Mortal Shell II vs Nioh 3
Both nail high-stakes combat, but Mortal Shell II asks for endurance while Nioh 3 rewards technical mastery.
Updated 5d ago
A worthy successor that nails the fast, hard-hitting combat — but the 50-100-hit boss fights and near-unreactable one-shots make it a qualified buy.
Punches above its sequel weight — Nioh 3's Samurai/Ninja stance system is Team Ninja's sharpest combat to date, despite empty-zone pacing.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 15; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 15.
| Measure | Mortal Shell II | Nioh 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Value Mortal Shell II wins on value | ||
| Price now | $49.99 Steam | $58.04 −17% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $49.99 | $37.00 |
| Cost / hour | — | $2.14/hr $58.04 · 27 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Jul 2026 | +57% low was Aug 2026 |
| Main story | — | 27 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 75% 11k reviews | 79% 19k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 76% 11k votes · vs 75% lifetime | 69% 226 votes · vs 79% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | — Not yet charted | 2,279 Jul 2026 · ↓ 17% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 3% of Feb 2026 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 |
| All-time peak | — | 87,778 Feb 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 5 days ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 3 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Mortal Shell II
The adrenaline-charged combat and Harden mechanic keep fans coming back, dozens of hours in.
Runbacks without dungeon checkpoints and unreactable one-shot attacks are the consistent annoyances for long-haul players.
from our August 2026 verdict
Nioh 3
Build flexibility between ninja and samurai stances without rerolling is the combat loop 100-hour veterans praise, alongside polished Team Ninja action.
The open world structure, described as a big mission map with collectibles, is the friction that long-time Nioh fans flag as a step back.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Mortal Shell II if
- You liked the original Mortal Shell and want a bigger world
- You enjoy telegraphed boss patterns and parry windows
- You don't mind sparse checkpoints and long runbacks
Pick Nioh 3 if
- You loved Nioh 2's stance combat and want it in open fields
- You can handle Soulslike retry loops with one-shot bosses for 30 hours
- You have a PC or PS5 that keeps 60fps for timing windows
Bottom line
If you're patient and love heavy parry combat, choose Mortal Shell II; if you want technical depth and a shorter, well-patched campaign, Nioh 3's 27-hour run at over $2 per hour may be worth it.