I’m sure you’ve heard of the first person Soulslike from One More Level, the team behind Ghostrunner. That game is Valor Mortis. It is a wild concept and honestly, which reminds me of the Dishonored series, but in a different format, and I’m surprised had attempted this before.
Ever since it was revealed at Gamescom 2025 I’ve been kicking myself for not being there to try it out, especially since Soulslikes are my thing. However, there’s some good news; that being that One More Level just confirmed that a playable demo of Valor Mortis will available for PAX West 2025. The announcement went live only minutes ago in the official Valor Mortis Discord server, which you should absolutely join if you haven’t already.
If you are heading to PAX West 2025, make sure you swing by the Games From Poland Booth (#1125) and get some hands-on time with the Valor Mortis demo. I know it’s going to be one of my first stops when the show kicks off.
In Valor Mortis, you are dropped into a nightmare version of 19th century Eastern Europe during Napoleon’s conquest. You play as William, a fallen soldier resurrected by Nephtoglobin, a living plague that grants incredible powers but also twists your former allies into horrifying monsters. The world is packed with sprawling Metroidvania inspired zones, grotesque enemies, and the relentless Eternal Guard, forcing William to fight through a land consumed by war and corruption.
All of this unfolds in first person. It looks like a shooter at first glance, but instead of guns you are going all in on melee combat. While I haven’t played it yet myself, early impressions from Gamescom 2025 have been very positive. I cannot wait to finally get my hands on it.
Should you not be heading to PAX West 2025, that’s ok, as One More Level is hosting a Valor Mortis playtest in the near future, so head on over to valormortis.firstlook.gg to sign up.
PAX West 2025 runs from August 29 through September 1, 2025, in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Convention Center. Maybe I’ll see you there. Valor Mortis is in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
