50 Minutes Of Valor Mortis Gamplay

Great setting! For once it takes a bit of a risk, so at least it's worth mentioning. But another soul-like game? No thanks.
 
I'm so anti first person that probably janky Cinder City looks more fun to me, even though I like basically everything else about this game better.
At least that game might give me some Vanquish vibes.

Edit: just found out Cinder CIty is an MMO . . . I'd rather play a bunch of first person games than touch an MMO
 
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Is 1800s-ish Europe going to be the new fantasy style for awhile (Lies of P, Clair Obscur, this)? If so, that's fine with me. No one make fun of me if I'm wrong. I'm still learning this time period. :messenger_sad_relieved:
 
I like the setting.
But the combat looks a bit janky. First person melee combat is always tricky to get right, and this ain't it.
Ghostrunner worked because it's all about momentun and taking down most enemies in a single hit
 
Took him 5 minutes to beat a basic enemy.

Terrence Ross Wow GIF
 
Didn't watch a lot because I'm pretty sure I will play this, looks interesting for sure. It will all come down to the combat/movement/parry(duh!), because I already like the aesthetics/setting and have no problems with FPS.

One thing I noticed though that every Souls-game should remove is the loss of stamina when out of combat. Just let me run/explore freely and when entering combat the stamina kicks in.
 
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The Infectious Paradox said:
Oh God fucking dammit first person... I had hopes for this
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Can I ask why that is a bad thing for you?

I never understood the reaction to a point of view with certain games, where people lament the fact it's one or the other. It's actually kind of bizarre to me (especially on an enthusiast forum) and leads me to believe that most have no clue how videogame development works. Not having a go at you personally here btw.

The only genre I find this can actually be detrimental to is strategy games but even those can make any type of perspective work these days.
 
First person melee is just not the same as third person. You completely miss the spatial awareness required to attack, block , dodge and parry correctly especially in timing-heavy games like soulslikes.

You can see it in the gameplay here, too. He frequently misses blocks, parries and attacks not because he is bad but because he incorrectly positions himself. Again, because the first person view gives a warped view of the space in relation to the enemy.

Love the setting and I hope they pull it off.
 


(timestamped) nice to see blocking did absolutely fuck all lol, also that elite dude delays some his attacks so artificially, as if the animation freezes - looks so wack
 
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SJRB said:
First person melee is just not the same as third person. You completely miss the spatial awareness required to attack, block , dodge and parry correctly especially in timing-heavy games like soulslikes.

You can see it in the gameplay here, too. He frequently misses blocks, parries and attacks not because he is bad but because he incorrectly positions himself. Again, because the first person view gives a warped view of the space in relation to the enemy.
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Then blaming an entire perspective isn't the right call.

Zeno Clash does all of what you described really well and that game came out over a decade ago.

Your complaint essentially means these specific devs need to work on everything you've listed.
 
March Climber said:
Then blaming an entire perspective isn't the right call.

Zeno Clash does all of what you described really well and that game came out over a decade ago.

Your complaint essentially means these specific devs need to work on everything you've listed.
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Doesn't the fact that you have to bring up a game from 10+ years ago as an example of good implementation of first person melee basically prove my point?

First person melee is very hard to pull off correctly in a satisfying way, and I'm not sure the devs of this game will pull it off successfully based on the gameplay video.
 
Branded said:
Can I ask why that is a bad thing for you?

I never understood the reaction to a point of view with certain games, where people lament the fact it's one or the other. It's actually kind of bizarre to me (especially on an enthusiast forum) and leads me to believe that most have no clue how videogame development works. Not having a go at you personally here btw.

The only genre I find this can actually be detrimental to is strategy games but even those can make any type of perspective work these days.
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There are certain types of games, in my opinion, that need a wider viewing space to be comfortable. For example, I love KCD, but the stealth missions drove me up the wall because I never had time to see enemies coming and make a plan.

The same can be said in this case. And enemy will swing at you and be so far off center that it's frustrating for combat purposes. Some FPS do get it right. Dishonored is an example. So I'm not saying it's always bad, but here it looks janky.

In summary - aspects of FPS combat can more easily be detrimental to certain gameplay mechanics than TPS.
 
SJRB said:
Doesn't the fact that you have to bring up a game from 10+ years ago as an example of good implementation of first person melee basically prove my point?

First person melee is very hard to pull off correctly in a satisfying way, and I'm not sure the devs of this game will pull it off successfully based on the gameplay video.
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No because it was the first game that immediately came to my mind. I don't always have a very recent example of something always queued up in my mind for moments like this.

I guess if you want me to start bringing up newer examples and play the example game we can, but the ultimate point was that the perspective is never the issue, which is what you're trying to pin this on.

These devs made the Ghostrunner games for crying out loud so they should have a better sense of how to get this right. This is a simple case of them needing to 'git gud' at what they're attempting with this game.

