Not many games can follow in the footsteps of Soulsborne titles with an exciting spin on combat flow, and even fewer can do so while being accompanied by a beautiful, war-torn setting rooted in the history of 19th century Europe. Still, that's exactly what it is Valor Mortis do. Created by the Polish studio One More Level, the same developer behind it Ghostrunner and Ghostrunner 2, Valor Mortis is a Steam Soulslike game where you combine exciting supernatural powers with the typical arsenal of 19th century soldiers, such as swords and bayonets.
Even if Valor Mortis isn't a free Steam game, you can wishlist it now before it's released in 2026. Napoleonic France takes a strange turn Valor Mortisbecause it's an alternate version of reality history, and it has magic combined with weapons, horrible monsters that could very well come from Resident Evil or Blood borne.
Valor Mortis feature list
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First-person Soulslike combat
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Parry, Dodge, Block, Endurance, Telegraphed Attacks, Timing, Finisher, Healing Flasks
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- An explorable world with secrets to reveal as you unlock more powers
- Environmental stories and memories to find to piece together the conspiracy of Napoleon's Grand Armee
- Punitive executive meetings
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Lanterns that work as control pointssuch as Bonfires/Sites of Lost Grace
- RPG features (Character development, permanent power-ups that improve the main character in various ways, get loot, upgrades with positive and negative modifiers)
- Mobility (Retains some parkour elements from Ghostrunner game)
Valor Mortis meets Ring of Fire, Dark Souls
How Valor Mortis Challenges Soulslike's Status Quo
In an ambitious project that combines first-person combat with classic Soulslike mechanics, Valor Mortis aims to be an unforgiving game that rewards players for mastering their game loop and learning enemy patterns to prevent damage. With several soulslike elements in its formula, Valor Mortis is not a game for everyone and proudly so. The first-person spin on Soulslike combat in Valor Mortis is the game's ace up its sleeve, but it can also be a pain if not done right.
Valor Mortis' ace up its sleeve can make or break it
This is because many believe that first-person melee combat and Soulslike do not go well together for several reasons.
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First-person combat reduces spatial awareness, which can become very frustrating very quickly in an already punishing game.
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Melee in first person can lead to less enemy variety, even with ranged weapons in the mix.
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Camera settings in first-person games can be more limited, which can be a problem for challenging Soulslikes.
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Weapon impact (or lack thereof) can make or break immersion and flow in first-person melee.
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Level design can have a significant influence on how well a first-person Soulslike plays out.
Valor Mortis meets Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
How Valor Morti's historical setting takes the best of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Creepy Soulslikes
TGA GOTY nominated Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 did not win any of the awards it was shortlisted for, much to the disappointment of fans. However, it's still one of the best RPGs of 2025 by a wide margin, and that's thanks to its focus on ways to customize the first-person combat experience, a greater focus on dialogue skills and craft than its predecessors, quests that involve implications for the game world, and a rich open world. Valor Mortis takes some of these features and mixes them with another off Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2s secret ingredients: a historical setting done right.
Valor Mortis is a game set in Europe in the 19th century, but it spins things completely differently than other games that share the same time period. In this case, Napoleon Bonaparte rules as the emperor in an alternate history version of Europe in the 19th century, mixing it with supernatural abilities that consume one of the game's resources – Nepthoglobin. This can be extracted by shooting enemy weak points and resting on Lanterns, creating another layer of storytelling in a rather creepy world where zombies and mutants wear historical uniforms from the Napoleonic era, and where it's hard to tell friend from foe.
However, expect more enemies and fewer friends. Valor Mortis isn't your typical disappointing Soulslike game that tries to emulate the success of Dark souls without the sauce that makes it great, and its attitude is proof of that. Whether it will live up to the promise of an unforgiving first-person Soulslike that rewards skilled play remains to be seen. But if its playtest is any indication, it has the potential to reach the top wishlists on Steam.
- Released
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February 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+/Use of alcohol, blood and grime, sexual content, strong language, intense violence, partial nudity
- Developer
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Warhorse Studios
