Valor Mortis Reviews
Valor Mortis is an incredibly compelling Soulslike experience that really brings something unique to the genre. It seamlessly mashes up historical fiction, horror, and Soulslike action into a genuinely impressive package, and sure, you might need to look past some of the limitations of first-person melee and a few frustrating moments here and there, but behind those issues is a remarkably fresh take on a familiar formula that easily stands out in the crowd.
Ghostrunner studio One More Level returns with a Napoleonic alternative history Soulslike that fuses fluid sword- and gunplay with exhilarating parkour, and it's a delight.
Valor Mortis is a novel soulslike packed with interesting ideas, even if they don’t always work out super smoothly.
Valor Mortis is still a thoroughly engaging experience that left me more than satisfied with my time going through its story and learning about its world.
A Soulslike with parry-focused combat has to do far more than shift the camera to first person to stand out from such an overcrowded pack. Valor Morris is relatively well-executed and has moments of real character and charm, but the gameplay's more familiar than my own shadow.
There are the bones of a great game here–one that would benefit from a tighter focus on its engaging first-person combat and a trimming of the superfluous mechanics that detract from the ones that work. Instead, it’s an uneven experience that delights as much as it disappoints.
Apart from the difficulty hiccups, Valor Mortis is a steady Soulslike that prioritizes fun over hardcore gameplay, and it's made my time with Napoleon all the more memorable.
I was skeptical about a Soulslike in first-person, but Valor Mortis proves that it works very well.
Valor Mortis is a pleasant surprise and a demonstration that the first-person perspective has a lot to offer within the Soulslike genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A compelling new Soulslike that manages to follow all the tropes of the genre while also utilising an unusual historical setting and impressively fast-paced action.
One More Level came into Valor Mortis with a bucketload of ideas, spilling them onto the drawing board and seeing what happened. Surprisingly, many of these disparate ideas seamlessly snap together like magnets while others show a bit more resistance, requiring some clever design work to form a unison. The end result is an inventive take on the soulslike genre that offers a satisfying, challenging gameplay loop without the laborious RPG trappings.
As unforgiving as Valor Mortis can be, it doesn’t forget the fun between the frustration.
Valor Mortis is a textbook soulslike, somewhere between the grandeur and fame of Napoleon Bonaparte and the triviality of Joseph Bonaparte.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Valor Mortis, the latest project from Ghostrunner developer One More Level, is absolutely wonderful, though not without its flaws.
Ultimately, Valor Mortis turned out to be a fairly decent Soulslike that knows how to reward you for honed skills and punish you for mistakes. It needs some time to get up to speed before all the mechanics start working in unison as they should.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Valor Mortis manages to combine some of the best features from Metroid, Dark Souls, Bioshock, and even Dishonored all into one addicting package. Combat feels great, and exploration keeps you moving forward thanks to a more linear approach with plenty of branching paths to discover. There's a learning curve to the parry system that combat relies on, but plenty of games in these genres have demanded more of us than Valor Mortis does. Skill progression loses focus in later levels, missing a great deal of potential still in the skill tree. Boss fights also lack a great deal of challenge, with the first one proving the most challenging. Nonetheless, Valor Mortis is a slam dunk purchase at $50.
Valor Mortis starts strong with responsive first-person combat and a fascinating Napoleonic setting, but loses steam past the midpoint, only reecovering towards the endgame. Level design not fully taking into account first-person combat, limited enemy variety and character customization options, and technical issues on PC hold it back from greatness, though it remains a solid and somewhat ambitious soulslike that many will like for trying something different within the genre.
Better balance and more gratifying progression would help Valor Mortis become a must-play Soulslike.
Valor Mortis is a worthy addition to the Soulslike genre, its first-person perspective and Napoleonic setting making it stand out from a sea of samey titles. With strong combat and impressive level design, its well worth your time and investment, especially considering the reduced pricepoint.While it may stumble in places and starts stronger than it finishes, Valor Mortis should be high on the list of anyone in the market for a grimdark action game.
An unusual Souls crossover with well-thought-out level design and a dense, morbid atmosphere, but not quite technically polished on PS5.
Review in German | Read full review