I love flashy action games. From the original God of War on the PS2, to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Vanquish, and Bayonetta on the PS3, and even Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PS5, these are all games I have fond memories of. A decent amount of puzzles, some interesting platforming, and a whole lot of action are at the core of all of them. In some cases, the story is engaging too.
Lost Soul Aside is fun if you are not a long-time player of the fantasy action genre. The action is cinematic, the story feels like a cheesy B-grade film, and the puzzles are quite simple. The platforming is decent, and while I would have addressed some balancing issues in this review, they seem to have been ironed out in the latest patch the game received this past weekend. So, should you play Lost Soul Aside? Read on and find out.
Table of Contents
Story
You take on the role of Kaser, a member of an underground resistance tasked with fighting the evil empire, which is harnessing an energy that threatens to destroy the world. More personal stakes are added to the mix, such as the need to rescue your sister. You will, of course, meet other characters along the way who assist you in this journey—and if this sounds a lot like Final Fantasy VII Remake, it kind of is.
I’m all for a story being inspired by another game. After all, good artists borrow, great artists steal. But that isn’t the case here. Play Final Fantasy VII Remake or even Final Fantasy XVI, and you’ll find the story far more compelling. It’s like Memento was a masterpiece, while Ghajini was a dumbed-down ripoff of the same story, albeit executed well. The same holds true for the story of Lost Soul Aside.
Gameplay
If you’ve played Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, Devil May Cry, or any other character action game, you’ll feel right at home. The combat is the standard mix of light and heavy attacks with a skill tree to unlock new features. You have four weapons, each with its own USP and skill set to keep the combat engaging. The sword, for example, is the all-rounder, while the heavy sword deals greater damage but is slow. The staff is effective for ranged attacks, and so on. Then there’s the array of combos you can pull off by switching weapons mid-fight, leading to some truly satisfying action.
Honestly, the combat is the best element of Lost Soul Aside. Some of the frantic action will have you on the edge of your seat, and it’s a pure homage to the other action games I’ve mentioned in this review. There are also some interesting boss fights—some larger-than-life ones filling up the screen, and some “normal”-sized encounters that reminded me of the Valkyrie battles from God of War (2018).
As awesome as the combat is, the level design is average. There are a few open sections to explore, but mostly you’re funnelled along linear paths from point A to B for the next fight. I wish traversal felt as fluid as Ninja Theory’s take on DmC back in 2013, but that’s not the case here. It’s as basic as it gets.
Overall, the combat is where the game shines brightest, standing as its strongest aspect.
Graphics and Sound
The visuals are as strong as the combat. You get nicely detailed environments representing this fantasy world, along with well-designed bosses and a striking protagonist. The game looks stunning on a 4K TV.
However, a lot of side characters suffer from mismatched animations and expressions. If this is a localisation issue, it’s understandable, but it still pulls you out of the emotional weight during conversations.
The dialogue doesn’t fare much better, often coming across as either too over-the-top or downright cheesy. The rest of the sound design is solid, though. The orchestral background score adds punch to combat encounters, and the swishes, slashes, and crashes of battle sound fantastic.
Verdict
At ₹4,000, it’s hard to recommend Lost Soul Aside, especially if you haven’t yet played Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, God of War, Stellar Blade, or Devil May Cry. However, if you’re simply looking for an enjoyable action game with average exploration and puzzles, it’s worth grabbing when it goes on sale or joins the PlayStation subscription service. If the trailer piqued your interest, you can also try the demo from the PlayStation Store before buying—it’ll give you a clearer idea of the gameplay loop.
Editor’s Rating: 6.5 / 10
Pros:- Great visuals
- Engaging combat
- Good music and sound effects
- Lacklustre Story
- Average puzzles and exploration
- Hilarious voice acting
Game Details:
Note: We played a review copy of Lost Soul Aside on the PS5.
