Lost Soul Aside and Versus XIII Review: 5 Keys in 60s ⭐
The first instruction of Lost Soul Aside, even before you play, is clear: "Press R2 at the right time to execute a Burst Pursuit and deal bonus damage." I love that promise of immediate action! 🎮 You don't understand all the systems at first, but you sense the devotion to quick, thoughtful combos. Unfortunately, the game takes too long to deliver those feelings of style.
Occasionally, the clumsily animated cutscenes create unintentionally comical moments, such as the opening scene where an Imperial guard throws a child into a wooden box. This clash between Final Fantasy-esque presentation and frantic combat hinders the experience; the start is too slow, and many skills are locked behind lengthy progression trees.
Lost Soul Aside improves over time and shows glimpses of quality; however, reaching those satisfying moments requires patience. Other genre staples let you pull off spectacular combos from the start, like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry 5, but here the progression is more gradual and often frustrating due to the slow start-up and the reliance on unlocks to advance in combat.
Leather soul 🧥
Fast Facts ⚡
Release date: August 29, 2025
Platform(s): PC, PS5
Developer: Ultizero Games
Publisher: PlayStation
- 📅 Date: August 29, 2025
- 🎮 Platforms: PC, PS5
- 🏗️ Developer: Ultizero Games
- 🏷️ Publisher: PlayStation
Kaser wears a black leather jacket and pants set and a high ponytail, and is part of an Avalanche-like group in the narrative. While some characters are Gifted and wield special energies, Kaser does not initially possess those powers. 🚨 After an incident at a parade, his sister loses her soul to Voidrax monsters, and Kaser's soul merges with an ancient dragon, Lord Sand.
Stripped of his power by years of imprisonment, Lord Sand is a growling, gravelly ally who floats alongside Kaser, granting limited abilities at first. When Lord Sand transforms into a sword, he allows Kaser to zip between enemies, later becoming a central tool for combat and mobility.
In the background, influences from major projects can be seen: recognizable elements from early Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailers and aesthetic echoes of modern Final Fantasy. Visually the game It nails the stills, but the cut-out animation can sometimes feel clumsy except in specific action sequences, creating an uneven feel between polished and rushed. 🎭
In structure, Lost Soul Aside is closer to a Devil May Cry: Kaser travels to collect soul fragments, traversing distinct levels and fighting in waves. However, the pacing is uneven: the initial stretch is slow and monotonous, and the first chapter occasionally contains several basic bosses in a row, which initially feels uninspired and repetitive. 🔁
Energy Burst ⚡
The game really opens up when you acquire the greatsword, a slow, hard-hitting weapon that complements the lighter sword. With four weapons available, you can alternate between them mid-combo. Each weapon fills a distinct role, and once mastered, they're essential for effectively stringing together moves and varying the pace of combat. 🚀
Combining light and heavy attacks creates situational sequences: for example, using the scythe to immobilize while the stamina bar is running low, dodging to throw the spear, activating a burst, then closing the gap with the sword before finishing with the slash. These transitions, when they flow, create very satisfying moments of stylized combat.
When move chains flow smoothly, the experience can be very rewarding. I love the burst moves activated by the trigger when Kaser glows blue: they add extra oomph to the combo, like putting a sparkler on top of a combo cake. 🔥 Unfortunately, many of these moves must be unlocked individually and are essential for dealing with tougher enemies.
Lost Soul Aside's flashy weapons and abilities show promise once unlocked, but they're trapped in a game that doesn't always take advantage of them.
Increases the feeling of squishyness on enemies: many don't react with real impact to your hits, giving the impression of hitting heavy bags. The camera often zooms out too much to compensate for particle effects, and the perfect dodge sometimes feels too powerful, causing Kaser to disappear and reappear around groups of enemies, taking away from the sense of weight in combat. ⚖️
The design lacks connective tissue: when you fill the stun bar, the enemy should be open to a finisher, but Kaser often triggers a prescriptive chain where he stands, disconnected from the enemy position. This allows finishers to miss or to be applied to non-stunned targets, an awkward feeling that breaks the coherence of combat and leaves awkward gaps between chains. 🤔
Despite all this, Lost Soul Aside is expansive, with plenty of puzzles and platforming. Unfortunately, jumping feels stiff, and certain platforming sections are tedious. Over time, many enemy groups tend to blend together without offering enough tactical variation in encounters, which increases the feeling of repetitiveness. 🌀
Bosses become less interesting with repetition: many are defeated with similar tactics, and some include prolonged immunity phases that force you to run around until the damage window returns. With encounters that drag on into the final hours and a location that sometimes feels stiff or repetitive, progressing to the end can be as strenuous as overcoming the plodding start. 🏁
Ultimately, it's a shame: Lost Soul Aside's weapons and abilities, once unlocked, promise eye-catching combat, but they're limited by design, pacing, and some mechanics that detract from the coherence. If you're looking for stylized action with potential, you'll find it here, but with significant drawbacks that hinder the overall experience.
Lost Soul Aside was reviewed on PS5 Pro, with code provided by the publisher. ⚙️
