Valor Mortis is out now, and if you have Game Pass you don’t have to pay anything extra to try it. The first-person Soulslike from One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, launched Tuesday at 10am PT on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam for $39.99, and publisher Lyrical Games put it in Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one.
What kind of game it is
You play William Dowsett, a soldier in Napoleon’s army who comes back from the dead after a plague twists the campaign across Eastern Europe into something much worse than a war. Napoleon himself, voiced by Vincent Cassel, guides you as a disembodied voice, and BAFTA-winning actor Jennifer English plays The Shrike, a figure in the resistance. James Alexander voices William.
Combat is stamina-based and built around parries, dashes, and finishers. You dual-wield period weapons like rapiers and flintlock pistols, and your left hand handles supernatural powers. Lyrical also describes Metroidvania-style exploration, so expect shortcuts and secrets tucked into each region. It’s rated M for blood, gore, and intense violence, and it earns that rating.
Editions and price
There are two editions on every platform:
- Standard Edition, $39.99: the base game.
- Deluxe Edition, $59.99: the base game plus a major story DLC due next year, along with several cosmetic packs that arrive before it.
Lyrical says a New Game+ mode is coming in Q4, letting you replay with new challenges and tougher enemies while keeping your loot and progression. More free updates are planned for the coming weeks and months.
Where to buy
PC: Valor Mortis isn’t on GOG, so there’s no DRM-free copy for now. Your best bet is Steam, which also has bundles that take 10% off when you pair it with Dishonored, No Rest for the Wicked, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, Ghostrunner, or Ghostrunner 2. It’s on the Xbox app for PC too.
Xbox Series X|S: buy it from the Xbox Store or play it with Game Pass Ultimate. It supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so one digital purchase covers both console and PC, and your progress carries over.
PS5: both editions are on the PlayStation Store at the same $39.99 and $59.99 prices.
Game Pass
Valor Mortis is included in Game Pass Ultimate on Xbox Series X|S and in PC Game Pass on PC. If you already subscribe, it’s an easy way to see whether a first-person Soulslike clicks for you. If it does, buying the Deluxe Edition later gets you the story DLC when it lands.
Ghostrunner showed this team can make fast first-person combat feel great, so a slower, heavier Soulslike is a fun swing. With Game Pass covering it on day one, there’s not much reason to skip it if the genre is your thing.