Valor Mortis Puts a Soulsborne Spin on Napoleonic Nightmares—But Can It Stand Out?

Why Valor Mortis Immediately Caught My Eye

I’ll admit it: when I first saw “Napoleonic era meets Souls-like,” I had to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. One More Level Games, fresh off their breakneck cyberpunk hit Ghostrunner 2, is pivoting hard with Valor Mortis-a dark, punishing action-adventure set in plague-ravaged 19th-century Europe. Sick of more medieval castles and generic fantasy? Me too. That’s why Valor Mortis jumps straight to the top of my “keep an eye on it” list for 2026.

• Combines demanding Souls-style swordplay with Metroidvania progression
• Unique Napoleonic horror setting (finally, something fresher than knights or vikings)
• Promising combat-parries, executions, and Bioshock-style powers
• Studio pedigree: One More Level’s Ghostrunner had razor-sharp gameplay

The Real Story: Why a Napoleonic Souls-like Matters

There’s no shortage of Souls-likes out there, especially after the genre went from cult hit (Demon’s Souls!) to mainstream juggernaut (Elden Ring, anyone?). We’ve seen samurai (Sekiro), sci-fi exoskeletons (The Surge), and even plague-ridden rats (Thymesia), but Napoleonic Europe remains largely untouched in gaming. That’s not just novel for novelty’s sake-those distinctive uniforms, the heavy emphasis on blade combat, and the era’s social upheaval all bring mood and texture we rarely see.

Plus, setting the story during a monstrous plague that’s reanimating corpses lets One More Level tap into gothic horror without leaning on tired vampire tropes. The protagonist, William, is a resurrected soldier with a supernatural edge, much like Dishonored’s Corvo got a bad respawn. The trailer teased monstrous transformations, body horror, and plague-soaked battlefields—exactly the stuff that could give Valor Mortis a distinct personality if the worldbuilding holds up.

Breaking Down the Meat of Gameplay

I’m a sucker for a brutal combat loop that rewards precision. Valor Mortis is touting tight swordplay with a focus on technical parries, swift counterattacks, and bloody executions. Based on early footage, the sword mechanics double down on timing-based defense—think Sekiro’s death-by-parry, but with sabers instead of katanas. Add in the promise of wielding different weapons in each hand and you’ve got room for some creative loadouts.

The Metroidvania elements are just as intriguing. Gated progression via new powers—like a fire ability that looks straight out of Bioshock—means that as you explore the cursed landscape, you’ll continually gain new tricks to open paths and decimate enemies. It’s a formula that’s worked in Dead Cells and Hollow Knight, so I’m curious to see if Valor Mortis can layer that exploration on top of Souls-style challenge without either side feeling thin.

Also, lanterns will serve as your respawn and healing points, but, in true Souls fashion, healing triggers enemy respawns. That’s a known recipe for risk-versus-reward tension. And character growth? Standard XP and leveling up, no radical reinvention, but this isn’t a genre that needs wild “innovation” every time—sometimes, nailing the basics is what counts.

Will One More Level Deliver, or Is This Just Genre Buzzwords?

I want to believe. Ghostrunner 2 proved One More Level understands tight controls and ruthless punishment. But Souls-likes live or die by their difficulty balance, worldbuilding, and combat depth. Will Valor Mortis truly challenge veteran players, or will it just copy FromSoftware’s homework? Skepticism is healthy—especially since “Souls-like” is the most misused marketing term of the past five years. Most games fumble the formula or forget that atmosphere is as important as stats and parries.

And while a Napoleonic setting is a breath of fresh air, it can’t just be window dressing. If the plague-ravaged Europe premise is more than skin-deep—delivering memorable bosses, interconnected zones, and real storytelling payoff—Valor Mortis could land with serious impact. Otherwise, it risks being another stylish but empty Souls-like in a crowded market.

TL;DR: Should Gamers Care?

Valor Mortis isn’t just another Souls-like—it’s one of the only games trying something bold with its setting. The sword combat looks sharp, the exploration could be meaty, and if One More Level brings the same polish as Ghostrunner 2, we may have a cult favorite in the making. Still, watch for real gameplay depth. If the Napoleonic horror is more than a gimmick, Valor Mortis could be a genre highlight when it drops in 2026.