Valor Mortis Reviews Split Critics After Launch

Valor Mortis launched on October 13th, 2026, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with day-one Game Pass. This Soulslike action RPG from One More Level, the Ghostrunner studio, split critics, with scores from 9/10 down to 6/10. Here is what is confirmed about the story, the reception, and how the combat system works.

Valor Mortis Story, Cast, and Price

Valor Mortis is a first-person Soulslike video game played through an FPP camera. As an alternate history set in an alternate 19th century Eastern Europe, it offers an alternate version of the Napoleonic era in which Napoleon's war unleashes a supernatural plague. William, a British soldier resurrected in the Grande Armée, fights former comrades turned undead monsters while unraveling the mysterious plague. Xbox Wire calls the deadly plague the Crimson Plague, and Game Informer says the campaign runs roughly 25 hours.

Vincent Cassel voices Napoleon Bonaparte, alongside James Alexander as William and Jennifer English as the Shrike, and a developer Steam announcement lists Cassel's credits as including Black Swan and La Haine. The game costs $39.99 ($59.99 for the Deluxe Edition), with Xbox Play Anywhere support, per GameDaily. It was originally dated for September 24 before moving to October 13th, a shift Eurogamer tied to games piling into September to avoid Grand Theft Auto VI.

After a previous publishing deal ended as Take-Two pivoted to focus on premium games, One More Level signed with Lyrical Games, which publishes premium independent games and is helmed by Private Division alumni. A public playtest of the game ran in October 2025, and Notebookcheck calls Valor Mortis the studio's first wholly owned IP, new ground for the Ghostrunner team.

Valor Mortis Reviews and Difficulty

OpenCritic lists a Top Critic Average of 80 across 54 reviews, while Metacritic sat at 77 on PC and 83 on PS5 in early roundups. Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc gave it a 7/10, praising the action gameplay and chapter design but calling the difficulty too often unfair, with bosses and even standard enemies that feel like they have random instant-kill moves. He died more than 100 times, and the second half settled once his upgrades kicked in. Game Rant scored it 80/100, while GamesRadar+ sat at the low end. One beginner guide notes there is no difficulty selector, though the game has a pause function and frequent checkpoints.

How Valor Mortis Combat Works

Xbox Wire explains the combat mechanics as a loop, with core mechanics built to feed each other. Your blade breaks posture, your firearms hit weak points, weak-point hits refill nephtoglobin, and kills often drop ammo. Wikipedia describes the core gameplay formula as a three-way mix, with melee combat, ranged combat, and magical abilities as the core elements.

The defensive mechanics let players block incoming attacks at the cost of a small amount of health, dodge unblockable attacks, or parry with precise timing, and parrying plays a central role. A flintlock pistol staggers enemies at weak points, though ammo is scarce, while transmutations such as bursts of flame supply supernatural abilities, and Variety says William wields devastating supernatural powers. Game Informer lists a variety of melee weapons, and wall-running and grappling give the game fluid movement. Scarce ammo and the posture meter keep every fight under constant risk, making for a demanding combat system.

Ambers drive character progression and add additional layers to builds. If William is defeated, he respawns at his last checkpoint, and any unused Catalysts drop where he died. Director Radosław Ratusznik says "the theme of horror is very important" to the monster design and to a universal story about soldiers in war, and the team drew on Metroidvania games, where new abilities open new pathways.

Valor Mortis Tips and Guides

Xbox Wire's developer tips boil down to aiming at glowing weak points, keeping the posture loop running, and exploring optional areas, since echoes of the fallen and journal pages fill in the plague's story and some of the strongest enemies are the best hidden.

Does Valor Mortis Have a Dedicated Wiki or Guide for Beginners?

Yes, though none is run by the developer. IGN hosts a Valor Mortis wiki with a walkthrough, and independent fan wikis such as valormortis.site and valormortisguide.wiki cover combat and progression. Xbox Wire's developer tips post is the closest official beginner guide.

What's Next for Valor Mortis

One review notes the studio has promised a story expansion and a New Game+ mode, though the sources reviewed here give no dates.

Where Can I Find the Latest Official News or Updates About Valor Mortis?

Start with the official website at valormortis.game and the Valor Mortis Steam Community hub, which carries announcements and update history. The game's X, Instagram, and Discord channels are linked from its Steam page, and Xbox Wire published a launch-day tips post from the developer.

Are There Active Communities or Forums Discussing Valor Mortis Gameplay?

Yes. The official Valor Mortis Discord, where players can talk with the developers, and the r/ValorMortis subreddit are the main hubs, while the Steam Community hub adds discussion boards alongside announcements. The Discord server was created in August 2025 and offered early access to playtest builds.