Valor Mortis, the Napoleonic Soulslike from the Ghostrunner team, launches today

Valor Mortis, the first-person Soulslike from One More Level, the Kraków studio behind the Ghostrunner games, launches today, 13 October, at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM UTC. It is published by Lyrical Games.

Where and how much

• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, and it is a day-one Xbox Game Pass title.
• Standard Edition: $39.99 / €39.99.
• Deluxe Edition: $59.99 / €59.99, including a major story DLC coming next year and several cosmetic packs before then.

On Steam, buying Valor Mortis together with Dishonored, No Rest for the Wicked, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, Ghostrunner or Ghostrunner 2 gives 10% off both games, and players who already own one of those can complete the bundle at the same discount.

What the game is about

The setting is an alternate Napoleonic war in occupied Eastern Europe, where a grotesque plague has twisted the campaign into something supernatural. You play William Dowsett, a resurrected soldier of the Grande Armée guided by Napoleon's disembodied voice.

The publisher highlights:

• Stamina-based first-person combat with parries, dashes and finishers.
• Dual-wielding period weapons such as rapiers and flintlock pistols, plus left-hand supernatural powers called Transmutations.
• Metroidvania-style exploration with environmental secrets.
• A score co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski (Silent Hill 2 remake, The Medium) and in-house composer Oskar Bała.

Vincent Cassel voices Napoleon, Jennifer English plays The Shrike and James Alexander voices William.

What comes next

Lyrical Games has confirmed a New Game+ mode for Q4 this year, with tougher enemies and new challenges while keeping your loot and progression, and promises several free updates in the coming months.

Our take

Ghostrunner proved One More Level can make first-person combat feel sharp, and moving that into a slower, punishing Soulslike is an interesting bet. Game Pass subscribers can try it at no extra cost, which lowers the risk for everyone else waiting for reviews.