Is Valor Mortis really a first-person soulslike?

Yes, that's the game's big selling point. One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, is delivering a first-person soulslike with dodge mapped to R1, block and parry to L1, and attack to the right trigger. First-person perspective remains underexplored in the genre, making the experience feel fresh.

What is the narrative context of Valor Mortis?

You play as William, a soldier resurrected on a devastated battlefield. Napoleon speaks to you in your head, and you must face your former brothers-in-arms turned zombies. The game takes place during an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars.

How does the level design work according to the preview?

The game uses layered level design typical of the best soulslikes. Powers collected from corpses, BioShock-style, unlock shortcuts and new routes through the levels, creating a rewarding interconnected exploration loop.

Are there weapons other than the sword?

Yes, the pistol arrives in the second zone, a rocky quarry high in the mountains. You can shoot enemy pustules to deal massive damage and switch between blade and lead, adding real tactical depth to combat.

What doubts remain according to GameRant?

The demo was calibrated to impress, so questions remain about how difficulty scales, whether the biome variety holds up across a full game, and if the progression system at the lanterns stays engaging beyond the first hour.

Valor Mortis: what remains after 1h30 of gameplay, GameRant's verdict

At Gamescom 2026, GameRant had the chance to get their hands on Valor Mortis for an hour and a half, headset screwed onto their ears, in a session that was supposed to last sixty minutes but was extended on request because the hook worked so well. Studio One More Level (the folks behind Ghostrunner) offers here a first-person soulslike set in an alternate history of the Napoleonic wars. On paper, the mix was intriguing. In hand, it clearly convinces quite thoroughly.

The initial pitch sets the mood well: William, a soldier resurrected on a devastated battlefield, hears Napoleon's voice in his head and must face former brothers-in-arms turned zombies. The right trigger strikes, R1 dodges, L1 blocks and parries. Nothing revolutionary on paper, but the execution is formidable: the parry feels intuitive, rewarding, and turns every well-negotiated duel into a bloody, choreographed execution. The sound design does the rest, with that metallic twang rising in pitch with every successful parry.

What really works according to the journalist is the interplay between exploration and combat. A flaming heart recovered from a corpse unlocks a BioShock-style power, which opens up shortcuts in the level - we find that interlocking level design that makes the best examples of the genre so appealing. The arrival of the pistol in the second area, a rocky quarry on a mountainside, changes things up again: aiming at enemy pustules to inflict massive damage, alternating blade and lead, works wonderfully and at times recalls the platforming vertigo of Ghostrunner.

The reservations? GameRant confirms that it's hard to draw much from a demo so calibrated to convince. It would be nice to see how the difficulty evolves over time, whether the richness of the biomes holds up across a full game, and whether the lantern progression system remains interesting once the euphoria of the first hour has worn off. For the release date and practical information, head to our dedicated article.

Provisional verdict: it's off to a very strong start if the rest of the game lives up to the promise of these two areas. See you in October to find out!