Valor Mortis fights come down to timing. Most of them, the bosses included, follow the same loop, so learn that rhythm before anything else.
You play William, a former soldier of Napoleon's army who rises from death with Nephtoglobin powers and fights his way through an alternate 19th-century Europe.
How Valor Mortis Combat Works
Combat is first-person. You trade light and heavy attacks, keep an eye on your stamina, and use parries, perfect dodges and counterattacks to stay in control. Parry an enemy's attack to drain its posture, and the critical hit that follows when the posture breaks hits hard. Each enemy type has its own attack tells and responses on the enemies page.
Catalysts, Lanterns and What Happens When You Die
Killing enemies pays Catalysts, the upgrade currency. Spend them at a Lantern to level up health, stamina, parry and more. Lanterns are also your checkpoints. If William dies, his Catalysts drop where he fell, and he has to go back and pick them up.
Weapons, Transmutations and Ambers Shape Your Build
Blades and firearms are your weapons, and Transmutations are Nephtoglobin powers that run on their own meter instead of ammo. Each group has its own upgrade materials. You upgrade at the Abandoned Church, where James's Iron Bench handles blades and firearms and Louis's Laboratoire handles Transmutations. The weapons page covers where to find each one, and the upgrade materials page covers what each tier costs and where it comes from.
Ambers are passive effects you slot in at any Lantern, and you can swap them whenever you like. The Ambers page lists each one's effect at every rank. Going after every achievement? The achievements page covers each one, and the upgrade goals and the Amber hunt are the ones to plan for.
What the First Valor Mortis Patches Fixed
- Crashes: Some of the most common crashes are fixed on every platform.
- Saves and progression: The Chapter 4 post-boss cutscene saves your progress now, a few cutscenes that could block the next Lantern are fixed, and Ferrofluid Flask upgrades save properly.
- Boss fights: Several boss fights that could stall are fixed.
- Enemy attacks: Attack hitboxes for many enemies and bosses now match their animations, so a swing that visibly misses shouldn't connect. Damage windows were tuned for several attacks, and some enemy wind-ups are clearer.
- Status effects and stuck spots: You can no longer stay slowed after a crouched hit or keep Burning after you respawn, and a spot where you could get stuck on terrain is fixed.
- Side quests: A few side quests had a letter you couldn't see or a start that wouldn't trigger. Go back to the quest location to start or finish them.
If a bug has already locked your progress, the developer's support team can issue a replacement save.
- Developer
- One More Level
- Publisher
- Lyrical Games, One More Level
- Release
- Worldwide: 2026-10-13
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game data
Weapons
Valor Mortis weapons come in three groups: blades, firearms and Nephtoglobin Transmutations. Each group upgrades with its own materials, and how a blade defends shapes how you fight. The last level of any weapon needs a Tier 4 material, which is limited and never sold by merchants.
Bosses
Valor Mortis bosses run from a parry duel with General Lothaire to a windmill you take apart with a gun. Parrying, dodging red attacks and shooting weak points beat trading hits in most fights, and each win unlocks its own hidden Steam achievement.
Upgrade Materials
Valor Mortis weapons level up with four tiers of materials, and each weapon type has its own line. James's Iron Bench and Louis's Laboratoire sell the first three tiers for Catalysts. The fourth tier pays for a weapon's last level, and no merchant sells it.
Enemies
The Battlefield brings Risen Soldiers, Lancers and Sapeurs at you first, and Volunteers and Shambling Civilians follow in later regions. Red attacks can't be blocked, so dodge them and parry the rest. The Risen Grenadier and Eternal Guardsman both tie into achievements.
Collectibles
Ambers
Ambers are passive gems you slot into William at any Lantern. Chests, side quest rewards, elite enemies and a gift hold them, and extra copies of a ranked Amber raise its rank. Pick the ones that back how you fight, because you can only wear a few at a time.
Lanterns
Lanterns are Valor Mortis's checkpoints: rest, level up and swap Ambers at them. Once fast travel unlocks, the lit ones become your travel stops, with some that can't be warped to.
Achievements
Valor Mortis's Steam achievements cover boss kills, side quests, upgrade and collection goals and a set of combat challenges. The story achievements come with the campaign. The upgrade goals and the Amber hunt are the ones to plan for.
Side Quests
Valor Mortis's side quests start with a note, a letter or a conversation, and many of them run across more than one region. Some pay Ambers and upgrade materials, and several unlock hidden achievements. Do them as you pass through, because the last stretch of the game has no fast travel back.
Valor Mortis gameplay tips
- Spend your Catalysts before a long run with no Lantern nearby. Anything you carry is at risk until you spend it.
- Match the weapon to the enemy in front of you, and swap when the enemy changes. The Claymore is a slow, two-handed blade with high impact, and the Musket is a two-handed firearm with more range and power than William's Pistol.
- Learn what each Transmutation does before you need it. Fire sets enemies burning, Shield absorbs damage and then releases a shockwave, and Grapple is for getting around, not fighting.
- Attacks that glow red can't be blocked, so dodge them.


















































