Valor Mortis, a new entry in the challenging Soulslike video game genre, debuted last week on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Developed by the studio One More Level, the game adopts the hallmark difficulty and tactical combat of its predecessors but diverges by presenting the experience entirely from a first-person perspective.
The studio’s director, Radoslaw Ratusznik, explained that this shift was intended to set Valor Mortis apart from the multitude of Soulslike games using traditional over-the-shoulder views. He noted that the first-person viewpoint enhances immersion and increases the sense of vulnerability by limiting the player’s field of vision, which in turn intensifies the game’s trademark challenge.
Soulslike games, a genre rooted in the 2009 release of Demon’s Souls by FromSoftware, are known for punishing difficulty, stamina-based combat, the risk of losing in-game currency upon death, and cryptic storytelling. While these elements are often replicated, the precise boundaries of what defines a Soulslike title remain fluid. Ratusznik suggested that the core of the genre today is the feeling of discomfort and hostility within the game’s world.
Valor Mortis accentuates this unease through a combination of first-person combat and horror elements. Players control William, a British officer who has joined Napoleon’s forces during an alternate version of post-Waterloo Europe in 1820. After awakening on a battlefield strewn with corpses, William quickly encounters grotesquely mutated former allies, including humans twisted into monstrous forms and dogs reimagined as warped humanoid creatures. The game features period-accurate weapons like swords alongside supernatural abilities and firearms, whose inclusion is justified within the narrative as part of a fictional technological boom linked to a mysterious substance called Neptoglobin.
Because the player's view in first person can obscure incoming attacks, One More Level adjusted enemy animations, sounds, and the parry system to maintain fairness amid the heightened tension. This, combined with a relatively limited arsenal and a blend of supernatural and historical elements, shapes a gameplay experience that demands careful attention and offers limited room for error.
On the narrative front, Valor Mortis departs from typical Soulslike storytelling, opting for a more straightforward approach with cut scenes and side quests that clarify the plot without requiring players to seek external resources. Vincent Cassel provides the voice of Napoleon, adding a cinematic tone early in the game as he commands the protagonist to awaken.
Ratusznik emphasized that the game aims to evolve the Soulslike genre by retaining its defining difficulty while exploring fresh perspectives and mechanics. “I think it’s very exciting that the Soulslike genre still is evolving,” he said, suggesting that preventing creative stagnation is key to the genre's continued vitality.