We had the opportunity to play Valor Mortis twice before this preview. Once at PAX, once at Summer Game Fest, and both times we walked away impressed. So we went into this preview session thinking we knew roughly what we were getting. We didn't. Whatever this dev team has been doing since those show floor builds, the difference is obvious within the first 10 minutes of our incredible preview, and it sent Valor Mortis straight off our Anticipated list and onto the much shorter, much more exclusive Most Anticipated one.
That’s right. In a year already filled with an incredible number of impressive games with even more to come, Valor Mortis has become one of the biggest surprised of 2026 for me personally.
Even though this was just a preview build we played, the game wastes no time showing you what you are in store for, which is gorgeous in a grim, rotten sort of way that suits the setting perfectly. But the visuals would mean nothing if the combat didn't hold up, and this is where Valor Mortis really surprised us. The soulslike formula is well-trodden ground at this point, and plenty of games copy the structure without understanding why it works. This one understands. Fights are tense and readable, deaths feel earned rather than cheap, and the whole thing has a level of polish we honestly didn't expect this far from launch. The sound design deserves its own mention too. Weapons land with real weight, enemies announce themselves in ways that make your shoulders tense up, and the audio does as much to build dread as anything on screen.
I can’t express enough how impressive this game looks, sounds, and especially FEELS to play. It’s that good! While the first person perspective initially threw me off, it almost immediately felt like comfortable and with the melee combat, magic skills, and gruesome kills, it went from comfortable to absolutely exhilarating to explore and fight in this beautiful but grim world.
Then there's the price. $39.99 for the standard edition, $59.99 for the deluxe. In a season packed with big releases, that's the kind of number that makes a decision easy. Launching on October 13th across PC and consoles, there is absolutely zero reason to skip this game whether you are a soulslike fan or not, these devs deserve your hard-earned cash.
October 13th? We are all in.
