Valor Mortis Impresses With Its Grim Soulslike Design
Valor Mortis is a new Soulslike from One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner. The reviewer praises its 19th-century European setting, grim narrative, and combat, though some performance issues were addressed by updates and drivers. It is described as a relatively short single-player game that stands out in a crowded genre.
Valor Mortis comes from One More Level, the team previously known for Ghostrunner. It shifts to a grim alternate 19th-century European war, following soldier William Dowsett after he wakes among corpses with missing memories. The game is a comparatively brief single-player narrative, and the reviewer found its setting and atmosphere distinctive within the Soulslike field.
Combat is first-person and close-range, built around blades such as sabres and rapiers, parries, staggers, and critical strikes. An offhand firearm or magical ability can complement melee, exploit weaknesses, or inflict status effects. Early performance stutters reportedly improved through pre-release patches and tailored graphics drivers. Enemies include disturbing risen soldiers and mutated hybrids like Howlers.
Valor Mortis may draw attention from Soulslike fans and Ghostrunner players, potentially expanding interest in shorter single-player games and historical-horror settings. Its performance improvements could affect player satisfaction and word-of-mouth, while the grim war imagery may resonate differently across audiences. Developers in the genre could see it as evidence that first-person melee combat and compact narratives can stand out, though its actual influence remains uncertain.