I’ll admit, when I first came across Valor Mortis, the setting immediately caught my attention. A Soulslike set in an alternate version of Napoleonic Europe, with undead soldiers, horrifying creatures, swords, guns, and supernatural abilities? That’s not something you see every day. Developed by One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, this game takes a familiar Soulslike formula and moves it into a first-person perspective. I was particularly interested in seeing how sword combat would work from this viewpoint, because it’s one thing to swing a sword in a third-person game, but doing it in first person is a completely different experience. Thankfully, the idea works better than I expected. The game has some genuinely enjoyable combat and an interesting world to explore. However, it also has a few frustrating design choices that stop it from being something truly special.

Welcome to a Nightmare Called Napoleonic Europe

The story puts you in the shoes of William, a former soldier in Napoleon’s Grande Armée who finds himself brought back from the dead. Unfortunately the world he wakes up in isn’t exactly the Europe he remembers. A mysterious plague has spread across the continent, turning soldiers and other unfortunate people into horrifying creatures. To make matters worse William himself has returned with strange supernatural powers connected to the same corruption. The overall setting is probably one of my favourite things about the game. We’ve seen plenty of fantasy kingdoms, medieval castles, and ruined cities in Soulslike games, but a dark fantasy version of 19th-century Europe feels refreshing. There’s something interesting about seeing familiar historical elements mixed with supernatural horror. The ruined battlefields, abandoned locations and plague infested environments give the world a pretty distinctive identity. The story itself has some interesting moments although I wouldn’t say it’s the strongest part of the experience. The premise is great, but I sometimes felt that certain characters and story developments could have been explored further. There’s definitely potential here but not everything is handled as well as it could have been.

First-Person Sword Combat Actually Works!

This is where Valor Mortis really surprised me. I was initially a little skeptical about having Soulslike sword combat in a first person game. I wasn’t sure whether parrying, blocking and dodging would feel natural without being able to see my character from a third person perspective. But after understanding how the combat works, I started appreciating the approach. Combat revolves heavily around timing your attacks, parries and dodges. You can’t simply run towards every enemy and start swinging your weapon like a maniac. Well, you can try, but you’ll probably spend more time dying than actually making progress. Parrying is particularly satisfying. Successfully deflecting an enemy’s attack and following it up with a counterattack feels great. There’s a certain rhythm to combat that makes encounters enjoyable once you understand enemy patterns. You also have access to different weapons, including swords and firearms which give you different ways to approach fights. The supernatural abilities add another layer to the combat. Being able to use special powers alongside your regular weapons makes encounters more interesting and gives you additional options when dealing with tougher enemies. It’s not the most complicated combat system ever created, but there’s enough here to keep things engaging.

Dying Is Part of the Experience

If you’ve played Soulslike games before, you already know what you’re getting into. You’re going to die. A lot. Valor Mortis doesn’t exactly make things easy, especially during the earlier portions of the adventure. Some enemies are surprisingly aggressive and certain attacks can catch you off guard if you’re not paying attention. I don’t mind difficult games. In fact, one of the reasons I enjoy Soulslikes is the satisfaction of finally defeating something that has been giving me trouble. However there’s a difference between challenging and frustrating. Some enemies use delayed attacks and unexpected attack patterns that can make fights feel unfair. There are also encounters where multiple enemies can overwhelm you before you have much room to react. The difficulty can be enjoyable when the game gives you a fair opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always get that balance right. Still, there’s something satisfying about finally defeating an enemy that has been destroying you for the past several attempts.

Exploring This Rotten World

Exploration is another area where the game does a pretty good job. The environments have plenty of interesting details and there’s a decent amount of incentive to look around instead of simply following the main path. You’ll discover shortcuts, hidden areas, useful items and other secrets that can make your journey a little easier. Unlocking a shortcut after spending time exploring an unfamiliar area is always satisfying especially when it saves you from repeating a long section. The level design also benefits from the developers’ experience with movement based games like Ghostrunner. There are sections involving wall running, grappling, jumping, and other movement mechanics that add some variety to the usual Soulslike formula. I particularly like that the game doesn’t restrict itself to slow exploration and combat all the time. These faster sections give the adventure a different rhythm. Unfortunately, not every platforming section is enjoyable. Some jumps require very precise timing  and falling to your death because of a slightly awkward movement sequence can get annoying pretty quickly. I appreciate the variety but I think some of these sections could have been designed better.

The Enemies and Boss Fights

One thing I appreciate is the enemy design. The plague ridden soldiers and other creatures fit the setting nicely and some of the designs are genuinely disturbing. Boss encounters are another highlight. They provide some of the more memorable fights and force you to understand the combat system rather than relying on random attacks. Learning an enemy’s moves, figuring out when to parry and finally getting that winning attempt feels rewarding. However, enemy behaviour can occasionally be frustrating. Some attacks have unusual timing, and certain encounters feel more difficult than they need to be. The game sometimes seems to confuse making enemies challenging with making them unpredictable. A little more consistency would’ve made some fights considerably better.

Visuals, Sound and Performance

Visually, Valor Mortis does a good job creating its dark version of Napoleonic Europe. The environments have a grim atmosphere, and the creature designs help make the world feel genuinely unpleasant in the right way. I also like the combination of historical military aesthetics and supernatural horror. It gives the game a visual identity that separates it from many other Soulslike titles. The sound design helps with the atmosphere particularly during combat. Weapon clashes, enemy noises and the general battlefield ambience make encounters feel more intense. Performance and technical polish are less consistent though. There have been reports of performance problems and occasional technical issues, which can be particularly annoying in a game where timing your parries and dodges is so important. Hopefully, further updates will smooth out some of these rough edges.

So, Is Valor Mortis Worth Playing?

Despite all the complaints I’ve mentioned, I think Valor Mortis is a pretty interesting addition to the Soulslike genre. The first-person combat is its biggest strength, and the Napoleonic horror setting gives it a personality of its own. Exploring the world, learning enemy patterns, unlocking new abilities, and experimenting with different weapons can be genuinely enjoyable. But it’s not without problems. The difficulty sometimes feels unfair, certain platforming sections can be frustrating, and the story doesn’t always make the most of its interesting premise. I also would’ve liked a little more weapon and build variety to give players additional ways to approach combat.

Real Talk

Overall, Valor Mortis is a good game with some great ideas, even if it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. I really like what One More Level has attempted here. Taking the Soulslike formula, putting it in first person, and combining it with the movement mechanics they’re known for is an interesting direction. The combat can be incredibly satisfying, the setting is refreshing, and there’s enough exploration to keep things interesting.

FINAL SCORE: 79/100