Valor Mortis review: a first-person Soulslike in Napoleon’s nightmare France
The Ghostrunner developers take on a grim first-person Soulslike. Critics praise the combat but fault the bosses, difficulty and story.
Photo: Jacques-Louis David / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · Lyrical Games · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: Metacritic 77 (PC) · Push Square 8/10 · Game Informer 7/10
- Platforms
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Studio
- One More Level / Lyrical Games
- Release
- 13.10.2026
+ Pros
- Weighty combat with blades, firearms and powers
- Grim Napoleonic-era setting
- Good level design that rewards exploration
- Fast wall-running and grappling sections
– Cons
- Poorly balanced difficulty in the first half
- Boss fights too punishing or underwhelming
- Predictable story
- AA-level visuals and music; many bugs according to IGN
Critics' verdict
A confident but uneven first step into the Soulslike genre from the Ghostrunner developers – strong in combat, weaker in bosses and story.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
Valor Mortis launches on 13 October for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and is included in Xbox Game Pass from day one. The action game was developed by studio One More Level, known for Ghostrunner, and is published by Lyrical Games. According to GamingTrend it costs €39.99, with the Deluxe Edition at €59.99. The Soulslike is set in a nightmarish France of the Napoleonic era, with actor Vincent Cassel voicing the emperor.
Push Square awards 8 out of 10, praising the weighty combat with dual-wielding, the varied enemies and the level design. It criticises AA-level visuals and audio, underwhelming boss fights and a frustrating final section. Game Informer gives 7 out of 10: parrying, dodging and the mix of sabres, firearms and psychic powers are fun, while wall-running and grappling add pace.
However, the first half of the game is poorly balanced, bosses are often too punishing and the story offers few surprises, according to Game Informer. On Metacritic, the PC version scores 77. The range is wide: GamingBolt awards 90, IGN only 70 citing numerous bugs, and French magazine Gamekult 50.