Lost Soul Aside: Everything We Know

Before Sony and UltiZero Games reached out to lend their aid, Lost Soul Aside was merely a vision—a small-scale project conjured by one independent yet inspiringly ambitious developer known as Yang Bing. Since then, well, it's fair to say Sony has every reason to feel compelled by it, and not to mention eager to see its roots flourish into something magnificent. And it will, truly, if not this year, then in 2024.

Of course, we're still a ways off from seeing the once-soloed project come to fulfilment. But then, that doesn't mean it's void of any details or footage to help whet eager fans' appetites. Point is, if you're even the slightest bit curious about the upcoming action RPG, then you'll definitely want to read on for the full scoop. Lost Soul Aside: what is it, exactly, and why should you be giving it your undivided attention ahead of its 2024 launch?

What Is Lost Soul Aside?

To put it short, Lost Soul Aside is an upcoming action RPG by UltiZero Games. Serving as one of the key titles in the China Hero Project—a Sony-led program that aids local video game development in China—the highly anticipated IP will be gearing up for an ambitious 2024 launch on PS4 and PS5.

Minus the fact that it'll take a few pages out of Square Enix's book, there's still a fair amount we don't actually know about the upcoming RPG. That said, UltiZero Games has shared a rather generous amount of information in its seven-plus years in active development. Question is, what is the story here, and how will players tie in to it exactly?

Story

Lost Soul Aside will center its universe around Kazer, “following his accidental merger with the symbiont Arena”—a supernatural race. Joined by a crystal dragon that has the power to morph into whatever its companion needs, Kazer will venture forth and collect allies in a bid to defy the authorities—an outfit that brand the protagonist as “inhuman”.

As for what sorts of mischievous activities the duo will get up to remains unclear, though from the looks of the gameplay, both Kazer and the morphing sidekick won't always see eye to eye, and will, for the most part, fight for control over what goes.

According to the devs, Kazer will be at the epicenter of a war-torn world—a realm in which authorities pull the strings. This is where you, at least from what we've gathered, will begin your epic quest. After that, well, who knows. Intriguing though, right?

Gameplay

From what we've seen so far, Lost Soul Aside will feature a lot of components that cruise along the same wavelengths as Devil May Cry and Final Fantasy. What's more, it'll reportedly foster a “rich and rewarding combat system that gives player the flexibility to adapt their playstyle, and weapon choice to suit their playstyle to the battle at hand.”

Of course, with endless battles marked as the game's go-to bread and butter, players can expect to immerse in fluid and seemingly flawless real-time combat. And as it turns out, this crystal dragon of yours won't just be a backseat driver—but a weapon, a tool, and whatever your heart desires during your greatest times of need. Lucky you.

Outside of its ferocious melee and elemental combat, Lost Soul Aside will also incorporate its fair share of platforming and open world exploration elements. So, expect more than rehashed combat sequences in a dingy sci-fi setting, basically.

Development

It's been something of an underdog story for Yang Bing, what with the project first starting out as a one-man hustle back in 2016. Yet, much to the world's surprise, Sony took the opportunity to claim the IP for its China Hero Project—a national program that helps support local developers, in the latter half of the same year.

Since catching Sony's eye in 2016, Bing has gone on to form UltiZero Games, a studio made up of over 40 incredibly talented and celebrated creators. What's more, Epic Games has commemorated the IP by handing it the Most Anticipated Game and Dev Grant awards. So, quite the fairytale voyage so far, then.

“With the strong support of Sony Interactive Entertainment ‘China Hero Project,’ as well as development funding and the opportunity to bring Lost Soul Aside to a global audience, the development progress of Lost Soul Aside is steadily progressing and we are looking forward to providing more updates and details soon,” said producer Yang Bing in a press release.

Of course, with the game being in active development for over seven years, it's fair to say that a 2024 release is looking even more likely by the day. And to be fair, with both Sony and UltiZero around to reinforce the momentum, it'd be hard to discard such a thought. We'll see, though.

Trailer

UltiZero Games did go on to release some early footage of Lost Soul Aside a fair ways back. And not just an early concept trailer, but a full-fledged gameplay preview, too. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Lost Soul Aside, being backed and published by Sony, will launch exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 at some point in 2024. Does this mean it won't latch onto Xbox or Switch? Honestly, it's hard to say. That said, as it's being published by Sony, it's bound to be locked to PlayStation for the foreseeable future. Never say never, though.

As we're still a year or so away from launch, it comes as no major surprise that UltiZero Games hasn't revealed any special editions or pre-order bonuses. If we're lucky, then the devs should drop the details by year's end.

If you're looking to keep up to date with Lost Soul Aside, then be sure to check in with the official social feed here for all the latest updates. We'll be sure to let you know if anything changes ahead of its 2024 release.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Lost Soul Aside when it releases? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.