Introduction

Valor Mortis, the first-person Soulslike from Ghostrunner developer One More Level, has received a fresh gameplay showcase titled “The Crimson Plague”. The new trailer shifts focus from earlier forest and battlefield footage to a more contained, horror-driven village environment, providing the clearest look so far at combat pacing, enemy variety, and atmosphere. The clip is being distributed via IGN and officially positioned as a gameplay trailer, rather than a pure cinematic teaser.

For investors and industry observers, this new vertical slice is part of the build-up toward a planned 2026 launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.

What the “Crimson Plague” Trailer Shows

According to the official Steam update and community post, the “Crimson Plague” trailer presents a previously unseen level set at night in a village overrun by the eponymous plague. Players traverse narrow streets, boarded-up houses and torch-lit alleys; the developers explicitly highlight that this footage is intended to show a “different tone” from previous materials, leaning into full horror.

Coverage from Polish outlet CD-Action confirms that the video was captured from a pre-alpha build and is set in a story-critical location where the undead protagonist first fully comprehends the atrocities committed by his former comrades and the scale of the corruption ravaging this alternate Europe. The article emphasizes grotesque enemy designs, including a hulking foe with a cannon in place of an arm, and stresses that this level is central to the narrative arc rather than a throwaway combat arena.

Mechanically, the trailer foregrounds

close-quarters sabre combat with parries, dodge timing and stamina management
ranged options via a flintlock-style firearm
aggressive enemy patterns with distinct animations and telegraphs

This aligns with earlier hands-on previews that described Valor Mortis as a brutal, methodical Soulslike with Metroidvania-leaning level structure, but now contextualizes those mechanics in a denser, more claustrophobic environment compared to the more open forest-area footage shown at Gamescom.

Community and Media Reaction to the New Gameplay

Initial reactions around the “Crimson Plague” trailer on Reddit and PC gaming communities are cautiously optimistic. Threads on r/pcgaming and r/Games have highlighted the visual style and atmosphere; comparisons to Dishonored, Witchfire, BioShock and Bloodborne reappear, echoing earlier press coverage that framed the game as a fusion of those influences within a Soulslike framework.

Short early comments in the PC-focused subreddits can be summarized as: the game “looks good”, with several users noting that the demo felt smoother than expected for a first-person Soulslike and that the new trailer reinforces that positive impression.

On the media side, CD-Action’s coverage is notably bullish on the concept. Their summary stresses that while the core gameplay loop remains “typical for the genre” (aggressive enemies, tight windows for parry and dodge, high lethality), Valor Mortis remains one of the more interesting upcoming Soulslikes because of its unique Napoleonic horror setting rather than purely mechanical novelty. At the same time, earlier English-language previews have raised structural concerns that the new trailer doesn’t fully dispel: the first-person perspective can reduce spatial awareness and precision compared with third-person Soulslikes, and some hands-on coverage has flagged movement and melee feedback as less sharp than genre leaders. The “Crimson Plague” video demonstrates progress on animation polish and atmosphere, but it is still curated footage rather than raw playtest capture, so execution risk remains.

Positioning Within One More Level’s Portfolio

For One More Level, a publicly listed Polish studio (ticker OML/OMLP on the Warsaw exchange), Valor Mortis represents a strategic move away from Ghostrunner’s high-speed cyberpunk parkour into slower, heavier, and more systemic combat design.

The new trailer underlines that pivot:

fewer mobility tricks, more emphasis on reading attacks and committing to trades
level design that prioritizes tension and route knowledge over pure movement flow
a setting that is grimy and historically adjacent rather than neon-sci-fi

If the final game lands well with the Soulslike audience, it could broaden the studio’s brand beyond Ghostrunner and support multiple SKUs (PC and current-gen consoles). Conversely, if first-person Soulslike combat fails to convince core players, the project risks being perceived as a misstep away from the team’s core strengths.

Key Risks Highlighted by the Trailer and Reactions

Several risk factors emerge when the new gameplay is viewed through a critical lens:

Perspective risk: First-person Soulslikes remain relatively rare; the demands of tight hitboxes, readable animations and spatial awareness are higher than in slower shooters. The trailer shows promise but cannot fully answer long-standing concerns about “floatiness” and melee readability raised in some earlier impressions.
Technical polish: The footage is labelled pre-alpha. While visually strong, any noticeable jank in final release (animation snapping, delayed inputs, inconsistent parry windows) would be harshly punished by the Soulslike community.
Market saturation: The genre is crowded, and Valor Mortis enters in 2026 alongside multiple other action-RPGs. Its unusual Napoleonic horror angle is an advantage, but setting alone will not compensate for mechanical shortcomings.
Expectation management: Previous previews and now the “Crimson Plague” trailer have generated a narrative of “BioShock meets Bloodborne in first-person.” That framing sets a very high bar on atmosphere and combat depth.

Strategic Takeaways

The new “Crimson Plague” gameplay trailer is an important milestone for Valor Mortis. It successfully:

demonstrates a darker, more intimate horror tone than prior forest-based footage
showcases denser enemy encounters in narrow spaces
reinforces that the game is a fully committed Soulslike, not just a stylish action FPP

Community sentiment so far appears moderately positive, with some players already sold on the demo and others intrigued but waiting for proof that first-person melee precision will hold up over a full campaign. Industry coverage is intrigued by the concept and setting but continues to treat the project as ambitious and somewhat experimental rather than a guaranteed hit.

From an investment and market-analysis standpoint, this trailer should be viewed as evidence of consistent progress and growing visibility, rather than final confirmation of product-market fit. The next critical signals will be:

how subsequent playtests and demos are received
whether larger outlets highlight mechanical improvement over early builds
and how wishlist counts and community size evolve leading into 2026.

Until then, Valor Mortis remains a high-potential but high-execution-risk entry in an increasingly demanding genre.

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Valor Mortis – New “Crimson Plague” Gameplay Trailer Deepens Hype for Napoleonic First-Person Soulslike