What you're saying would be like blaming the entire top-down perspective itself because we recently saw a top-down shooter that looked mediocre, and then saying 'see this is why top-down never works as a perspective for shooters'.
 
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hououinkyouma00 said:
I'm so sick of this shit. It seems like we get another one of these things every other day.

The worst part is it seems like the Chinese/Korean market that has started to open up more is nothing but soulslikes and gacha at least in the AA/AAA space.
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Same shit that happened with Battle Royale's for a couple of years…it's tiring. The whole industry lacks creativity and originality now.
 


Game Director Radosław Ratusznik walks us through more details, and gameplay, of Valor Mortis, the upcoming first-person action soulslike from the creators of Ghostrunner. Valor Mortis comes to Xbox Series consoles and PC in 2026.
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Valor Mortis HANDS-ON PREVIEW: The Most Promising Soulslike in Years

"I've been very vocal about the volume of Soulslikes releases. The market is saturated, and more Souls games are on the way. Valor Mortis is one of the latest to be announced, but this preview comes after playing it at Gamescom 2025. One More Level has an unbelievably exciting new project, as the studio has taken some of the best Ghostrunner qualities."
Valor Mortis doesn't hide its genre or obvious inspiration. There are Lanterns serving as the usual Souls checkpoints, enemies respawn, and you lose your resources if you die. It's standard fare in that regard. However, I've been wanting a polished and powerful first-person Soulslike for a while. Everyone goes for third-person, and no one seems to see the potential of a first-person perspective.

One More Level has taken the plunge. You're a fallen Napoleon soldier in the 19th century, reanimated and revived. I jumped straight into the action with a sword in hand, a first-person camera angle in place, and the game teaching me the basics: How to attack, parry, and other common Souls techniques and movements.

I was elated to see that One More Level hadn't forgotten its roots. Valor Mortis still lets you perform a sizable dash à la Jack from Ghostrunner, and there's some fun parkour and traversal moments. But the core of the game's structure revolves around combat. This is a Soulslike, and I can say it gets the blood pumping and makes my heart beat furiously.
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"It became evident very quickly that this isn't another Elden Ring, Lies of P, or Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. I can tell you first-hand, this is the most excited I've been for a Soulslike in years."
My hour-long demo saw me finish with a sword in my right hand for light and strong strikes, and interchangeable gadgets for my left hand: A pistol or the ability to spew fire from my hand. If you're familiar with Bioshock or the Dishonored franchise, you'll know what I'm talking about.

The pistol is great for enemies with big weak points, whereas fire is perfect to coat enemies with a crispy blast of flames and can quickly build up huge damage. I found I needed all three weapons to overcome the boss at the end of the demo. I won't spoil things, but the boss is big, nasty, malformed, and took some beating.

The fascinating part of the fight for me was that the boss had plenty of weak points to target. Other Souls games emphasize elemental damage and weaknesses, and resistances. The pistol was a necessity, and the weak points added dynamism to the fight. There's a lot of diversity in Valor Mortis' gameplay, but you can still upgrade your main stats, like your health and parry capabilities. The unique environment is bolstered by visions of fallen soldiers, so you can learn more about the world—acting as a collectible in some ways.
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"One hour with Valor Mortis felt like seconds. As a huge Soulslike fan, this is the type of game I've been craving. If the tight-knit world-building and slick gameplay of Ghostrunner transfer over to Valor Mortis, this might be a sleeper GOTY contender."

insider-gaming.com

Valor Mortis HANDS-ON PREVIEW: The Most Promising Soulslike in Years

One More Level has moved into uncharted territory with Valor Mortis, and our preview explains why it could be the best Soulslike in years.
insider-gaming.com insider-gaming.com
 
hououinkyouma00 said:
I'm so sick of this shit. It seems like we get another one of these things every other day.

The worst part is it seems like the Chinese/Korean market that has started to open up more is nothing but soulslikes and gacha at least in the AA/AAA space.
Click to expand...

I'll never understand why people get mad at a few games having similar gameplay styles to one another. And yes it is a few games, there are hundreds of games released every year and only a very very small handful have souls-like gameplay.

It's like someone screaming about too many first person shooters...
 
If this were 3rd person I would have written it of as im sick of the genre, but I think a first person perspective and the studio's past experience with Ghostrunner has made this different enough to pique my interest.
 


Jean-Luc got their hands on the Valor Mortis Gamescom demo. With it they go through a tutorial section, and make their way through a level including a boss fight. See timestamps below.

0:00 Intro
0:31 Tutorial Start
1:47 First Combat
2:18 Stealth Attack
3:21 Quest Start
4:43 Parry and Posture
5:20 Pistol Acquired
7:19 Rekindling Lantern
8:43 Gaining Fire Transmutation
9:32 Using Fire Magic
11:34 Fighting Various Enemies
18:40 Leveling Up
22:12 Boss Fight
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Am I the only one that was reminded of Game of Thrones when this game title was announced?

