Valor Mortis Review: First-Person Soulslike Verdict

Valor Mortis is a first-person Soulslike action RPG from One More Level, set in an alternate nineteenth-century Europe dominated by Napoleon Bonaparte and ravaged by a supernatural plague. You play as William Dowsett, a soldier who returns from death into a world where the boundary between the living and the dead has collapsed. The game is planned for release on October 13, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a launch price of $39.99 / €39.99 / 149.99 zł and roughly 20 hours of main story content according to official announcements.

This review is based on official information from the Steam store page and official Steam announcements, including the Gameplay Overview trailer and playable preview coverage. Since the game has not fully launched at the time of writing, we focus on what the official materials confirm about combat, exploration, structure, and story.

Combat is the heart of the Valor Mortis review verdict, and it is where the game stakes its identity. Official materials describe a system built on melee swordplay, period firearms, supernatural abilities, and dual wielding, all rendered from a first-person perspective that makes distance judgment and timing feel more intimate than in third-person Soulslikes.

The defensive toolkit follows the genre's established language: blocking, perfect parries, dodges, and stamina management. What separates Valor Mortis is how the first-person camera changes the equation. Reading enemy wind-ups, tracking multiple attackers, and landing weak-point shots all demand sharper spatial awareness than a typical over-the-shoulder view.

Dual wielding deserves a special note in this review. Officially highlighted in the Gameplay Overview trailer, it expands your options mid-exchange but increases the number of decisions you must make every second. It is a high-risk, high-reward approach best suited to players who have already internalized enemy timings.

Valor Mortis adopts a Metroidvania-inspired structure rather than a linear mission list. Official descriptions emphasize alternate paths, shortcuts, hidden routes, and areas that become reachable only after you gain new abilities or story knowledge. Historical architecture — from war-torn fortifications to period interiors — doubles as both atmosphere and level design.

The exploration loop rewards returning to earlier zones. Blocked passages, elevated ledges, and suspicious gaps are placed deliberately, and the game expects you to log them mentally and come back. For players who enjoy environmental storytelling and secret hunting, this structure adds significant value beyond the roughly 20-hour mainline.

The narrative premise is one of the stronger hooks in this review. Valor Mortis reimagines nineteenth-century Europe under Napoleon's continued domination, then corrupts it with plague horror and resurrection. William Dowsett, a soldier returned from death, anchors the story in a personal mystery: why he came back, and what the plague has done to the world he knew.

Key figures include Napoleon Bonaparte as the political backbone of the setting and The Shrike, a major supernatural force tied to the secrets of the plague and resurrection. Official story materials suggest a tone closer to gothic historical horror than standard dark fantasy, which fits the plague-ridden, rust-and-brass visual identity the developers have showcased.

Boss encounters in Valor Mortis reward observation over aggression, following the genre's learn-and-punish philosophy. Official materials confirm dedicated boss battles with distinct attack patterns, phase changes, and parry windows. Community discussion already tracks named encounters such as General Lothaire, suggesting a roster of memorable, build-defining fights.

Because first-person combat narrows your field of view, boss arenas and camera management matter more here than in third-person peers. Expect fights that test positioning against walls, corners, and hazards as much as raw reaction speed.

Our review verdict: Valor Mortis is shaping up as a compelling pick for Soulslike players seeking something structurally familiar but atmospherically fresh. The combination of first-person swordplay, period firearms, supernatural powers, Metroidvania-style exploration, and a genuinely distinctive Napoleonic-plague setting justifies attention — and the $39.99 price point with roughly 20 hours of mainline content represents reasonable value for a single-player, premium action RPG.