The Valor Mortis Team was Surprised by the Lack of First-Person Soulslike Characters
When the term “soulslike” is mentioned, most players think of games played from a third-person perspective. That’s exactly why Valor Mortis managed to attract attention from the moment it was first announced. One More Level aims to offer a different experience by opting for a first-person perspective instead of following the usual rules of the genre. According to the studio, this decision was made not only to make the game stand out, but also to fill a gap they felt had been missing for a long time.
Valor Mortis Attracts Attention with its First-Person Soulslike Choice
One More Level’s CEO and Studio Head, Szymon Bryła, explains that while developing Valor Mortis, the team was looking for a strong idea that would make the game feel special. Stating that they faced some difficulties in the initial stages, Bryła says that they realized that the idea that would fully unleash the team’s creativity was ultimately a first-person soulslike structure. According to him, this decision was both bold and consistent with the games the studio has developed to date.
Bryła specifically emphasizes that the team is no stranger to the Soulslike genre. Stating that they are big fans of FromSoftware games, the developer recalls that their desire to create their own cyberpunk game led to Ghostrunner. With the same approach, they wanted to develop their own first-person Soulslike game this time. Moreover, the fact that there are almost no games with this structure on the market has further motivated the team. Although they acknowledge that this carries a significant risk, they believe the positive reactions following the announcement show that they made the right decision.
The Ghostrunner series also played a significant role in the studio’s decision. Having gained years of experience in first-person action mechanics, the team thought it would be logical to combine this knowledge with a different genre. In this way, they could both maintain the gameplay feel they are accustomed to and aim to bring a different perspective to the Soulslike genre.
It is also noteworthy that games following in the footsteps of Valor Mortis have already begun to emerge. Recently announced Guns of Eschaton also stands out as one of the games embracing the first-person Soulslike genre with its post-apocalyptic atmosphere. This suggests that the Soulslike genre, which has been synonymous with third-person cameras for years, may open up more doors to different perspectives in the future.
Read More: Ghostrunner 3 Will be Great, the Studio has New Ideas
