You would be forgiven for thinking that Ultizero Games’s Lost Soul Aside was another action RPG with a different name. The game blends so many elements from other titles that it can be hard to pin down its influences. As it turns out, the game takes inspiration from titles like Final Fantasy 15, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Devil May Cry, according to game director Yang Bing.
Final Fantasy XV was integral to developing Lost Soul Aside’s aesthetic
In a Famitsu interview, Bing revealed that one of Lost Soul Aside’s biggest influences is Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV. As the sole developer on the project during its early years, Bing finds Final Fantasy XV’s blending of reality and fantasy very attractive. Because of this, Bing strived to implement the same balance in Lost Soul Aside with every aspect of the game’s world.
Bing turns to protagonist Kaser as an example. While Kaser’s hairstyle and facial features look stylized and anime-like, the rest of his body (including his skin, clothes, and hair) are meant to be more realistic. Bing even went so far as to commission a fashion designer to create Kaser’s clothes. Once the clothes were designed and tailored in real life Bing recreated them in the game. Aside from character designs, Bing mentions that Final Fantasy XV’s clean and comfortable aesthetic helped inspire Lost Soul Aside’s style.
Lost Soul Aside will feature beautiful, speedy, and expressive combat
When it comes to Lost Soul Aside’s combat, Bing took special care to mention Bayonetta’s flashy and artful abilities, Ninja Gaiden’s speedy combat, and Devil May Cry’s expression through gameplay as influences.
Lost Soul Aside’s battle system is constantly being improved and refined by the development team so players can feel a sense of depth and speed during combat. Much like Devil May Cry, players will be able to create their own playstyles regardless of how adept they are at the game’s combo system. Bing says that Lost Soul Aside’s various features, such as Kaser’s female companion Arena who aids in combat, will allow players of different skill levels to progress smoothly without running into too many obstacles.
Kaser may look similar to Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis, but the way he plays is inspired by more action-oriented titles. With Lost Soul Aside’s release date fast approaching, hack-and-slash aficionados might just have a title worth sinking their time into.
Lost Soul Aside is scheduled to be released for PS5 and PC (Steam) on May 30, 2025.
