Valor Mortis
Credit: One More Level
Valor Mortis translates from the Latin into “courage in the face of death.” It’s a fitting title for a soulslike, the genre spawned by FromSoftware’s Dark Souls games into its very own breed of wildly varied action-RPGs.
The upcoming first-person fantasy shooter was revealed at Opening Night Live Tuesday as Gamescom kicks off in Cologne, Germany. It looks excellent, blending elements of the Dark Souls games with first-person gameplay reminiscent of Arkane’s Dishonored series, all set against a fantastical and grimdark backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
Here’s the trailer:
In Valor Mortis, you take on the role of William, a former soldier of the Grande Armée brought back from the dead. You discover that your former comrades have been transformed into hideous abominations by some mysterious force – the same force that grants you a suite of magical powers to go along with your blade and pistol and musket. A terrible, magical plague and an equally brutal war have left this alternative Europe in tatters.
Fans of Dark Souls can join fans of Ghostrunner in their excitement over Valor Mortis, as One More Level worked on those games prior to this release. The Ghostrunner games blend cyberpunk ninja action with fast-paced parkour and insta-death for a super fun and incredibly challenging and fast-paced experience. This game looks much slower and more methodical, but also a lot more like my kind of game.
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Valor Mortis is slated to release on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 in 2026.