Unveiling Valor Mortis: A Napoleonic Soulslike Adventure from a First-Person Perspective

The studio **One More Level**, known for the parkour action game **Ghostrunner**, is currently developing a souls-like title called **Valor Mortis**. During the Game Industry Conference in Poland, a journalist from **IGN** had a conversation with game director **Radosław Ratusznik**. Here are some intriguing highlights from that interview.

The narrative of **Valor Mortis** is set amidst the Napoleonic Wars. Ratusznik explained that the developers initially focused on gameplay mechanics rather than the setting—they aimed to create a first-person action game that blends melee combat, gunplay, and magic. The lead concept artist for the project also happens to be a historian, which ultimately led **One More Level** to develop a fantasy world where an undead army under Napoleon wreaks havoc across Europe.

**Radosław Ratusznik**, Game Director of **Valor Mortis**

The protagonist of **Valor Mortis** is a British soldier named William, who joins Napoleon’s forces, captivated by the vision of a free Europe. Unlike his fellow soldiers, William has the unique ability to control a substance known as oilglobin, which causes the dead to mutate. He retains his sanity while battling monsters on the warped battlefields. According to Ratusznik, the game will also delve into the horrors of war.

**Radosław Ratusznik**, Game Director of **Valor Mortis**

The **One More Level** team fully embraces the «souls-like» label. In fact, Ratusznik believes that **Valor Mortis** is a genuine representative of this genre. The combat system is based on stamina, progress is saved at «bonfires» (light sources), and enemies respawn after saves. Additionally, exploration and boss fights play significant roles in the gameplay.

While many souls-like creators tend to favor a third-person perspective, **One More Level** opted for a first-person view. The team drew inspiration not only from their own **Ghostrunner** duology but also from other Polish action titles like **Dying Light** and **Cyberpunk 2077**. Implementing melee combat from a first-person perspective is a challenging endeavor, prompting developers to use various clever techniques.

**Radosław Ratusznik**, Game Director of **Valor Mortis**

Finally, the conversation touched on the console versions of **Valor Mortis**:

**Valor Mortis** is set to launch in 2026 on PC (via **Steam**), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, with a Russian text translation included in the package.