# Valor Mortis and Planet Zoo 2 review roundup

**October 14, 2026 · Perthro**

October 13 brought two new games from very different corners. Valor Mortis is a first-person soulslike from One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner, set in an alternate 1800s where Napoleon won at Waterloo. Planet Zoo 2 is Frontier Developments' sequel to its 2019 zoo sim, now with aquariums, aviaries and wildlife reserves.

Both reviewed well, and both have a gap worth knowing about. Planet Zoo 2 has the higher critic scores (82 on OpenCritic, 86% recommend), but Steam players are split, with a Mixed rating. Valor Mortis sits at 79 with 74% recommending it: critics agree the swordplay is good and argue about most of the rest.

THQ Nordic's Switch port of SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide also arrived on October 13. It's a version of a game that came out in November 2025, so we've left it out.

Scores below were taken at the time of writing and are still moving. If you want to know what the numbers actually measure, here's [how Metacritic and OpenCritic scores work](/blog/2026-09-14-how-metacritic-opencritic-scores-work).

## Valor Mortis and Planet Zoo 2 at a glance

|  | Valor Mortis | Planet Zoo 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Developer | One More Level | Frontier Developments |
| Publisher | Lyrical Games | Frontier Developments |
| Release date | October 13, 2026 | October 13, 2026 |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
| Price (US) | $39.99 (also on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) | $49.99 (Deluxe $64.99) |
| Metacritic | 78 (PC), 79 (PS5) | 84 (PC), 81 (PS5), 79 (Xbox) |
| OpenCritic | 79, 74% recommend | 82, 86% recommend |
| Steam user reviews | Mostly Positive (78%) | Mixed (61%) |
| Length (per reviews) | About 20 hours | Open-ended, plus a career mode |

## Valor Mortis review scores: 78 on Metacritic

You play William, a soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armée raised from the dead, fighting through a Europe ravaged by a supernatural plague. Combat mixes a sabre (and later a rapier), firearms with limited ammo, and magic "transmutations" that come out of your corrupted hand, with well-timed parries breaking an enemy's posture. As it goes on it adds wall-running, grapple swings and other parkour.

It launched at $39.99, below full price, with publisher Lyrical Games pointing to how crowded the autumn is. It also arrived on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one, and PlayStation Plus Premium members get a 90-minute trial.

Metacritic lists it at 78 on PC from 52 critics (79% positive, 21% mixed, none negative) and 79 on PS5 from 16. OpenCritic has a Top Critic Average of 79 from 86 critics, with 74% recommending it. On Steam it's Mostly Positive, with 78% of about 2,100 reviews positive.

- **PlayStation Universe:** 9/10
- **TheGamer:** 4.5/5
- **DualShockers:** 8.5/10
- **Everyeye:** 8.3/10
- **TheSixthAxis:** 8/10
- **Shacknews:** 8/10
- **Push Square:** 8/10
- **GameRant:** 8/10
- **Eurogamer:** 4/5
- **Hobby Consolas:** 78
- **COGconnected:** 78
- **Wccftech:** 7.5/10
- **IGN:** 7/10
- **Metro GameCentral:** 7/10
- **GameSpot:** 6/10
- **GamesRadar+:** 3/5
- **Polygon:** unscored

![Valor Mortis screenshot: a fire transmutation burning in William's hand](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/e9a8a0133397ab25.jpg)

### What critics love about Valor Mortis

The fighting and the levels. Eurogamer's Matt Wales says there isn't a minute of its roughly 20 hours when the swordplay stops being thrilling, and once the parkour arrives, "This, it's fair to say, is not your usual Soulslike." He calls the bosses "as wonderfully imaginative as they are a joy to fight." TheSixthAxis's Jim Hargreaves praises "some fantastic level design work," with areas that loop back on themselves, and Shacknews' TJ Denzer says "it doesn't forget the fun between the frustration."

Even the middling reviews like the premise. IGN's Travis Northup calls a first-person soulslike with magic powers in an alternate Napoleonic era "a pretty darn original idea," and GamesRadar+'s Abbie Stone says the combat "can be exhilarating."

### Where Valor Mortis reviews split: bosses, parkour and the second half

Bosses are the clearest disagreement. Eurogamer calls them the highlight. IGN found that "there are shockingly few of them" and called them "wimpy, disappointing bosses." The parkour splits critics the same way: Eurogamer loves it, while GamesRadar+ (3/5) complains about "terrible scripted parkour sequences" and says "the gameplay's more familiar than my own shadow."

