Valor Mortis Review Round-up: A Favourable Verdict for a First-Person Soulslike
Valor Mortis lands at 78/100 on Metacritic, with 84% of critics recommending its first-person take on Soulslike combat.
- Developer
- One More Level
- Publisher
- Lyrical Games
- Release Date
- October 13, 2026
egg.network has not played Valor Mortis. This review round-up is built from published critic reviews and official details, linked at the end. The score is the critics' aggregate, not our own.
What critics concluded
Valor Mortis received generally favourable reviews, according to Metacritic, with an aggregate score of 78/100. OpenCritic recorded recommendations from 84% of critics. Together, those results establish a positive overall reception for One More Level’s first-person Soulslike, published by Lyrical Games.
The distinction between those figures matters: Metacritic supplies an aggregate score, while OpenCritic reports the proportion of critics recommending the game. Neither figure represents unanimous approval, but both point towards a broadly favourable critical response. The consensus is therefore positive without being universal.
For readers weighing that reception, the game’s defining elements are its first-person perspective, timing-based defensive options and alternate-history setting. Those are the foundations of the game receiving that endorsement, rather than separate critical verdicts on individual systems.
First-person combat built around defensive choices
Valor Mortis is an action role-playing game with Soulslike mechanics, viewed from a first-person perspective. Its protagonist, William, primarily fights with a cutlass, supported by a flintlock pistol and supernatural abilities.
Defence involves different responses rather than a single way to avoid every attack. Blocking incoming blows costs a small amount of health. Unblockable attacks require dodging, while a correctly timed parry can deal devastating damage to an enemy. The distinction between blocking, dodging and parrying forms part of the combat system described for the game.
The pistol has a separate role alongside the cutlass. It can target enemy weak points and stagger opponents, but ammunition is scarce. William also gains magical abilities called transmutations as he progresses, including the ability to unleash bursts of flame. His equipment therefore combines melee attacks, limited ammunition and supernatural powers within the same first-person framework.
Upgrades, checkpoints and the cost of defeat
Progression revolves around Catalysts, which players earn throughout the game. These can upgrade William’s stats, stamina and health, connecting the resources collected during play to his development.
Defeat sends William back to his most recent checkpoint, represented by a lantern. Any unused Catalysts are dropped at the location where he died. The distinction is between resources already spent on upgrades and those still being carried when a battle ends in defeat.
For players comparing Soulslike structures, that combination establishes the basic progression loop: earn Catalysts, develop William and return to a lantern after death, with unused resources left behind. It sits alongside the combat system’s separate demands for blocking, dodging and timed parries.
Napoleon’s war becomes supernatural horror
The setting is an alternate version of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe. Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo and continued marching across Europe, seeking to unite the continent under his rule. His endless war has unleashed a supernatural plague, transforming soldiers into undead monsters.
William Dowsett is a British soldier in Napoleon’s Grande Armée who awakens from apparent death with supernatural abilities. His former comrades are now among the enemies he must fight, while his own resurrection becomes part of the mystery driving the story.
Napoleon’s voice attempts to direct William from inside his head. A rebel leader known as the Shrike urges him to turn against Napoleon instead. The narrative follows William through the plague, the consequences of the war and the conspiracies surrounding his return from death.
Who this puts Valor Mortis in front of
The relevant audience is players looking at first-person Soulslikes, particularly those interested in cutlass combat, parrying and supernatural abilities. Its historical framework also places Napoleon’s army and an undead plague at the centre of the premise.
The critical recommendation remains the aggregate one: generally favourable reviews and an 84% recommendation rate. Those results accompany a game built around scarce pistol ammunition, defensive timing, character upgrades and dropped resources after defeat.
What matters for Malaysian and SEA players
Valor Mortis released on 13 October 2026 for Windows PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Those are the platforms for Malaysian and SEA players considering the game following its broadly favourable critical reception.
Sources
Pros
- Generally favourable critical reception on Metacritic.
- Recommended by 84% of critics tracked by OpenCritic.
- A Metacritic aggregate of 78/100.
Cons
Final Verdict
Critics delivered a generally favourable verdict on Valor Mortis, reflected in its Metacritic aggregate of 78/100. OpenCritic recorded recommendations from 84% of critics, making the overall reception positive rather than unanimous.