Valor Mortis Preview Reveals High-Damage Boss Fights
One More Level’s new first-person action title offers strong combat variety but suffers from inconsistent difficulty tuning.
Key points
- Valor Mortis combines first-person gunplay, sword combat, and supernatural powers in a 18th-century setting.
- Preview builds reveal that boss fights deal excessive damage, often requiring perfect parries to survive.
- The fifteen-hour demo suggests a lengthy campaign, though inconsistent difficulty currently undermines the experience.
One More Level, the studio known for the Ghostrunner series, has revealed more details about Valor Mortis, its upcoming first-person action game. The title blends traditional gunplay and sword combat with supernatural abilities, set against the backdrop of 18th-century France. However, early feedback from a preview build highlights a significant issue with how enemy damage is balanced.
While the core mechanics show promise, the uneven difficulty curve is disrupting the experience. Boss encounters often deal disproportionately high damage, turning strategic fights into tests of pure luck. This inconsistency undermines the otherwise engaging combat loop that the developers have established.
Supernatural powers complement melee combat
Players control William, a character who gains supernatural powers after dying in the opening sequence. These abilities include fire manipulation and time-freezing, which allow players to stun enemies or deal massive damage. The system encourages a mix of ranged attacks and close-quarters swordplay, using different weapons for blocking or precision strikes.
Game Informer notes that these powers create a dynamic combat style similar to BioShock. The environment design also receives praise for its atmospheric details, such as otherworldly growths in the French countryside. These elements help maintain player interest between intense combat encounters.
Boss fights demand perfection over skill
The primary criticism centers on the damage output of major enemies. Even after upgrading health, a single hit from a boss can remove up to sixty percent of the player's life. This high damage threshold removes the room for error that is typical in the genre.
Instead of learning enemy patterns and countering their moves, players are forced to execute perfect parries repeatedly. This shift from skill-based challenge to luck-based survival frustrates many testers. The lack of consistent balance makes it difficult to gauge true progress in the game.
Long playtime hints at full scope
The preview build took approximately fifteen hours to complete four chapters. This duration suggests that the final release will offer substantial content. Despite the balance issues, the underlying action system remains compelling for fans of the genre.
The studio's previous work demonstrates strong combat design, and Valor Mortis builds on that foundation. If the developers can adjust the difficulty curve, the game has the potential to stand out in the crowded action space. For now, however, the inconsistent challenge remains a major hurdle.