Pacing is the other sticking point. Wccftech's Francesco De Meo (7.5/10) thought the first four to five hours were good enough to make it one of the best soulslikes of the generation, but "quality drops after reaching the midpoint of the game." It recovers somewhat in the final third, he says.

Check the technical side too. IGN ran into "numerous bugs and crashes that turned an otherwise good time into my own personal Waterloo," and Wccftech reports stuttering on PC with ray tracing on, plus a few crashes.

## Planet Zoo 2 review scores: 84 on Metacritic

Planet Zoo 2 adds aquatic and flying species, with aquariums and aviaries for the first time, and Wildlife Reserves: separate maps where you restore habitats and release animals you've raised in your zoos. IGN counts over 130 species. There's a career mode that works mostly as an extended tutorial, plus sandbox and franchise modes, and it launched on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on the same day.

Metacritic lists it at 84 on PC from 20 critics (90% positive, 10% mixed, none negative), 81 on PS5 and 79 on Xbox Series X. OpenCritic has a Top Critic Average of 82 from 28 critics, with 86% recommending it. Steam players are less sure: it's rated Mixed, with 61% of about 5,000 reviews positive.

- **Destructoid:** 9.5/10
- **IGN:** 9/10
- **DualShockers:** 9/10
- **Push Square:** 9/10
- **GameSpew:** 9/10
- **Cultured Vultures:** 9/10
- **AltChar:** 9/10
- **NoobFeed:** 90
- **GRY-Online:** 8.5/10
- **GamingTrend:** 85
- **Metro GameCentral:** 8/10
- **But Why Tho?:** 8/10
- **GameWatcher:** 7.5/10
- **PC Gamer:** 60

![Planet Zoo 2 screenshot: visitors walking through a glass tunnel under an aquarium](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/cd3197dfd906fca5.jpg)

### What critics love about Planet Zoo 2

The animals, and the depth behind them. IGN's Len Hafer calls it "a vibrant and thriving sequel," enjoyed building glass tunnels through his aquariums, and was pleased that "it's actually a challenging economic simulation" where you can't just print money. Destructoid's Arka Sarkar calls it "a worthy successor in every way." Even PC Gamer's Rick Lane, who gave the lowest score here, says "Planet Zoo 2's animals are truly majestic creations."

Console players get a decent version. Metro's Nick Gillett (8/10, on PS5) says "Frontier have done a good job of rendering them controller friendly," meaning the menus. Push Square's James Watson (9/10) still found "The hardest time I had with the game was the learning curve, especially its controls," and notes that mouse and keyboard work on PS5.

![Planet Zoo 2 screenshot: a sea turtle swimming in a coral aquarium](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/f9c2d67f34afa577.jpg)

### Where Planet Zoo 2 reviews split: menus, micromanagement and the reserves

The lower scores are about friction. PC Gamer (60) says "Planet Zoo 2 couldn't be fiddlier if it involved teaching an octopus to play the violin," and found the micromanagement more exhausting than enjoyable. GameWatcher's Fran J. Ruiz (7.5/10) puts it more gently: the game is "full of options, but it often struggles to just present them." He also hit launch bugs, including forgotten key bindings and objectives that became impossible after a reload.

The Wildlife Reserves, the biggest new idea, get the most lukewarm response, even from fans. IGN says "the management side of these reserves feels a little shallow." GameWatcher says they "feel like a test rather than a fully fleshed out alternative to zoos," and PC Gamer found them "not all that interesting to spend time in."

## Which one to play

**Valor Mortis** is worth a try if you like soulslikes but want something faster and stranger, and it's an easy call if you have Game Pass. At $39.99 for about 20 hours it's fairly priced, even if the second half sags. If boss fights are the main reason you play the genre, read IGN first. If the genre's difficulty has put you off before, our guide to [choosing a difficulty setting](/blog/2026-10-03-how-to-choose-a-difficulty-setting) explains why soulslikes so often leave the choice out.

**Planet Zoo 2** is the pick for management sim fans and anyone who sank hours into the first game. Critics broadly agree it's a deeper, better-looking sequel. Expect a steep learning curve and a lot of menus, and on PC, read recent Steam reviews before you buy.

