Valor Mortis: Revisit Missed Areas & Collectibles?

Yes, you can return to missed areas and collectibles after finishing Valor Mortis. The game does not lock you out of the map at the end of the main story; instead, it drops you back into the world just before the final confrontation, letting you explore freely and hunt down anything you skipped.

Background: How Valor Mortis Handles Post-Game Exploration

Valor Mortis is an action-adventure title with a large interconnected map, hidden rooms, and dozens of collectibles ranging from lore tablets to upgrade components. Unlike some games that force a New Game+ or cut off access after the credits, the developers chose a more player-friendly approach: after the final boss, the game reloads your save at the “point of no return” checkpoint. This is a common design pattern in modern exploration-heavy games, similar to what you see in the Metroidvania genre or open-world titles like Horizon Zero Dawn.

This means you can continue playing indefinitely, with the final quest marked as complete but still available to re-trigger if you want to fight the boss again. All side quests, secret areas, and collectible spawns remain active. The only thing you cannot do is revert to a state before the final mission without loading an older save, so if you want to see the ending again, you will need to either reload or start a new playthrough.

How It Works: What Happens After the Credits

When you defeat the final boss and watch the ending sequence, the game saves your progress and returns you to the game world. A message typically appears saying something like “You may now continue exploring the world.” Your quest log will show the main story as completed, but all other objectives remain. Fast travel points stay unlocked, and any locked doors that required story progression remain open.

One important detail: the game does not auto-save after the credits. If you quit during the ending or immediately after, you might lose a few minutes of progress. It is best to wait until you regain control of your character and see the save icon appear. Also, some time-sensitive events (like a character leaving a location) are tied to story progression, so if you missed a conversation before the final mission, it might not be available anymore. But collectibles and area exploration are never permanently missable.

How to Choose: Which Areas to Revisit First

If you are planning a cleanup run, prioritize areas that were locked during the story. Many games hide optional zones behind abilities you only get late in the game, so you might have passed a door you could not open earlier. In Valor Mortis, the late-game ability to break certain walls and activate ancient switches is often the key to reaching those spots.

A good strategy is to open your map and look for icons that are not yet collected. The game has a tracking feature that shows collectible counts per region. Start with the region that has the most missing items, then work your way through the map systematically. If you are missing a specific type of collectible (like lore tablets), you can filter the map to show only those. This is much faster than wandering aimlessly.

Common Problems: Why You Might Not Find Everything

Even with free post-game access, players often get stuck. The most common issue is missing a collectible that is inside a room that requires a puzzle to be solved. If you already solved the puzzle but forgot to grab the item, it will still be there. However, if you missed a puzzle entirely, you need to find the trigger. Some puzzles are activated by shooting a specific crystal or standing on a pressure plate. Check your surroundings carefully—the game often hides clues in the environment, like a faint glow or a symbol on the wall.

Another frequent problem is that a collectible is behind a door that requires a key you sold or used. In Valor Mortis, keys are not consumed on use, so you should still have them. If you are missing a key, it is usually in a chest you skipped. The map shows chest icons, so use that to track them down. If you are still stuck, the game has a built-in hint system in the pause menu that gives vague clues about the nearest undiscovered secret.

Comparison: How It Differs from Other Games

Not all games are this forgiving. In some older RPGs, like Final Fantasy IX, certain items are permanently missable if you do not get them before a story beat. In contrast, Valor Mortis follows the modern trend of respecting the player’s time by allowing post-game cleanup. This is a deliberate design choice to reduce frustration and encourage exploration without the fear of missing out.

However, it is not as open-ended as a game like Breath of the Wild, where you can complete everything before the final boss. In Valor Mortis, some areas are physically inaccessible until you gain the double jump or the wall-break ability, which you only get in the last third of the game. So you cannot truly 100% the game before finishing the story, but you can do it after.

Costs and Requirements: What You Need to Complete Everything

To fully collect everything, you need a few things: all movement abilities (double jump, dash, wall-break), a high enough health bar to survive certain hazards, and possibly a specific weapon type to break certain objects. If you are missing an ability, you cannot have finished the game, since the final boss requires all of them. So at the point of post-game, you have everything you need.

There is no in-game currency cost to revisit areas—fast travel is free. However, some collectibles require you to defeat a mini-boss that respawns after you leave the area. If you die, you will respawn at the nearest checkpoint, but the mini-boss will still be there. There is no penalty for dying, so you can attempt these fights as many times as you need.

Safety and Save Management

Before you go on a cleanup spree, make a manual save just in case. The game has multiple save slots, so you can save your current state and then explore freely. If you accidentally trigger the final boss again (by walking into the arena), you can reload your manual save to avoid the cutscene. This is especially useful if you want to keep the world in a pre-final state for some reason, though it is not necessary for collectibles.

Also, be aware that some areas have environmental hazards that can kill you quickly, like lava or poison gas. If you die, you lose nothing but time. The game does not have a death penalty beyond respawning at a checkpoint, so you can be reckless, but it is better to be careful to avoid backtracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get the secret ending after finishing the game?

Yes, the secret ending is tied to collecting all lore tablets, which are available after the credits. Once you have them all, return to the central hub and interact with the ancient altar to trigger the alternate ending. You do not need to start a new game.

Are there any missable trophies/achievements?

No, all trophies and achievements in Valor Mortis are obtainable in a single playthrough as long as you can revisit areas after the story. The only exception is if you sell a unique item, but you cannot sell key items. So you can platinum the game without restarting.

Do enemy respawns make it harder to collect everything?

Enemies respawn when you leave and re-enter an area, but they do not block collectibles. If a collectible is in a room with enemies, you can defeat them and grab it. They will respawn if you leave and come back, but that does not affect your progress.

What if I missed a quest that gives a collectible?

Side quests remain available after the main story, so you can still complete them. If a quest giver has moved, they will be in their new location, and the quest will still be in your log. Nothing is permanently missable.

Can I fast travel to all areas after the final boss?

Yes, all fast travel points remain unlocked. If you missed a point, you can walk to it and activate it. The map is fully open, so you can go anywhere.

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