CS Press / Hands-On Impressions. I’ve played plenty of Soulslikes, and there’s a difference between a game that makes you fight to make progress and one that makes you want to keep progressing. Valor Mortis stands apart for me because it gets that feeling right. The visuals are impressive, the combat is engaging, and when one encounter ends, I find myself wanting to see what comes next.
Developed by One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, Valor Mortis takes the familiar Soulslike structure and places it in a first-person, supernatural version of Napoleonic Europe. You play William, a soldier returned from the dead into a continent transformed by a mysterious plague. It’s a distinctive setting for a genre that doesn’t always struggle for dark fantasy worlds but can struggle to make them feel different.
A striking world that stands out
The first thing that caught my attention was the presentation. Valor Mortis looks impressive, and the combination of its historical setting and grotesque horror gives it an identity of its own. The Napoleonic backdrop is more than a different costume for another action game: it helps the world feel unusual, unsettling and worth exploring.
That visual identity matters because it gives me another reason to carry on. I want to know what is beyond the next encounter rather than simply ticking another victory off a list.
Combat that keeps you engaged
Combat is another real positive. One More Level has built the game around first-person swordplay, parries, dashes, finishers and supernatural abilities. Those are the systems on paper; from my time playing, the important part is that the fighting is engaging. There is enough to keep me involved in what’s happening rather than treating every fight as an obstacle between more interesting moments.
The first-person perspective also gives Valor Mortis a different character from many of the third-person Soulslikes I’ve played. It is familiar enough to understand what kind of challenge you’re taking on, but presented in a way that feels distinct.
The difference is wanting to continue
What makes Valor Mortis stand out most isn’t a single weapon or feature. It’s the momentum. Soulslike games often demand patience, and while I enjoy the genre, not every game makes the next step feel worthwhile. This one does. The impressive visuals and satisfying sense of involvement in combat work together to keep drawing me forward.
That may sound simple, but it is a meaningful achievement. Difficulty alone isn’t a reason to stay with a game. Wanting to discover what’s next is.
Verdict: 75/100 as it stands
Valor Mortis earns 75/100 as it stands. Its striking visuals, engaging first-person combat and ability to keep me moving forward make it feel different from many of the Soulslikes I’ve played. This is a positive verdict based on my time with it so far, rather than a claim that every part of the game has been exhaustively tested.
This 75/100 score reflects my current hands-on assessment. It may change with further play; the verdict is based on the visual presentation, engaging combat and the unusual momentum that makes me want to continue.
Developer: One More Level · Publisher: Lyrical Games / One More Level · Released: 13 October 2026 · Genre: First-person Soulslike action RPG.
Official sources: Valor Mortis on Steam · Publisher’s game page. Read more on Indie Discovery and The Switchboard.