Mortal Shell 2 is every bit as cryptic and unforgiving as its predecessor, and that extends to how it handles its characters. The game’s NPC questlines are Easy to miss entirely, and in true soulslike fashion, the game never tells you when you’ve permanently locked yourself out of one. Destructoid has published a comprehensive walkthrough covering all the NPC quests in Mortal Shell 2 and how to complete them, and it highlights just how much content players can accidentally skip. Here’s a breakdown of why these questlines matter and how to approach them.
Why NPC Quests Matter in Mortal Shell 2
Like the best soulslike games, Mortal Shell 2 buries a huge portion of its story, lore, and rewards inside optional character arcs. The NPCs you encounter scattered across the world aren’t just decoration — many of them carry multi-step questlines that unfold as you progress through the game. Completing these arcs can unlock valuable items, upgrade materials, and narrative context that makes the bleak world feel far more alive.
Skip them, and you’ll still reach the end credits. But you’ll be missing out on some of the most rewarding moments the game has to offer — hence the advice to leave no stories untold.
How NPC Questlines Work in Mortal Shell 2
Mortal Shell 2 doesn’t hand you a quest log, objective markers, or any of the hand-holding found in traditional RPGs. NPCs relocate between areas, only advance their dialogue under specific conditions, and can vanish forever if you progress too far without checking in on them. This makes methodical exploration and regular backtracking essential.
Talk to Every NPC More Than Once
Dialogue in Mortal Shell 2 often changes after key events, and a single conversation rarely gives you everything an NPC has to say. Exhausting dialogue options is the single most reliable way to make sure a questline keeps moving forward.
Revisit Characters After Boss Fights and Milestones
Many questlines only advance after you’ve defeated a major boss or unlocked a new area. Building a habit of circling back to familiar locations after every significant victory is the best way to avoid losing a storyline without realizing it.
Don’t Attack Friendly NPCs
It should go without saying, but friendly fire is permanent. One careless swing can turn a potential ally hostile — or kill them outright — cutting off their entire quest and its rewards in an instant.
Hold Onto Strange Items
That odd trinket gathering dust in your inventory may be the key to a character’s next quest step. Before selling or discarding anything unusual, make sure no NPC is waiting for it.
The Payoff for Completing Every Questline
Players who diligently follow every NPC to the end of their story are rewarded with more than just lore. These questlines frequently grant powerful items and bonuses that meaningfully ease the game’s brutal difficulty, and they paint a fuller picture of the ruined world Cold Symmetry has crafted. For completionists and lore hunters alike, they’re essential content rather than optional filler.
Final Thoughts
Mortal Shell 2 rewards patience, curiosity, and careful attention to the people lurking in its shadows. If you want to experience everything the game has to offer, treat every NPC as a potential story worth following — and check Destructoid’s full quest-by-quest breakdown for the specific steps of each character’s arc.
Haven’t started your journey yet? You can pick up Mortal Shell 2 game codes and a wide selection of digital gift cards at TURGAME.com and dive into one of 2025’s most punishing — and rewarding — soulslike adventures.
Source: Destructoid – All NPC quests in Mortal Shell 2 and how to complete them