After almost a decade in development, Lost Soul Aside is finally here. I still remember seeing that first gameplay clip back in 2016 and thinking, “no way one person is making this.” It looked wild, and honestly, I’ve been curious ever since. With Sony stepping in through the China Hero Project, the game went from a solo project to one of the most talked-about indie-turned-big releases out of China.
Of course, when a game takes that long, expectations start climbing fast. You can’t help but wonder if it’s going to be worth the wait, or if all that hype is just setting us up for disappointment. When I finally hit start, I felt that same mix of excitement and nerves. You know the feeling when you’ve been following a game for years and now it’s real?
Those first hours answered a lot of questions. Lost Soul Aside has moments that make you think, “this is exactly what I hoped for,” and others that remind you it’s been a rocky journey. Either way, it’s finally in our hands, and there’s plenty to dig into.
Story of Rebellion and Bonds
The story centres on Kaser, a fighter in the resistance group known as GLIMMER. Early on, things get personal when his sister Louisa’s soul is stolen by the Voidrax, strange creatures that threaten the world. This sets him off on a journey filled with rebellion, family ties, and dangers that reach across different dimensions. Along the way, he teams up with Arena, a dragon who fights beside him and keeps him company.
On paper, it sounds like a setup that could carry an RPG, but the execution just doesn’t click. The game leans on very familiar ideas like an empire to overthrow, a sibling to rescue, and an ancient evil waking up. Dialogue often feels stiff, and scenes sometimes cut so abruptly that I found myself wondering if I had skipped something by mistake.
Arena does help keep things lively. His sarcastic remarks and blunt honesty break up the heavier tone, and his exchanges with Kaser became something I actually looked forward to. The prologue also makes a strong first impression, though that early spark fades as the story moves on.
For me, the narrative mostly faded into the background. I wanted to feel invested in Kaser’s mission, but I never really connected with the cast. There are hints of personality, and the world teases bigger ideas, but the story never pulled me in. Thankfully, the action picks up the slack.
Fast, Flashy, and Sometimes Frustrating
Combat is where Lost Soul Aside makes its strongest case. The game gives you four distinct weapons, sword, greatsword, poleblade, and scythe.You can switch between them at any moment. Each one has its own rhythm, and stringing them together in mid-combo feels fluid and satisfying. Add in Arena’s abilities, from shields to devastating attacks, and the battles become a mix of strategy and flash.
There’s one boss fight I’ll never forget. I started with a scythe toss to chip away, then switched to the poleblade for some aerial combos. I messed up a dodge and almost paid for it, but landing a perfect block turned everything around. With Arena backing me up, the fight came together in a way that felt both chaotic and rewarding.
That said, not everything hits the same high. Regular encounters often fall into a predictable loop: clear waves of grunts, then deal with an elite, before finally facing the boss. The challenge modes and boss rush add variety later, but the repetition is hard to ignore in the main story.
Platforming segments also break up the action, though not always in a good way. Early on they feel manageable, but by the later chapters, mistimed jumps and clunky movement made them feel more like chores than breaks. Puzzles are simple, mostly tied to weapon interactions, and don’t offer much beyond short pauses between fights.
Even with those frustrations, the combat was strong enough to keep me hooked. Mixing combos, swapping weapons mid-air, and landing sync finishers creates the kind of moments that remind you why action RPGs are so fun.
Presentation of Style and Stumbles
At first glance, Lost Soul Aside looks pretty sharp. Character designs stand out, especially Kaser’s flashy outfits and the imposing look of major bosses. Combat effects are flashy and satisfying, with weapon trails and sync finishers giving battles an extra punch. The environments don’t always land the same way. Some look fine, but a lot of areas come off as plain or forgettable. The world lacks a consistent style, leaving it feeling uneven overall.
The audio is a bit of a mixed bag. The soundtrack hits hard during big fights, especially the boss themes, but outside of combat it can cut off so suddenly that transitions feel awkward. Sound effects are serviceable but don’t pack much punch, and melee clashes often sound flat. The English voice acting is the weakest part, with stiff delivery that makes it tough to stay invested. Switching to another language track helps, though the writing itself doesn’t do much to lift things.
On the technical side, performance is mostly solid on PlayStation 5. Combat feels smooth, and load times are quick enough not to get in the way. I noticed some stutters, pop-in, and rough animations during exploration and cutscenes. I also ran into a few crashes, though not often. Overall, the game runs fine most of the time but still could have used more polish. That part stings a little extra, considering how long it was in development.
Lost Soul Aside Nails Combat but Falls Short Elsewhere
After nearly a decade of waiting, finally playing Lost Soul Aside felt unreal. I’d been following this project for years, hoping it would live up to the promise of those early trailers. Starting it up for the first time, I was excited but also a little nervous. Would it deliver, or would the long wait catch up to it?
The good news is that the combat really does deliver. Switching weapons mid-combo, pulling off a perfect block, and letting Arena unleash his powers made fights feel intense and rewarding. Boss battles, while sometimes frustrating, gave me some of the most satisfying victories I’ve had in an action RPG recently. When everything clicked, it reminded me exactly why I’d been waiting for this game.
The rest of the package, though, couldn’t keep pace. The story leans on tropes I’ve seen many times before, and the cast never pulled me in. Cutscenes were often abrupt, and the dialogue rarely helped. Environments looked decent here and there but mostly came across as plain. The English voice acting dragged things down further, even when I switched to another track for relief.
Performance was solid for the most part, but I still hit stutters, rough animations, and a couple of crashes. After so many years of development, those problems stood out even more. Platforming and puzzles didn’t help either, slowing the momentum instead of adding variety.
In the end, Lost Soul Aside is worth a look at. After waiting this long, it’s hard not to feel a little let down.
Lost Soul Aside
Summary
Lost Soul Aside finally arrives after years of waiting, and the combat makes it worth a look. Swapping weapons, nailing perfect blocks, and teaming up with Arena makes fights a blast. The problem is everything else can feel rough, from the story to the polish. It’s fun, just not the complete package many were hoping for.
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