The Ghostrunner team takes on Napoleon's undead army in first person, and it's beautiful, brutal and very easy to get into.
Verdict Play It Now
Give me a beautiful world and I’ll play pretty much anything. Valor Mortis gives me a beautiful world full of death, and I’m really into it.
Watch the RAW IMPRESSIONS
Valor Mortis RAW IMPRESSIONS: A Stunning Game Pass Day One Soulslike, and a Huge Win for XboxGetting Valor Mortis on Game Pass day one is a huge win for Xbox.
CMoney, OnPoint 4 Gamers
What it is
Valor Mortis is a first person action Soulslike from One More Level, the team behind Ghostrunner, published by Lyrical Games. You play William, a soldier of Napoleon’s Grande Armée who rises from a battlefield grave into an alternate 19th century Europe swept by a mysterious plague, with its corrupting power running through his veins. You fight with parries, dashes and finishers across a variety of weapons, unlock supernatural abilities and dig into a conspiracy where real historical figures meet horror.
It launched October 13, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PC and the cloud, day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It’s $39.99 to buy.
Stunning and grim
This game is gorgeous in a weird way. You’re looking at death, destruction and pain, and it still makes a beautiful image. The opening sets the tone perfectly. The distant landscapes don’t look painted on, either. Stuff way up on the cliffs looks like places you’ll actually get to, which is a really cool sign for exploration. The sound design pulls you into the world, and the voice acting is strong.
Combat that clicks
Movement feels great, and I have a lot of control. Blocking is one thing, but I was cooking with the parry right away. I love the swing animations and seeing the body react, and there’s an x-ray shot when you smash an enemy that shows the bones underneath. That was sick. The tougher the enemy, the more you have to parry and really fight, and a couple of them humbled me. Bosses are where the difficulty spikes. The stretches in between are more forgiving, which keeps it engaging instead of exhausting.
Verdict: Play It Now
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Valor Mortis is fantastic so far, and it’s stunning. I can’t wait to dig deeper. I already see people on my Xbox friends list playing it, and I think it’s going to be a popular one. Getting it on Game Pass day one is a huge win for Xbox. If you have Game Pass, go play it right now on Xbox or PC.
This is not a review, so there’s no score here.
Screenshots captured by OnPoint 4 Gamers from gameplay. Featured image: OnPoint 4 Gamers.