With GTA 6 arriving on November 19, Valor Mortis is the one you can finish first: Planet Zoo 2 doesn't really end. Our plan for [clearing your backlog before GTA 6](/blog/2026-09-28-clear-your-backlog-before-gta-6) can help you fit them in.

### Sources

- [Metacritic: Valor Mortis](https://www.metacritic.com/game/valor-mortis/)
- [OpenCritic: Valor Mortis](https://opencritic.com/game/20805/valor-mortis)
- [Steam: Valor Mortis](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828710/)
- [PlayStation: Valor Mortis](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/valor-mortis/)
- [Xbox Wire: Coming to Xbox Game Pass, October 2026 wave 1](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/10/07/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-wave-1/)
- [Pure Xbox: Valor Mortis avoids a full-price launch](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/09/upcoming-xbox-game-pass-title-avoids-full-price-launch-due-to-how-busy-october-is)
- [Wikipedia: Valor Mortis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valor_Mortis)
- Valor Mortis reviews: [PlayStation Universe](https://www.psu.com/reviews/valor-mortis-review-ps5/), [TheGamer](https://www.thegamer.com/valor-mortis-hands-on-review/), [DualShockers](https://www.dualshockers.com/valor-mortis-review/), [Everyeye](https://www.everyeye.it/articoli/recensione-valor-mortis-soulslike-persona-diverso-solito-piaciuto-67712.html), [TheSixthAxis](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/10/13/valor-mortis-review-ps5-xbox-pc/), [Shacknews](https://www.shacknews.com/article/150974/valor-mortis-review-score), [Push Square](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/valor-mortis), [GameRant](https://gamerant.com/valor-mortis-is-the-most-refreshing-soulslike-in-years-review/), [Eurogamer](https://www.eurogamer.net/valor-mortis-review), [Hobby Consolas](https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/videojuegos/analisis-valor-mortis-un-napoleonico-soulslike-primera-persona-que-bebe-bloodborne-resident-evil-4-ghostrunner_7045474_0.html), [COGconnected](https://cogconnected.com/review/valor-mortis-review/), [Wccftech](https://wccftech.com/review/valor-mortis-review-an-ambitious-first-person-soulslike-that-is-often-more-frustrating-than-fun/), [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/valor-mortis-review), [Metro GameCentral](https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/13/valor-mortis-review-a-first-person-soulslike-a-sharpe-edge-29703206/), [GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/valor-mortis-is-a-first-person-soulslike-that-tries-too-much/), [GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action-rpg/valor-mortis-review/), [Polygon](https://www.polygon.com/valor-mortis-impressions/)
- [Metacritic: Planet Zoo 2](https://www.metacritic.com/game/planet-zoo-2/)
- [OpenCritic: Planet Zoo 2](https://opencritic.com/game/20786/view)
- [Steam: Planet Zoo 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3219030/)
- [Frontier: Planet Zoo 2 announcement, platforms and pricing](https://www.frontier.co.uk/news/2026-05-28/build-wilder-world-october-planet-zoo-2)
- Planet Zoo 2 reviews: [Destructoid](https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/planet-zoo-2-review/), [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/planet-zoo-2-review), [DualShockers](https://www.dualshockers.com/planet-zoo-2-review/), [Push Square](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/planet-zoo-2), [GameSpew](https://www.gamespew.com/2026/10/planet-zoo-2-review/), [Cultured Vultures](https://culturedvultures.com/planet-zoo-2-pc-review/), [AltChar](https://www.altchar.com/reviews/planet-zoo-2-review-a-better-zoo-missing-some-old-friends-aQgna1j2K4sr), [NoobFeed](https://www.noobfeed.com/reviews/planet-zoo-2-review), [GRY-Online](https://www.gry-online.pl/recenzje/recenzja-planet-zoo-2-to-swietna-strategia-dla-perfekcjonistow-i/z249c2), [GamingTrend](https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/planet-zoo-2-review/), [Metro GameCentral](https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/13/planet-zoo-2-review-virtual-animal-welfare-29704672/), [But Why Tho?](https://butwhytho.net/2026/10/planet-zoo-2-review-frontier-developments/), [GameWatcher](https://www.gamewatcher.com/planet-zoo-2/review), [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/planet-zoo-2-review/)