Lost Soul Aside's Best System Turns Every Sword Into a…

It's certainly hard to ignore Lost Soul Aside's many pitfalls, the majority of which are irrevocable, as they exist within the game's core framework. Its performance issues might have comprised the bulk of its initial criticism, but even with those mostly resolved, it still falls short in many ways. At the same time, there are certain features and systems at play within Lost Soul Aside that can't be ignored, one of which is a rather unexpected blend of utility and extensive personal expression.

The heart and soul of Lost Soul Aside is without a doubt its combat, as its narrative, worldbuilding, and characters are all seated on the bench while Kaser plays on the court with his swords, scythe, and spear. That focus on combat pays off, though, even with its depth being sidelined, with its Weapon Assembly system, which allows players to customize both the appearance and combat effectiveness of Kaser's weapons in Lost Soul Aside. It's far more than it might seem on the surface, however, as its customization potential goes deeper than most other action RPGs are willing to go.

Lost Soul Aside's Weapon Assembly Redefines Customization

Style Meets Strength in Every Blade

Throughout Lost Soul Aside's story, players will gain access to various weapon types, beginning with a basic but agile sword and ending with a powerful and versatile scythe. While each weapon type has a distinct playstyle associated with it, players can customize the combat effectiveness of any weapon they acquire in the game by attaching accessories to it via Lost Soul Aside's Weapon Assembly system. This isn't just a run-of-the-mill weapon customization system, though, as players can manually attach up to six accessories to any spot on a weapon, each of which gives Kaser a unique combat bonus while using that weapon.

Lost Soul Aside Weapon Assembly sword example

Upon entering the Weapon Assembly screen, players can begin attaching any accessories they've obtained to their weapon of choice. But rather than being merely point-and-click, Lost Soul Aside's Weapon Assembly system lets players move each accessory to any position on the weapon and even increase its size or change its rotation. Additionally, players can talk to Lost Soul Aside's Liana to utilize the game's Morph system, which is essentially transmog for accessories. That way, they can ensure they're getting the look they want with their weapon. Once accessories are attached to a weapon, they will show up in battle when that weapon is being used.

Lost Soul Aside Weapon Assembly sword example 2

Why Weapon Assembly Stands Apart

While Lost Soul Aside's Weapon Assembly system can leave each of Kaser's weapons looking a bit silly at first, over time, players will have amassed enough accessories that they can really spruce up the way they look during a fight. But what really makes Weapon Assembly stand apart is how manual the customization is. This isn't just merely applying a new appearance to a weapon, but actually showing off the accessories players have worked so hard to obtain and positioning them exactly where they want them on their weapons.

With all the areas that Lost Soul Aside falls short in, it's refreshing to see systems like Weapon Assembly coming out of it that have the potential to inspire future titles. At the very least, it has now provided a blueprint for weapon customization in action RPGs (and other genres) that effectively combines player expression with combat utility in an unprecedented way. Perhaps the industry will begin to see more systems like this down the road that are even more polished and extensive than what Lost Soul Aside has done, but even if it doesn't, at least Ultizero Games' debut title has something to be proud of here.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image