Valor Mortis is a truly terrifying, atmospheric, and exciting game. A demo shown at Summer Game Fest 2026 let players explore a battlefield littered with corpses while fighting monstrous creatures built from the bodies of fallen soldiers. The game focuses on fast-paced, close-quarters combat with responsive controls, creating a blend of the immersive exploration found in games like BioShock and the challenging, timing-based battles of Souls-like titles.
The game made a strong impression, particularly considering the difficulty of blending its genres effectively. In an interview with ComicBook at Summer Game Fest, director Radosław Ratusznik explained the challenges his team faced in combining Souls-like gameplay with a first-person perspective, and shared how positive player feedback has been a welcome surprise.
The interviewer asked what was most surprising about adapting the challenging, methodical gameplay of Souls-like games into a first-person shooter like Valor Mortis.
Radosław Ratusznik explained they were surprised by the wide range of players interested in their game. They conducted playtests last year, showcased a demo at Gamescom, and attended various events to observe player reactions. Initially, they worried about identifying a target audience, specifically if there would be enough players who enjoy both first-person perspectives and Souls-like gameplay.
Fans of traditional Souls-like games might not be interested in a first-person perspective, but surprisingly, we discovered that players new to the genre—and those who prefer first-person gameplay—picked up combat in Valor Mortis quickly. The timing for blocking and parrying feels different compared to third-person Souls-likes because you don’t see your character’s full movements. This unique system appealed to a wide range of players, including both first-person and third-person gamers.
I was honestly blown away by the positive reaction! It’s awesome to see people enjoying what we’ve created. What we really set out to do was build something for players who maybe didn’t click with traditional Souls-like games, but are fantastic at shooters – and vice versa. We wanted to give both types of gamers a place to shine in Valor Mortis. It’s cool that both shooting and parrying are important parts of the game, but neither completely dominates the experience. I think we struck a really great balance, and we’re so excited to share it with everyone.
Here’s the continuation of our interview with Radosław Ratusznik. We talk about what inspired Valor Mortis, their choice to base the game in the Napoleonic era, and how they applied lessons learned from creating Ghostrunner.
Creating a Soulslike game from a first-person perspective was a surprisingly difficult undertaking. What motivated the development team to try it?
We love making fast-paced, first-person action games. We’re proud of Ghostrunner, but we wanted to try something new. For a long time, we’ve wanted to make a game inspired by the ‘Souls-like’ genre. While there are already many similar games out there, we want to put our own spin on it – blending elements that fit our vision with the core movement and feel of Ghostrunner. We’re also drawing inspiration from classics like BioShock and Half-Life.
We really wanted to emphasize close-quarters combat in this game, making it much more intricate than in Ghostrunner. We’ve added guns and magical abilities, along with features like dual-wielding. The goal is to create a combat system that feels both familiar and unique. We aimed to build a first-person game inspired by the challenging combat of Souls-like games, rather than simply recreating that experience in first-person. Being in first-person was central to our design, as it allows for a greater sense of responsiveness, immersion, and environmental awareness – all key elements of Valor Mortis.
Looking back at games like Ghostrunner, what were the most important things we learned that we really wanted to apply to this new project?
First-person combat can be challenging to get right. Players shouldn’t have to carefully calculate attack ranges or timing – they should instinctively know their attacks will connect. If an attack feels like it should land, the game needs to make that happen. Small design choices can really help with this; for example, we learned from developing Ghostrunner that subtly adjusting the camera during an attack can improve hit detection without taking away player control. The goal is to assist players in landing hits when they expect to, creating a smoother and more satisfying experience.
A big part of development was figuring out how to handle movement, particularly with the constantly shifting perspective. To really feel fast while still being aware of your surroundings requires special techniques. We experimented with things like dynamically adjusting the camera during boss fights – it would widen as you approached a massive enemy. This helped players react to attacks and prepare for what was coming. The goal was to provide subtle assistance that felt natural, but significantly improved gameplay.
What was it about the Napoleonic era that caught your attention?
We’re really excited about the world we’ve created for this game. Most 19th-century stories focus on the Victorian period, but we’re exploring the Napoleonic Wars. While there have been strategy games set in that time, there haven’t been many action games. We thought it would be interesting to combine this historical setting with a mysterious substance called ‘Nephtoglobin,’ which is causing mutations within Napoleon’s army.
The show’s intriguing idea centers around a substance called ‘Nephtoglobin’ which allowed Napoleon to win at Waterloo and is now fueling his global conquest. We, the audience, are unexpectedly thrust into the story as soldiers rising from a heap of bodies with newfound abilities. It’s a really original concept – something truly different! Having Napoleon as a character is fantastic, and we’re thrilled to have Vincent Cassel in the role. The supporting cast is excellent too, though we’ll be announcing them at a later date. Our main goal was to create something completely new, and we believe we’ve achieved that.
Valor Mortis launches on October 13, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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2026-06-12 23:15