Lost Soul Aside Falls Short of Expectations Despite Ambitious Combat
Lost Soul Aside Isn’t Quite What Fans Hoped For
A Decade of Anticipation Meets Mixed Execution
Developed under Sony’s China Hero Project, Lost Soul Aside finally arrived on PS5 and PC in August 2025 after more than eleven years in development. While combat shines with stylish action and flashy boss fights, many players feel the overall experience fails to live up to expectations.
Performance Issues Cloud the Launch
Users on Steam report persistent performance problems such as inconsistent framerate, jarring animations, and a disorienting running mechanic that makes exploration feel unstable. Developer Ultizero Games has acknowledged these shortcomings and promised ongoing optimizations to smooth out the experience.
Combat Cracks Through, But Story Falls Flat
The core combat is fast, combo-driven, and can feel thrilling—drawing inspiration from Devil May Cry and Final Fantasy. However, the story, character development, and world feel generic and uninspired. Slow pacing and awkward cutscenes weigh heavily on the experience, making it hard to stay immersed until combat momentum picks up.
Unintended Humor Undermines the Drama
Voice lines and cutscenes often veer into unintentional comedy territory. Whether it’s bizarre audio timing or absurd cutscene moments, humor pops up in places it wasn’t intended, offering occasional laughs—and lessens the dramatic impact.
Critics Give Combat Credit While Pointing Out Flaws
Critics mostly agree: the combat can impress, but it’s not enough. Reviews point to bland storytelling, technical rough edges, and outdated visuals despite the ambitious action mechanics. At full retail price, many argue the game underdelivers compared to what players expect from modern action RPGs.
Final Thought
Lost Soul Aside is a game of contrasts. Its combat system displays creativity and energy, but the rest of the experience—story hooking, performance smoothness, technical polish—is frustratingly uneven. With updates and patches, there’s potential for redemption. That said, this release serves as a reminder that promising mechanics alone don’t make a great game—vision, pacing, and polish are just as essential to turning ambition into lasting impact.
