Game images by RAWG
Valor Mortis
One More Level
About This Game
Super ReviewValor Mortis is a grim, first-person action RPG that immerses players in a brutal, horror-filled 19th-century world. While its challenging soulslike combat and interconnected exploration can foster persistence, parents must be aware of its Mature 17+ rating for intense violence, blood, gore, and strong horror themes. Additional purchases for cosmetics and story content are also present.
Super Review
Parent verdict
Valor Mortis is a niche title best suited for mature players who appreciate challenging combat and dark fantasy horror. With a low "Mixed" score, this game is a qualified fit that demands significant parental oversight due to its extreme content intensity and punishing difficulty. It works best for families whose older players are specifically seeking out a grim, violent, and difficult experience, understanding the trade-off of its mature themes and potential frustration.
What players actually do
- Players engage in demanding first-person combat using melee and ranged weapons, supernatural powers, parries, and dashes, requiring quick reflexes and strategic timing.
- Players explore a grim, interconnected world, seeking out secrets, new pathways, and character-altering "Ambers," which rewards curiosity and memory.
- Players overcome challenging enemy encounters and bosses, learning attack patterns and managing a stamina bar, fostering persistence and problem-solving skills.
Where it shines
- The game is a single-player experience with no in-game voice or text chat, meaning there's no exposure to strangers or online social pressures within the game itself.
- Its premium purchase model means players aren't pressured by loot boxes, gacha mechanics, or energy timers, allowing for play at their own pace without randomized paid rewards.
- The interconnected level design and Amber system encourage exploration, strategic thinking, and experimentation with different combat approaches.
Parent watch-outs
- Valor Mortis carries a Mature 17+ rating (PEGI 18) due to its pervasive intense violence, graphic blood and gore, strong language, and disturbing body horror presentation.
- The game features punishing soulslike difficulty, where death results in losing collected currency that can be permanently erased if not retrieved, leading to significant frustration.
- Beyond the base game, players are encouraged to purchase cosmetic weapon skins and a major story expansion, available in a Deluxe Edition or as post-launch add-ons.
Family rules worth setting
- Parents should consider setting a rule that play is only allowed in common areas of the house to monitor content, especially given the game's mature themes.
- Agree on a time limit for each play session, as the demanding difficulty can lead to extended periods of play in pursuit of progress or recovery of lost currency.
Talk about this
- Discuss the difference between fictional violence and real-world consequences, especially with the game's graphic depictions of combat and horror.
- Talk about managing frustration and persistence when facing difficult challenges in games, and when it might be healthy to step away and take a break.
- Discuss the value of a game's base price versus additional content like cosmetic purchases and story expansions, and whether they add sufficient value.
Play style
Valor Mortis is a solo journey defined by its demanding soulslike difficulty, requiring players to meticulously learn enemy patterns and master combat mechanics. Session rhythm can be stop-and-start due to frequent deaths and checkpoint restarts, potentially leading to frustration. Players will need high patience and self-reliance, as there's no direct in-game help from others, though community resources outside the game might offer strategies.
Score Breakdown
Positive Aspects
Risk Factors
Why this rating
Educational Value
1/5Valor Mortis has minimal direct educational value, scoring a 1. While it presents an alternate historical setting, its primary focus is on fictional combat and exploration rather than imparting historical knowledge or academic skills.
Addictive Monetization
2/5The game scores a 2 for addictive monetization, indicating a low risk. While it is a premium title with no loot boxes or gacha, there are paid cosmetic weapon skins and a story expansion sold separately or in a Deluxe Edition, which encourages additional spending beyond the base game.
Content Intensity
4/5Content Intensity receives a high score of 4 due to the game's Mature 17+ and PEGI 18 ratings. This is justified by the pervasive intense violence, graphic blood and gore, strong language, and prominent body horror themes that are central to the experience.
Time Pressure / FOMO
2/5Time Pressure / FOMO has a score of 2, reflecting a moderate level of pressure. The soulslike mechanic of losing currency upon death, which can be permanently lost if not retrieved quickly, creates a form of urgency and stress for players.
Negatives
- •Rated Mature 17+ by ESRB and PEGI 18, with descriptors for intense violence, blood and gore and strong language, and it is built around battling horrifying monsters.
- •The horror and body-horror presentation is a core part of the experience, including a plague that causes grotesque mutations, which is not appropriate for younger or sensitive players.
- •Punishing soulslike difficulty: death sends the player back to the last checkpoint and can permanently erase the currency collected, which can be frustrating and stressful for younger players.
- •Paid cosmetic weapon skin packs and a paid story expansion are sold through the Deluxe Edition and post-launch add-ons, so additional spending is encouraged beyond the base price.
- •Some reviews note technical problems such as bugs and crashes, along with frustrating level design and difficult scripted sections.
Positives
- •Single-player only: there is no in-game voice chat, text chat or online multiplayer with strangers, so exposure to other players is not a concern inside the game itself.
- •Sold as a one-time premium purchase
- •there are no loot boxes, gacha pulls or randomised paid rewards, and no daily log-in streaks or energy timers gating play.
- •The Amber system lets players personalise their build and change how combat plays out, giving some room for experimentation and planning.
- •Interconnected, exploration-focused level design rewards curiosity, memory and persistence, which can build patience and problem-solving habits.
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Official Ratings
No official ratings available.
Age Fit
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