Valor Mortis Review: Napoleonic War Meets First-Person Combat

Napoleon's march through Europe has received a grotesque dark-fantasy overhaul in Valor Mortis, set to launch on October 13, 2026, where historical conquest collides with occult monstrosities and first-person swordplay. Blending real 19th-century military campaigns with demonic corruption, the game puts players in the boots of a French soldier navigating war-torn landscapes. It turns out invading Russia becomes considerably more complicated when the army transforms into literal monsters along the way.

"Lyrical Games has achieved something I never thought would work: a fluid first-person soulslike," critic Andrej Barovic wrote in his review published on October 12, 2026. Barovic highlighted the game's setting as its standout element, noting how its visual storytelling and historical backdrop ground its fantastical narrative.

Ahead of its October 2026 launch, the game builds its campaign around interconnected chapters filled with bonfires, shortcuts, and soul-based progression.

The details

• Setting: Alternative 19th-century Europe following Napoleon's Grande Armée
• Protagonist: Fully voiced soldier named William with strange supernatural abilities
• Core mechanics: First-person parrying, rapiers, firearms, and situational spells
• Progression: Soul-funded passive perk trees and collectible charms

How does the first-person combat work?

Unlike traditional third-person action RPGs, combat relies heavily on precise first-person timing. Weapons like the rapier completely eliminate blocking, forcing players into high-risk parries that echo action-focused titles like Sekiro. Success depends on reading telegraphed enemy attacks, executing perfect dodges, and using pistols to stagger approaching monstrosities.

The arsenal is tied directly to story progression rather than random loot drops. Swords, firearms, and magical abilities arrive during key narrative beats, though spellcasting takes a backseat to primary gunplay and melee dueling. Boss encounters feature unique setup gimmicks—including a literal duel against a giant combat windmill—that allow players to utilize their entire loadout without forcing rigid build restrictions.

What holds the campaign back?

While the core dueling is fast and responsive, the underlying character progression introduces friction. Rather than upgrading individual stats like strength or agility, players invest souls into passive perk nodes. Unlocking higher perk tiers requires purchasing unwanted passive skills first, a design choice Barovic described as "rather boring" during longer play sessions.

The level design also embraces classic genre headaches without mitigation. Environmental hazards like collapsing floors, dense swamp zones, and recycled boss encounters appear frequently across the campaign's interconnected zones. Optional side paths can occasionally trap players in softlocks, requiring a self-inflicted respawn back to the nearest bonfire.

Why it matters

Translating soulslike mechanics into a fluid first-person perspective has long been a difficult design hurdle for action games. By pairing responsive parry mechanics with a distinct Napoleonic historical setting, Valor Mortis demonstrates that the genre can move beyond traditional dark medieval fantasy while keeping the core mechanical challenge intact.