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Valor Mortis has a clear point of difference: it brings Soulslike combat into first person, against the backdrop of an alternate Napoleonic Europe ravaged by plague and supernatural forces. That is a promising premise, not yet proof that it is “the most refreshing Soulslike in years.” At the time of the available reporting, the game had not launched, so a full review verdict on combat, performance, or the complete campaign would be premature.
What is Valor Mortis?
Valor Mortis is a first-person action Soulslike developed by One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, and published by Lyrical Games and One More Level. Steam describes the player as a former soldier of Napoleon’s army who rises from death. The official Steam listing frames it as a first-person action Soulslike.
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The setting is alternate history rather than a claim about real events. In a gamescom 2026 interview, One More Level brand manager Michał Azarewicz described a Europe in which Napoleon won at Waterloo and seized power through a supernatural force. The player character, William, is an English soldier in Napoleon’s International Legion who dies and wakes amid plague and mutated soldiers. The story also promises supernatural abilities and a conspiracy.
Is Valor Mortis actually refreshing?
Its strongest differentiator is perspective. Azarewicz said, “The main difference between Valor Mortis and others is that you play in the first person, not in the third, as in most games in the souls-like genre.” That shift could make close combat feel more immediate and exploration more immersive. It also puts more pressure on the game to make enemy attacks, spacing, and timing legible without the wider view usually available in third person.
#1 Best Overall
- HARNESS CORRUPTED POWER - Each death is a chance to grow stronger. Master a combat system of parries, dashes, and visceral finishers across a variety of weapons. Channel your power to enhance attacks and unlock new supernatural abilities to inflict upon your enemies.
- SECRETS LITTER THE BATTLEFIELD - Navigate a 19th-century alternate history where the costs of endless war have corrupted the landscape. Use your newfound mobility to outmaneuver the plague-ridden abominations of Napoleon’s Eternal Guard and uncover environmental secrets that may increase your chances of survival.
- UNCOVER A HORRID CONSPIRACY - Witness a compelling story where historical figures and realities intertwine with elements of horror and the supernatural. Explore beyond the dark corners of the world to discover the truth behind the plague and your unholy resurrection.
The studio says it retained familiar Soulslike conventions, so players would not need to relearn the genre’s basic rhythms. Whether first person makes those conventions feel meaningfully different—and whether it keeps fights readable and fair—requires playing the released game. The available preview evidence is encouraging but limited: Game Informer’s September 2026 preview reported more than 15 hours with a preview build across the first four chapters and said the first-person action translated surprisingly well to slower, deliberate Soulslike play.
How are combat and abilities supposed to work?
Lyrical Games’ September 30 gameplay overview describes stamina-managed combat built around light and heavy attacks, parries, and counterattacks. Weapon choice is meant to matter: the overview names a slow, heavy Claymore and a longer-range Musket, alongside William’s pistol, and says matching weapons to enemies rewards a considered approach.
Rank #2
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- Unit Size: 1 Plane
William also uses Transmutations, supernatural abilities for damage, defense, and traversal. The publisher names three examples:
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- Shield: absorbs damage, then releases a shockwave.
- Grapple: uses points in the environment to move through it.
The launch announcement also describes dual-wielding Napoleonic weapons, including rapiers and flintlock pistols, and movement used to outmaneuver enemies and uncover environmental secrets. These are announced features; they do not, by themselves, establish how well the finished game balances firearms, melee, and powers.
What does progression and death recovery look like?
The publisher describes two distinct build systems tied to Lanterns. Catalysts are spent there to improve health, stamina, and parry, while Ambers are equipped there to tailor a build. Catalysts are left at the location where William dies. In the VGTimes interview, Azarewicz separately described stamina recovery, bonfire-like checkpoints, and resources left at the death site for retrieval; those descriptions should not be taken to mean that every named resource follows the same rules.
The launch announcement also promises Metroidvania-style exploration. How interconnected the levels are, how much the build options change play, and how forgiving recovery feels cannot be established from feature descriptions alone.
Is Valor Mortis too difficult?
Difficulty consistency is the clearest concern raised by the available preview. Game Informer’s writer praised much of the first-person action but reported very uneven difficulty and frustrating chapter-ending boss fights in the first four chapters of a preview build. That is useful warning, not a settled judgment on the complete game: the preview covers only part of the campaign and predates launch.
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Lyrical Games’ October 9 launch announcement scheduled release for October 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM UTC on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and Steam. It announced these prices:
Best Value
| Edition | US price | Euro price | Polish złoty price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39.99 | €39.99 | 149.99 zł |
| Deluxe | $59.99 | €59.99 | 199.99 zł |
Those are publisher-announced prices, not a guarantee of current regional storefront pricing. The publisher said Deluxe includes a major story DLC planned for the following year and cosmetic packs, and announced New Game+ for Q4 2026. It also described multiple free updates as planned for the weeks and months after launch. These are future plans, not confirmation that the content or updates have been delivered.
What can a review conclude before launch?
Valor Mortis has a coherent hook: Soulslike conventions, first-person melee, supernatural abilities, and a plague-horror version of Napoleonic Europe. The preview suggests the perspective can support deliberate action, while also flagging uneven difficulty and difficult chapter-ending bosses. As of October 12, 2026, Steam still showed the game as unavailable ahead of its scheduled unlock; no full-game independent assessment, launch-day performance results, review aggregate, or verified patch status was available in the cited sources. The fair verdict is therefore that the concept looks distinctive, but the finished game’s balance, readability, exploration, and technical quality still need launch-version assessment.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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