Lost Soul Aside’s ‘FromSoftware’ Build is Virtually…

After nearly a decade of waiting, players have finally gotten their hands on Lost Soul Aside, and the verdict is mixed. On the one hand, Ultizero Games' debut release has been praised for its hard-hitting, flashy combat and soundtrack, but other aspects, such as narrative and voice acting, have been much-maligned.

But focusing on the positives, Lost Soul Aside's gameplay is rather fun, albeit a bit too easy at times. Mechanics like staggering can make the player feel extremely powerful, and Kaser's astonishingly quick, ballet-like melee abilities are hard to look away from. Indeed, Lost Soul Aside may lack style and charm in many areas, but combat isn't one of them. While it's more of a straightforward action game than an RPG, there's still a bit of depth and personalization to explore via skill trees, sword upgrades, and the like, and one "build" effectively turns Kaser into a FromSoftware boss, making players nigh unstoppable.

Lost Soul Aside's Burst Pursuit Moves Turn Players Into Brutal FromSoftware Bosses

Kaser uses Burst Pursuit, Void Array - Lost Soul Aside

Why Burst Pursuit Is the Ideal Lost Soul Aside Move for FromSoftware Fans

Burst Pursuit is a class of Lost Soul Aside attacks that allow the player to send autonomous follow-up blows at certain points in a regular combo. For instance, at the end of a basic light sword combo, players can press R2 at the right moment, and Kaser will unleash a flurry of ghost-like slashes about his person. It's a fast, blinding, and unapologetically cool approach to combat, and it is more than a little reminiscent of some of FromSoftware's toughest boss battles.

Take Elden Ring's Malenia, for instance: her devastating Waterfowl Dance combo is vicious enough, but she adds insult to injury with its final attack, which creates a deadly dome of inexplicable slashes, just when the player thinks she's finished. She's not the only FromSoftware boss to have these sorts of attacks, as Maliketh, the Black Blade has similar maneuvers, as does Promised Consort Radahn. It's no coincidence that these are among most infamous bosses in not only Elden Ring, but FromSoftware history. And in Lost Soul Aside, players get to feel what it's like from the other side.

player using greatsword of radahn in elden ring shadow of the erdtree

To be fair, Elden Ring players can unleash these "ghost attacks" with specific Ashes of War, although this is nowhere near as intuitive or overpowered as the Burst Pursuit attacks in Lost Soul Aside; Lost Soul Aside's approach truly puts the player on par with these bosses.

By mastering Burst Pursuit moves, Lost Soul Aside players can feel as empowered as these oft-detested FromSoftware enemies, making them a reckoning force on the battlefield. The nice thing about Lost Soul Aside's version of these player attacks, compared to similar moves in other action games, is that they aren't passive: the user actually has to master their own attack patterns and get the timing right. The game won't simply execute these moves automatically, making them more engaging, and with a higher skill ceiling.

This is aided by the game's light RPG elements. There isn't a ton of build variety in Lost Soul Aside, but players can augment their playstyle by favoring certain weapon skill trees over others, and by leveraging specific items. For example, players can choose to spec into Burst Pursuit skills, prioritizing them over others; some weapon types, such as the basic sword, have more Burst Pursuit attacks than others, so favoring these weapons with upgrades and weapon accessories is a boon for this playstyle. In short, while there isn't a ton of flexibility within Lost Soul Aside's progression, there's enough to craft some kind of build around Burst Pursuits, turning Kaser into a facsimile of FromSoftware's most aggravating bosses.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image