Lost Soul Aside’s Janky Platforming Is the Game's Biggest…

If one thing is clear about Lost Soul Aside, it's that it has a lot of jank. There's jank in its combat, jank in its visuals, and even jank in its dialogue. However, one of the game's most noticeable misses is its platforming, which fails to feel like it has any momentum, makes it very difficult to land precise jumps, and yet is called into action more often than it might initially seem necessary. That being said, there is an aspect of Lost Soul Aside's platforming that makes it feel like the game's biggest fake-out, and a rewarding one at that.

There isn't much exploration in Lost Soul Aside, but what little there is can be rewarding for players looking to gain more skill points, money, or crafting materials. Every so often, though, players might come across a large gap or a platform that looks unreachable, and after a few attempts at reaching it, they might move on, either thinking said area just isn't supposed to be reached or hoping that the methods for reaching it will be unlocked later. What's most interesting is that this is almost never the case in Lost Soul Aside, meaning players have no choice but to attempt those seemingly impossible jumps with the game's broken platforming if they hope to retrieve the reward on the other side.

Lost Soul Aside's Platforming Feels Broken on Purpose

Kaser exploring the open world - Lost Soul Aside

The Allure of the Impossible Jump

It can be difficult to discern what's what in Lost Soul Aside at times, particularly when it comes to what is meant to be traversed and what is merely just a backdrop for the game's world. A lot of this comes down to its mostly-linear gameplay, which generally encourages players to stay on one path in each level. As a result, venturing off that beaten path can sometimes feel like it goes against what the game wants from players. But this is actually what makes it so alluring to do so.

There are certain areas in Lost Soul Aside where players might reach a giant chasm separating them from what appears to be a platform that could be hiding a reward of some kind, all while the path of progress lies on the other side of them, clearly defined. Driven by curiosity, players might then attempt to leap across that chasm, janky platforming and all, in hopes they might grab that ledge, if only just barely. The only thing is that jumps like those in Lost Soul Aside require absolute perfection, and the game's awkward platforming mechanics make that extremely difficult.

Why Lost Soul Aside's Jank Can Feel Rewarding

However, if players stick with it, they might eventually see their persistence pay off. There are actual rewards in Lost Soul Aside that are hidden behind platforming sections like this that are worth the effort, but the amount of jank in the game's platforming can make it seem like those sections are impossible — like the world hasn't been intentionally designed that way, especially with how difficult it is to pull off a decent landing after a jump. But the truth is, it is all intentional. Those moments are designed that way on purpose, and they fit together perfectly with Lost Soul Aside's platforming.

Kaser facing a giant enemy - Lost Soul Aside

Now, none of this is to say that Ultizero made the game's platforming mechanics this clumsy just to make its platforming puzzles more difficult, but it does make finally reaching that platform that looked just out of reach all the more satisfying. This is the kind of stuff that players who aim to break the game shoot for, and there are rarely rewards on the other side. However, in Lost Soul Aside, it does feel like one is breaking the game at first, simply because of how awkward it all is. But that's what makes it so much fun to finally pull it off.

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