simplified Chinese version sits at 'Mixed'. At the time of writing, approximately 1,013 Chinese reviews have been submitted, with only about 55% positive. Many players criticize that the demo was impressive, but the full game falls short, especially in the later stages featuring repetitive enemies, enemy spam, and bloated stats that rely purely on numerical scaling. Some players go further, accusing the developers of 'demo fraud,' pointing out that the version sent to media outlets differs from the retail version, even down to different stone passive abilities, making it impossible to replicate the fun described in many reviews. Instead, players encounter frustrating enemy stacking and overpowered stats. The issue has sparked widespread debate about development integrity and the credibility of media reviews. According to SteamDB, the game's concurrent player peak has reached around 35,000 and is still growing. This polarizing reception serves as a wake-up call for the studio and a reminder for players to carefully weigh multiple opinions before purchasing.