The Sony China Hero Project Game to Look Out For: Lost Soul Aside

 Written by Vivek Philendra

@vivekphilwrites_

Thumbnail Photo from Gematsu

Banner Photo by Lost Soul Aside on Twitter

Photo from Gematsu

Whether you grew up playing games in the 90s and early 2000s like me, or had a sibling who masterfully convinced your parents to get that “cheap DVD player called PlayStation 2” back in the day, chances are that you are at least a bit familiar with gaming today. What games immediately pop into your mind? Maybe it’s one of those chaotic Grand Theft Auto games, the always over-the-top NBA Jam, or maybe it’s the game that made you the proud bilingual you are today, The Sims. For many of us growing up, these big games were all the rage, and still send us down a pleasant trip to the memory lane when we stumble across an old commercial on YouTube, or a collection listed on Kijiji. However, when asked to name an indie game from the same time period, even the most dedicated gamer draws blanks. 

If you aren’t familiar with the indie gaming scene, these are games that are usually made by a single person or a team of a small number of individuals. This person, or team, takes care of every aspect of the game — from animation to marketing. They are usually independently published, and do not have the backing of a well-established AAA studio. That sounds like the biggest gamble ever, so then why do people choose to make them? It’s simple, they’re just like any other kind of artists who wish to fulfill their vision without pressure from impassive management to meet deadlines or cash in on the latest market trends. If they didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be surprised if more than half of video games would be saturated with battle royales and shooters today. So in a sense, indie developers are the unsung heroes leading a resistance against capitalist game companies, and fans love them for it. Oh yeah, and they create great games and implement suggestions requested from fan feedback swiftly, that too. 

Fast forward almost two decades later, and you would have certainly at least heard of indie legend Among Us, if not already on the verge of addiction at this point (I mean, we even had a game night at Saint Mary’s itself). Although most of us have heard of Among Us, not everyone knows where it came from. Did you know that the Best Multiplayer Game of the Year Title was actually given to a small group of five talented individuals? Among us was created in 2018 by Amy Liu, Adriel Wallick, Victoria Tran, Forest Willard, and Marcus Bromander.  Could we imagine an indie game being released on multiple platforms, attaining mainstream success and global recognition, garnering a player-base of half a billion, and winning a prestigious award like this back when we were kids?

Among Us wins at The Game Awards 2020

The success of Among Us just scratches the surface of the role that indie games play in gaming today; they are no longer a niche genre of gaming that is uncharted territory to most players. Talent and passion for making these games is not just concentrated in North America. With platforms becoming more accessible during recent years, and creators getting more access to tools than they ever did before, there has been a recent surge in indie games that has been well received by both audiences and critics alike. A lot of talent exists in Asia, and sensational titles such as Genshin Impact from Chinese indie developer miHoYo show us what exceptional experiences can be created and the audiences that can be reached, when given enough support.

Recognizing the latent potential, several platform holders have set up initiatives to actively support these independent developers and integrate their games as a core element of their offering. One such initiative taken by Sony is the China Hero Project.

 What is the China Hero Project?

Launching back in 2017, the China Hero Project is an initiative by Sony that’s based on their PlayStation platform and was created to support independent game developers and Chinese start-ups. China Hero Project focuses on helping these developers get a foot in the gaming industry and promote their games throughout China and globally. Thanks to PlayStation’s growing user base of over 100 million active players, this initiative provides a fantastic opportunity for small developers. . 

Lost Soul Aside

While the China Hero Project has a fair share of interesting titles, I was most allured by the quality and visual fidelity of Lost Soul Aside. At first glance, it would be easy to mistake it for one of the Final Fantasy or Devil May Cry games, which are developed by industry veterans Square Enix and Capcom respectively. The more you look, the harder it is to believe that Lost Soul Aside was initially developed by a single person! I mean, just watch this trailer and tell me you’re not impressed by these visuals:

Lost Soul Aside ChinaJoy 2018 Trailer

Lost Soul Aside is a fantasy action-adventure game featuring Kazer, the protagonist, who accidentally merges with the monster world. Not following the typical cliché of taking on the responsibility to save the world, he is instead just trying to make it out alive. This refreshing narrative brings about a much-needed change of pace from overused storylines that gaming enthusiasts have grown tired of years ago.

 Developed by Yang Bing, a reveal trailer made from in-progress footage of the game made waves online back in 2016. It garnered enough buzz for Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai to reach out to him, and offer him a spot on their project. This support enabled Yang to start his own company with fourteen employees under the name of UltiZero Games. This support reduced the development time significantly since the game would’ve been a decade’s worth of work by Yang alone.

 The game boasts fast-paced melee combat, impressive locations, and challenging enemies that are sure to keep players on their toes. My instincts also say that there will likely be exhilarating boss fights, which could be an interesting addition. While there isn’t an official release date slated for the game yet, and it isn’t clear how development was affected by the pandemic. Despite this, Lost Soul Aside is definitely one of my most anticipated games.  

I’d like to wish a sincere zhù nǐ hǎo yùn (good luck) to all the independent developers hoping to provide players with an unforgettable experience by sharing their games with the world. These developers have finally gotten an avenue to showcase what they’ve been working on for years, and it’s up to us to support them and encourage more people to join the industry and share their craft.