Soul-like Action "Valor Mortis," Set During the Napoleonic Wars, to Feature Playable Demo at TGS 2025 [TGS2025]
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/948/G094898/20250927037/
Writer: Kakuura Umiya | 2025/09/27 05:42 (UTC)
At the Galaktus Publishing booth during Tokyo Game Show 2025, I checked out the new souls-like action game Valor Mortis (available on PC / PS5 / Xbox Series X|S), which was on display.
Released just over a month ago, the game is set during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century and follows William, a French soldier. In the opening stages, what exactly happened isn’t clearly revealed. The French army, previously victorious on its march toward Russia, suddenly finds itself surrounded by corpses covering the earth—surviving soldiers transformed into zombies that attack the player.
Corpses covering the ground Thumbnail image No.003 / Souls-like action game “Valor Mortis” featured playable at TGS 2025
Radosław Ratusznik, Game Director at One More Level, the developer behind Valor Mortis, explained that while Napoleon’s army was ravaged by Winter’s wrath, a mysterious disease also spread. To combat this, soldiers were given an enigmatic drug called “Nephtoglobin”—a substance that ultimately transformed them into violent, zombie-like creatures.
Some enemies still retain human forms Thumbnail image No.004 / Souls-like action game “Valor Mortis” featured playable at TGS 2025
Others have undergone full mutation, merging with cannons and becoming monstrous hybrids Thumbnail image No.005 / Souls-like action game “Valor Mortis” featured playable at TGS 2025
Remarkably, Nephtoglobin acts as a magical elixir only for the protagonist William, enhancing his abilities and granting him superhuman strength.
One More Level is based in Kraków, Poland, and gained recognition through the success of their “Ghostrunner” series—fast-paced parkour action set in dystopian futures with vertically layered maps. Valor Mortis inherits Ghostrunner’s movement system but adds a horror-themed world inspired by historical events, along with intense soul-like combat against various bosses.
The demo presented at TGS 2025 shows William still in the early stages of his journey—having accepted the abnormalities caused by Nephtoglobin but not yet fully mastering his new powers.
Character progression features three categories—Health, Perception, and Agility—each growing across ten levels, though most are locked in this demo version. Ratusznik was allocating points to “Dilated Moment,” the first level of Perception: when aiming a firearm at an enemy, their movements slow down into slo-mo for easier targeting.
Mutated enemies have orange glowing weak spots that can be targeted with sword strikes or bullets to inflict massive damage. Bosses also possess similar weak points, requiring players to read attacks carefully and strike precisely when the vulnerable area is exposed—this forms the core combat style.
The demo’s boss, “General Lothaire: The Eagle-bearer,” wields a longsword in his heavily muscled left arm and attacks with powerful swings. Additionally, three musket arms are fused into his back like bagpipes—an enemy first shown in the game’s announcement trailer.
Interestingly, not everyone in this world is infected by the plague; just before fighting General Lothaire, an elderly gentleman wearing a tall hat approaches William. He appears to know important secrets but deliberately keeps his distance from the protagonist.
The visual style of Valor Mortis depicts mist rising over the ground and artillery smoke creeping through desolate landscapes—painting a grim, atmospheric world. While the Napoleonic Wars have had significant influence in European history, they remain somewhat niche in Japan—but this game’s atmosphere and mechanics seem poised to captivate many core gamers.
Thumbnail image No.006 / Souls-like action game “Valor Mortis” featured playable at TGS 2025
Thumbnail image No.007 / Souls-like action game “Valor Mortis” featured playable at TGS 2025
The game is currently on display at the Galaktus Publishing booth (11-E81) in Hall 11. Public commentary will be handled by Lyrical Games, and Japanese localization has also been confirmed. Although the release date is set for 2026—some time away—gamers intrigued should definitely keep an eye on it.