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One More Level, the studio behind the frenetic FPS action series Ghostrunner is working on a surprising new game: Valor Mortis, a first-person soulslike game heavily inspired by the original Dark Souls.
We hear what you’re saying, “A first-person soulslike? How does that work?” And you’re not alone. In fact, the team behind the game are entirely aware just how crazy the idea sounds.
Valor Mortis isn’t a game for everyone
Speaking to GamesRadar at Gamescom 2025, the studio explained that the new game is exactly what you’d expect. It’s a proper soulslike but in first-person.
“We are just being transparent with the description!” the team told the outlet. “The game has a soulslike format with recollecting ‘souls’, lighting ‘bonfires’, and fighting bosses that are meant to be very challenging. It also has map backtracking to find secrets. We think it’s very much a soulslike and would rather be transparent than worry about the connotations.”
The Ghostrunner team explained that they were also influenced by the combat of Dishonored, although that game hasn’t really changed the gameplay structure of the first-person soulslike. “It is much closer to Dark Souls in format,” they explained.
Of course, the team is also aware of how weird a first-person stab at this genre may appear to most gamers. After all, soulslike games are typically third-person for a reason with the series relying a lot on situational awareness to not get horrendously murdered in unfair ways.
The team is very aware that the concept of a soulslike game in first-person will not be loved by everyone.
“Ultimately, we aren’t trying to make a game for everyone,” the team explained. “If you’ve played Ghostrunner, you’ll already know that’s the case. It’s a niche and unforgiving game that many people gave up on, but that’s another factor that led us to soulslikes. If anyone can pull this off in first-person, we think we have a good shot.”
Just from the trailer alone, Valor Mortis looks like a fantastic idea with a beautiful Napoleon-era art style and the addition of BioShock plasmid-style powers. Maybe the first-person soulslike design won’t pay off, but it certainly looks like it’s worth a shot.
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