Valor Mortis SGF 2026 Hands-On Preview: A Genuine GOTY Contender

Summer Games Fest 2026’s Play Days left me with the same feeling I had after leaving Gamescom 2026: Valor Mortis is a special game.

I’m going to reiterate the overriding thought I had last year: It astounds me that no one is trying to break the typical mould by making a fully fledged third-person Soulslike game. Everyone is still so busy chasing the golden FromSoftware formula that it’s easy to lose sight of ingenuity and originality.

Valor Mortis is far more than just its first-person niche.

Valor Mortis Impresses Again at Summer Game Fest 2026

I had a bold choice with my Valor Mortis preview at SGF 2026’s Play Days—play the same demo I played last time during my Gamescom preview, or throw myself into the deep end and play a new chapter midway through the game with new abilities and tools above my pay grade.

Obviously, I chose the challenge. Oh boy, was it a step up. There’s just something totally radical about a first-person view that enhances an already high level of tension.

Souls games are already tough enough, but if you’ve played any first-person game before, you know it introduces a new claustrophobic feeling by having your peripheral vision get slashed, compared to third-person.

This new chapter has a new imperious ‘elite’ enemy that takes a LOT of force to take down (You can see the big boy himself in the article’s main image). The difficulty is great, and I’m reminded once again why stamina and decision-making are paramount in Valor Mortis. Get too aggressive, and you’re vulnerable to rapid combos, and your health crumbles faster than a poorly made dessert.

You’re also highly encouraged to learn enemy weaknesses and use everything at your disposal. Enemies attack frequently and can tank a lot. You need to meticulously assess every situation like it’s life or death—which is kind of is. One enemy has an explosive barrel on its back, and if you’re patient, you can wait for its unblockable attack to pounce and fire off a Pistol round at the barrel. This deals huge damage and is an example of how Valor Mortis reinforces risk, reward, and street smarts in all facets of its gameplay.

New Chapter, Same Fun

Alongside a new hulking brute that took great pleasure in slicing up my character’s insides, the new chapter adds new weapons and new traversal abilities. Obviously, to see and do everything would have required more time, but there were more paths and even more untold dangers just lurking in every direction.

One More Level’s world-building skills are evident again, showing why Ghostrunner 1 and 2 were no fluke.

I also found the enemy placement and ‘Souls’ tricks to be well executed. There I was, decimating like Arnie in Terminator 2, only to fall painfully short before I unlocked a shortcut. One resurrection later, and my haste and impatience saw me die immediately to one of the most insignificant threats in the demo—negligence on my part, but a warning that you need to be locked in with Valor Mortis.

The heft and weightiness of the combat is unique, and I love it. Every single one of your sword attacks has a proper punch, and the swift Rapier (a new weapon in this demo) is more nimble, but comes at a great cost—You can’t block, but you do lots of damage. With my time running out, I managed to reach the boss, and there’s a grounded approach to bosses that makes them enjoyable.

Of the two I’ve faced so far, they haven’t battered me with hugely, staggered and delayed wind-up attacks, nor have they felt unfair.

Unless you’ve played Valor Mortis, it’s hard to describe how good this game is. I cannot wait for its full release and what other surprises it has in store. Can it hold up for the entire duration? I can’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that if it does, this will be in GOTY conversations, whenever it arrives.

Did you play Valor Mortis’ playtest? Can you attest to its potential? Let me know what you think by messaging the Insider Gaming Discord.