A closer look at “Valor Mortis: Why Soulslikes Don't Work in First-Person — Yet”, exactly as the source publishes it. Ghostrunner developer One More Level is back with Valor Mortis, a bold attempt to transplant the Soulslike formula into a first-person perspective. The studio, known for its fast-paced cyberpunk parkour action, is now tackling deliberate, stamina-based combat in a dark fantasy world. But early impressions suggest the transition is not seamless.
The core tenets of Soulslike combat—spacing, timing, and reading enemy tells—rely heavily on a third-person camera that lets players see their character's position and animations. In first-person, that spatial awareness collapses, making encounters feel awkward and imprecise. Valor Mortis has grand ideas, including a punishing melee system and atmospheric world design, but the demo reveals a fundamental tension: the genre's tactical depth is diminished when you can't see your own swings or the full reach of enemy attacks. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.