"Lost Soul Aside Blocked on Steam in Over 130 Countries by Sony"

Lost Soul Aside will be region-locked for over 130+ countries on Steam, leaving many PC gamers frustrated and reconsidering their purchase. Dive in to understand the implications of the region lock and get insights from recent interviews with the game's director.

Lost Soul Aside Locked For 130+ Countries At Launch

UltiZero Games' highly anticipated title, Lost Soul Aside, will launch with region-locking that has left many gamers feeling the pinch. Sony's ongoing strategy to limit the reach of PlayStation-published games means that over 130+ countries, unsupported by PlayStation Network (PSN), will not have access to the game on Steam.

Interestingly, a PSN account is not required to play Lost Soul Aside. However, the region-locking means the game won't even show up on Steam in non-PSN supported countries. To circumvent this, players would need to create a new Steam account in a PSN-supported region, a workaround that many find cumbersome. This move is particularly puzzling as PlayStation recently eliminated PSN requirements for their PC games. The backlash has been significant, with PC gamers voicing their discontent across social media and forums, many deciding to forego purchasing the game altogether due to these restrictions.

Lost Soul Aside Will Blend Fantasy Elements With Realistic Visuals

Since its announcement in 2016, Lost Soul Aside has consistently impressed with its unique style, seamlessly blending fantasy elements with stunningly realistic visuals. In a recent IGN interview on February 20, 2025, UltiZero Games CEO Yang Bing elaborated on the game's artistic direction and development journey.

Bing emphasized that the game's core style and high-speed, flashy combat have remained unchanged since the initial promotional video in 2016. He shared, "So this is something that we have been sticking to for all these years. During this development process, we, of course, continued to see some new and excellent works, which maybe we got some influence through, [on] our thought along the way. So from the beginning, this personal trailer gradually evolved into a more mature and well-run version, I should say."

The protagonist, Kaser, embodies the game's blend of reality and fantasy, sporting cartoonish facial features and hairstyles juxtaposed against the realistic textures of his skin, hair, and clothing. Bing has cited Final Fantasy 15 as a key influence on this approach.

Influences From Final Fantasy, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Devil May Cry

Lost Soul Aside draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of Japanese gaming classics, including Final Fantasy, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Devil May Cry. In an interview with Famitsu on February 20, 2025, Yang Bing discussed how these influences have shaped various elements of the game.

The design of Kaser is heavily inspired by Final Fantasy, with Yang explaining, "I had a designer design the clothes for the main character, and I wanted to combine realistic and fantasy elements, just like in FF. After the clothes are designed, they are actually made and reproduced in the game. By doing so, we thought that the players would feel as if it actually existed, and that the main character, Kazel, would also feel as a bloody, realistic character."

For combat and pacing, Bing credits Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Devil May Cry for their influence on the game's flashy abilities and fast-paced action. "We're also constantly improving and refining the combat system, maintaining a sense of speed in combat while also adding a certain amount of depth. Players can develop their own style, and even if they are not good at sequential moves, they can use various systems to achieve high performance and make the game go smoothly," Yang stated.

Lost Soul Aside is scheduled for release on May 30, 2025, on PlayStation 5 and PC. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting title!