by Michael FertittaOver the years, Dark Souls has inspired countless games that have taken its hardcore gameplay structure and iterated on its high skill ceiling and item scarcity. Regardless of whether some enjoy such mechanics, the gameplay has become highly influential for studios of all sizes when creating their own experiences. One such game that excels in this is the upcoming first-person soulslike, Valor Mortis. I was fortunate enough to play through a couple of levels during my demo session, and I came away thinking it was one of my highlights of the show.
Valor Mortis puts you in the perspective of a fallen soldier from Napoleon Bonaparte’s army who has risen from the dead. Throughout the game, you travel through wastelands filled with supernatural monsters and zombified soldiers that you must cut through, all in an effort to unravel a larger conspiracy that is big enough to put humanity in danger. During my demo run, I could see that the world design captures the air of desolation very well. There are villages that you could tell were brimming with life that have been reduced to settlements for hostile creatures. The enemy designs are also as expressive as they are grotesque; they take the form of bizarre amalgamations that reflect the world around them, and the boss designs lean into the supernatural crossover of a French soldier and the effects of becoming zombified.
My demo started at an introductory level, where I was able to adjust to combat from a first-person perspective. Initially, I was unsure how well the gameplay between parrying and dodging would carry over into this perspective, but before long, I found myself nailing parries on most enemy attacks. Don’t be fooled into thinking that figuring out enemy attack patterns makes the game a cakewalk, though, as the window for landing said parry is fairly narrow.
In addition to melee combat, you also later gain access to ranged projectiles with a revolver. This is useful for hitting enemy weak points from a distance, which I found especially helpful for enemies that exploded on impact. The weaponry doesn’t end there though, as there are several types of ranged and melee weapons you’ll gain access to throughout the game. For the second demo level, I got to experiment with a rapier weapon that was quicker to use, but came at the cost of less base damage compared to the standard sword.
Similar to other games in the genre, you’ve also got limited healing items and enhancements that allow you to deal elemental damage. These are restored at save points, but they are somewhat sparse throughout the levels, so you may have to ration them out depending on how confident you are in your combat skills. The trailers have also shown abilities to directly cast fire at enemies, so it’ll be interesting to see what other abilities the player will have access to in the full game.
What’s also relatively different is the platforming in Valor Mortis. There are segments where you grapple and swing from trees, and there are areas where you run on the walls to reach new heights. Since the developers also previously made the Ghostrunner games, I shouldn’t be surprised that the movement is very fluid, but it’s neat to see those mechanics make their way into this game.
Valor Mortis was easily one of the top games of the show for me. The combat was satisfying to pull off, and exploring the dark world that One More Level crafted for this game left me wanting to experience the full game’s story when it comes out. I think soulslike fans should absolutely give this game a try for its familiar mechanics and difficulty, all within a new point of view in the first-person perspective.
Valor Mortis
