Valor Mortis Review

If you want a game that’ll bust your balls, Valor Mortis has to be the game for you. It is a Souls-like experience where accuracy, patience, and a little luck go an awful long way. However, it is sadly laced with countless bugs, and that prevents it from excelling. If you think of a first-person Lies of P, then you kind of get the idea.

One More Level has developed this single-player, first-person experience. It is gritty, dark, and pretty gruesome. However, the biggest stomach-churning twist is the immersion-breaking bugs. Some of these problems have been ironed out, but I experienced countless black screens, flashing lights, and crashes to the dashboard. This is unfortunate, as this Game Pass subscription service game shows plenty of promise.

Valor Mortis offers a familiar tale.

The idea of rising from the dead and observing a cursed, apocalyptic landscape is not new. Valor Mortis uses this idea in a Napoleonic setting. You play the role of William, a soldier from the Grande Armée. Your goal is to explore the plague-ridden world, discover why you have risen, and destroy every monster you encounter.

The story is unfortunately light on detail, even though the setting is impressive, oppressive, and wonderfully dark. Moreover, the use of slow-down animation, decapitation, and a brilliantly sinister soundscape helps to create an uncomfortable and gruesome world to explore.

A world of combat and magic.

Valor Mortis utilises many core Souls mechanics to create a standard and tough game. This won’t be for everyone, as the parry and dodge windows are small, and the hitboxes are brutally accurate. However, if you enjoy testing yourself and you like a bit of guts and gore, this will be right up your street.

The blend of supernatural abilities, melee weapons, and firepower was great. These combine perfectly with the posture and parry system that the developer has incorporated. Time your parry perfectly and break your opponent’s posture, and death is all but assured. Yet, the same applies to you. If you hack away like a maniac, you’ll lose your stamina and composure, and you’ll fall to your death!

The character upgrade system and save points are key mechanics of the title. In genre fashion, the save points are your beacons of light. However, using one respawns every minor monster. Accordingly, you must use them sparingly unless you wish to face never-ending enemies.

Huge bosses and secrets.

The 10 boss encounters are often very tough, and this puts your skills to the test. With multi-stage combat, different approaches, and a test of your resolve, this may break you. There is a vast difference between these fights and the smaller minions you find on your journey. Although the combat system is the same and you often use a combination of ranged and close-quarters combat to break defensive stances and find weaknesses, the sheer difficulty is often soul-destroying. This offers a highly rewarding outcome, but the mountain to climb is often far too challenging.

Despite the brutal design, I loved each boss battle. The ability to study movement patterns, observe weaknesses, and use trial and error to find a solution was great. This is what this genre is about, and Valor Mortis will appeal to hardcore fans.

Searching the vast world for secrets, resources, and other key elements was fantastic. The gaming arena feels massive, and there are some gated areas where new abilities open pathways. This leads to segments of lore and challenging mini-bosses. Although it wasn’t always necessary, I enjoyed taking my time and exploring the grim alternative Napoleonic setting.

Valor Mortis is immersive until it isn’t.

Valor Mortis is brilliantly immersive. The world is large, oppressive, and a disgusting joy to explore. The gruesome combat will turn your stomach, and I love the detailed decapitation. But I cannot overlook the visual issues and bugs. Until they are resolved, this will never hit the right notes. The audio is fantastic and atmospheric. The use of minor tones and heavy tunes creates a sense of drama and despair. Additionally, the blend of sound effects fits the horrific fantasy theme.

The control system is as tough as I expected. Hitboxes are remarkably small, and the parry window is annoyingly short. This is a deliberate choice and something that makes the game unbelievably tough to play. If you are familiar with the genre, you won’t mind this. Newcomers, however, won’t know what hit them. Replay value and longevity are a mixed bag. If you like the gameplay and the exploration, you’ll play this for hours. Those who despise the lack of balance and the bugs will uninstall it immediately.

Valor Mortis needs more polish.

I think this is a great example of the genre. Yes, I’d have enjoyed a bigger and more intense story, but that wasn’t to be. Furthermore, had the bugs been ironed out before release, things would have been much smoother. Yet, this didn’t happen, and we have a partially broken game to deal with. Once the problems are resolved, this will be amazing, despite its tough ways. Consequently, I think it’s worth your time, and you should grab a copy from the Xbox Store!