The soulslike genre is well-worn territory at this point. Myriad game developers of all shapes and sizes have all taken a swing at channelling the success of FromSoftware’s formula: an addictive mix of punishing combat gameplay, risk versus rewards progression, and a typically dark atmosphere. This isn’t to say we’re suffering from soulslike fatigue. If anything, we’re always excited to see how studios reinvent and remix those familiar core pillars, One More Level’s Valor Mortis being no exception.
Best known for creating Ghostrunner franchise, this latest game from One More Level combines first person souslike gameplay with a uniquely twisted world during the Napoleonic Wars. As William, a soldier in France’s Grande Armée, you wake up surrounded by piles of corpses, in a land blighted by a supernatural affliction known as the Crimson Plague.
Uncovering the mystery of its origins, as well as hunting for a potential cure, is the main narrative pull of Valor Mortis, though the developers are hardly in a rush to find some kind of resolution. They want to immerse you in this creepy macabre world they’ve so carefully crafted, each area having its own unique aesthetic as well as new monsters to slay and gear to unlock.
So what about that first person gameplay? In Valor Mortis, you start with a trusty saber in-hand, learning the basic flow of combat that relies on a ballet of light and heavy attacks, coupled with defensive actions including a block, dodge and, of course, a parry. The key here (as in most soulslike games) is learning the behaviours and attack patterns of various enemies, all while keeping an eye on your health, stamina, and mana (referred to as Nepthoglobin). This latter resource powers the spell-like Transmutations you can equip in Bill’s left hand, adding some Bioshock flare as you engulf foes in wreaths of flame or freeze them in a temporary stasis.
Even the most basic enemies can kill you or at least tear a huge chunk out of your health bar if you aren’t careful. At the same time, once you’ve learned their movesets and levelled up your own stats, abilities, and weapons, you can cleave through them with ease, running rings around foes who you may have previously tried to avoid in combat.
While the game doesn’t painstakingly signpost every turn and checkpoint, Valor Mortis is a linear action RPG that sees players travel from one level to the next as they unlock new weapons and powers, though there is scope for some Metroidvania-esque backtracking. For example, it doesn’t take very long to unlock a pistol and fire spell, both of which can clear specific obstacles found earlier in the game. Remembering where these are scattered is helpful as they usually hide valuable materials that can help bolster your loadout.
Each player will gain access to the same core arsenal of weapons and spells with no slots to change out William’s armour or accessories. Instead, customisation derives from how you spend each skill point you earn when levelling up, as well as which perks (branded as Ambers) you have slotted, with certain combinations encouraging different playstyles. For example you can equip a perk that explodes enemy weak points when using firearms, one that gives each shot a chance of returning ammo, and one that even allows you to parry enemy bullets, creating a ranged-focused build.
The scope for customisation is far more narrow than your typical soulslike though this definitely works in the game’s favour, dispelling the vagaries and overthinking that can make playing Dark Souls and Elden Ring feel like a number-crunching exercise at times. Valor Mortis may borrow from this subgenre though it isn’t trying to be a full-blown RPG, focusing purely on gameplay and the satisfaction that comes from mastering a small yet versatile array of weapons and powers.
One thing it doesn’t borrow is its unique setting, an alternate 19th century timeline that imagines what would have happened if Napoleon won at Waterloo only for his empire to succumb to this supernatural decay. Whether traversing battlefields, villages, woodlands, or caverns, the Crimson Plague has spread its tendrils and corrupted everything in its path, leading to some truly imaginative enemy types and environments. Beneath this intriguing aesthetic is some fantastic level design work, stitching together open areas and tight interiors, each area furrowed with side paths and secrets that all loop together in a satisfying fashion. Traversal powers and light parkour add some extra flare, though are understandably less dynamic than those movement systems found in Ghostrunner.