Previews seem quite positive. Will keep an eye out.
 
Looks like Bloodborne but with colour.

I really do wish these souls likes could try to find a way to differentiate themselves a bit more from those games.

Going first person is a good start but the crystal health popping, the setting and a sword being more powerful than a gun seem to be a reoccurring theme that's getting a bit tiring.

Looks pretty good either way and might be a good compliment to witchfire.
 
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Valor Mortis Isn't Just Another Soulslike—It Might Be the One That Redefines the Genre In 2025 And Beyond

Let's be honest, the Soulslike genre is getting a little crowded. It feels like every other week there's a new contender stepping into the ring, promising to be the next Elden Ring or Bloodborne. Most of them are… fine. They check the boxes: punishing difficulty, grimdark fantasy setting, bonfire-equivalents, and losing all your hard-earned XP when a random skeleton sneezes on you.
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So, when I sat down at Gamescom 2025 for a preview of Valor Mortis, another announced Soulslike, my expectations were pretty grounded. I was ready for more of the same.​
​
I was wrong. So, so wrong.​
​
What One More Level, the wizards behind the blisteringly fast Ghostrunner series, have cooked up isn't just another clone. After an hour with it, I can confidently say this is the most excited I've been for a new Soulslike in a long, long time.​
Valor Mortis isn't trying to hide its lineage. You've got your Lanterns (bonfires), respawning enemies, and the soul-crushing penalty of losing your resources upon death. It's all there. But One More Level did something so simple, yet so revolutionary, that it changes everything: they made it first-person.

I know, it sounds like a gimmick. But for years, I've wondered why no one has truly committed to a polished, triple-A first-person Soulslike. The potential for immersion is massive. One More Level didn't just see that potential; they grabbed it, polished it, and are now preparing to beat us over the head with it. You're a fallen soldier from Napoleon's army in the 19th century, brought back from the dead, and the world is immediately in your face.

The demo dropped me right into the thick of it. With a sword in hand, the game walked me through the familiar dance of attacking, parrying, and dodging. But this time, it felt different.
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The intimacy of the first-person view turns every encounter into a frantic, heart-pounding duel. There's no peeking around your character model to see what's flanking you. There's just the grotesque, corrupted face of your enemy filling your entire screen. It's terrifying, and it's brilliant.​
Thankfully, the devs haven't forgotten what made Ghostrunner so special. The DNA of their previous work is woven into the fabric of Valor Mortis. The movement feels incredible. You have a satisfying dash that gets you out of tight spots, and the level design incorporates parkour elements that make traversal feel fluid and engaging. But make no mistake, combat is king.

My hour-long demo armed me with a trusty sword for light and heavy attacks, but my left hand was the real star of the show. It became a multi-tool of destruction, with interchangeable gadgets that felt straight out of BioShock or Dishonored. I had a pistol, perfect for popping the glowing weak spots on larger enemies, and a pyromancer's glove that let me spew fire like a dragon with an upset stomach.

This isn't just for show. The combat loop encourages you to use your entire arsenal. During the demo's final boss—a massive, malformed monstrosity that clearly skipped leg day and every other day—I had to constantly switch between my tools. I'd use the pistol to stagger it by hitting its weak points, douse it in flames to apply a damage-over-time effect, then dash in with my sword for a few precious hits before retreating. It's a dynamic, strategic dance of death that feels both fresh and challenging.
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The movement feels incredible. You have a satisfying dash that gets you out of tight spots, and the level design incorporates parkour elements that make traversal feel fluid and engaging. But make no mistake, combat is king.​
The setting itself is a huge part of the appeal. Instead of another generic medieval kingdom, we get a twisted, plague-ridden 19th-century Europe. You're fighting through the ranks of your former, now-corrupted comrades, with Napoleon's ghostly whispers goading you on. It's weird, it's unique, and it's dripping with atmosphere. This kind of bold, off-the-wall setting is what helped games like Lies of P stand out, and Valor Mortis is poised to do the same.

The world is also filled with lore, told through visions of fallen soldiers that act as collectibles, slowly piecing together the grim narrative. It encourages you to slow down and soak in the beautifully grim environments—something the art team at One More Level clearly relishes after players zipped through their gorgeous cyberpunk cities in Ghostrunner.

My hour with Valor Mortis flew by in what felt like minutes. It's rare for a pre-alpha demo to feel this polished, this confident in its identity.
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If the final game can maintain this level of tight gameplay, innovative combat, and compelling world-building, we're not just looking at a great Soulslike. We might be looking at a genuine Game of the Year contender. Keep your eyes on this one.​

totalapexgaming.com

Valor Mortis Isn’t Just Another Soulslike—It Might Be the One That Redefines the Genre In 2025 And Beyond - Total Apex Gaming

when I sat down at Gamescom 2025 for a preview of Valor Mortis, another announced Soulslike, my expectations were pretty grounded.
totalapexgaming.com totalapexgaming.com
 
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