Action game fans have been eating good in recent years, and withLost Soul Asideset to launch in just a few short weeks, it looks like that will continue to be the case. The Chinese-developed character-action game is shaping up to be a flashy, vibrant, and hard-hitting combat sandbox, perfectly suited to fans offranchises likeDevil May Cryand the old-schoolGod of Warsaga.
Lost Soul Asideis just the next of many high-profile, ambitious modern action games coming out of China, with other recent examples includingWuchang: Fallen FeathersandBlack Myth Wukong.
Lost Soul Asideis part of Sony’s China Hero Project, an initiative formed to support and promote Chinese developers. This is part of what makes the game so exciting: there’s a real sense thatLost Soul Asidecould have an X-factor, as it’s coming from a new, unproven studio. In fact, it initially began as a one-man operation, helmed by game director Yang Bing, who now oversees a team of developers. All of this is to say thatLost Soul Asidehas a lot of potential, and looks great so far, so it could very well morph into a breakout hit when it releases in late August of this year.
Why Players Should Keep an Eye On Lost Soul Aside
Lost Soul Aside Looks Like a Dyed-in-the-Wool Character-Action Game
The character-action genre is defined by seminalfranchises likeDevil May CryandBayonetta, though it’s also seen some great one-off releases, such asMetal Gear Rising: RevengeanceandLollipop Chainsaw. This is to say that, while the CAG space is dominated by popular IP, the genre’s fundamentals are flexible enough to work with a number of different projects, all of which can toy around with its central tenets in interesting or unexpected ways. In theory, this should translate to a busy, highly competitive CAG space, but that’s not really the case.
Character-action games are surprisingly few and far between, with developers ostensibly eschewing the genre’s fast, fluid, and stylish combat fundamentals in favor of slower, more methodical mechanics, like those of the soulslike genre. Make no mistake, there’s no single “right” way to make an action game, but the dearth of proper character-action experiences is certainly disappointing. This is whyLost Soul Asidehas the chance to make a grand entrance, winning audiences over with its execution of the genre’s flashy, intuitive, complex mechanics. It’s too early to say whether this execution will actually be solid—remember, this is developerUltizero Games' debut—but the future looks promising.
Lost Soul Aside Has Promise—Hopefully, It Will Be Realized
Lost Soul Asidecertainly looks the part: available gameplay footage paints a picture of an action game that knows exactly what it wants to be. Players have control over a slew of different weapons, combos, and special abilities, and can dance around the battlefield amidst a flurry of blows and magical strikes. The combination of an ever-expanding moves list and what appears to be a version ofBayonetta’s Witch Time dodge mechanic could makeLost Soul Aside’s gameplay appropriately dynamic, expressive, and robust.
There’s not much to say about the story, though:Lost Soul Aside’s narrative comes across like a fairly standard “save the world” plot. Granted, the character-action genre isn’t exactly known for subtle or sophisticated writing, but it is known for its charm. Characters like Bayonetta and Dante are dripping with charisma, as are the worlds that they inhabit. Right now, it looks likeLost Soul Aside’s greatest hurdlecould be nailing this sense of identity and allure. Hopefully, Ultizero sticks the landing on this front as well as the gameplay one.
Lost Soul Aside
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic odyssey to save your sister and the whole of humankind from dimensional invaders in Lost Soul Aside – a stylish single player action-adventure RPG.
Chain lightning-fast combos, learn new abilities, and upgrade your weapons as you take on formidable enemies and colossal bosses in fast, dynamic combat.
