Elden Ring Nightreign vs Mortal Shell II
Nightreign is a session-based co-op sprint with thin lore; Mortal Shell II is a compact, combat-first Soulslike still being patched.
Updated 3d ago
Solo and duos both work now — the launch reviews calling solo a death sentence are a year stale. Still worth $39.99 if you can live with six months of silence.
Mortal Shell II nails crunchy, weighty combat with the Shell-class system — but wait for the bug fixes if you're not already a Souls vet.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 13; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 13.
| Measure | Elden Ring Nightreign | Mortal Shell II |
|---|---|---|
| Value Elden Ring Nightreign wins on value | ||
| Price now | $34.99 −13% · GameBillet | $49.99 Steam |
| All-time low | $26.37 | $49.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.25/hr $34.99 · 28 h main story | — |
| Off its low | +33% low was Dec 2025 | At its low low was Jul 2026 |
| Main story | 28 h | — |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 82% 191k reviews | 79% 20k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 78% 1k votes · vs 82% lifetime | improving trend only |
| Peak players | 34,386 Aug 2026 · ↓ 16% MoM | 27,995 Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 240,640 Jun 2025 · now at 14% | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 months ago | 8 days ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 3 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Elden Ring Nightreign
The 40-minute run — two days of scavenging, two night bosses, one Nightlord — and how well it holds up with two friends on a voice call.
Silence from FromSoftware. Reviewers with hundreds of hours file negatives asking for content rather than fixes, and July brought a wave of crash reports.
from our July 2026 verdict
Mortal Shell II
Crunchy, weighty combat with distinct Shell playstyles is what keeps 100-hour fans hooked, with every weapon and sidearm offering a different build.
Game-breaking bugs and hitbox inconsistencies are the friction that erodes trust for the 60+ hour crowd, especially in endgame bosses.
from our September 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Elden Ring Nightreign if
- You have two friends and a voice call ready every session
- You prefer forty-minute roguelike runs over hundred-hour campaigns
- You want auto-leveling and mid-run gear instead of build planning
Pick Mortal Shell II if
- You loved Sekiro's parry focus and want a Souls-style world around it
- You finished the first Mortal Shell and want a shorter, tighter follow-up
- You can tolerate bugs and magnetic hitboxes as a Souls vet
Bottom line
Pick Nightreign if your friend group is the point; pick Mortal Shell II if you want a solo, parry-driven world and can wait out its three-patch bug cleanup.