Once once more, I discover myself diving into what went improper with a really promising title that ought to have been amongst 2025’s best hits. After the debacle that was MindsEye, I turned my consideration to Misplaced Soul Apart, an action-adventure recreation with a really fascinating premise and fairly a number of fashionable video games inspiring its gameplay, fight, and themes.
I need to say I used to be excited for this one, contemplating my love for motion titles with meaty fight. I may even forgive a lackluster story if the combating that occurs in consequence is up to speed. Whereas Kaser and Area are actually able to delivering the thrills I anticipated from Ultizero’s maiden journey, they aren’t sufficient to wipe away the frustration I’m feeling with it.
Our evaluation of the sport touched upon a number of points that maintain it again from true greatness, such because the story’s uneven pacing, visuals, and audio that mar what may have been an in any other case wonderful expertise. However these issues don’t simply seem out of nowhere. They’re solely signs and will have been observed throughout a really lengthy growth cycle.
However what’s the foundation reason behind Misplaced Soul Apart’s lackluster efficiency since its launch? Sadly, the solutions are fairly evident. Let’s dive in.
A Lot to Like
It’s a good suggestion to check out what works in Misplaced Soul Apart earlier than diving into why it hasn’t finished in addition to I, together with a variety of action-adventure followers, had hoped. That will showcase how it’s a title with a variety of potential that has been squandered away for causes that we’re about to get into.
For starters, the sport’s premise is kind of compelling. Pitting Kaser towards an authoritarian regime and a hostile alien race permits Misplaced Soul Apart to justify its motion loop whereas additionally presenting us with a protagonist who has each likelihood and a viable cause to be a complete badass. Elevating the stakes by placing his sister’s soul within the steadiness makes it fairly private, and the sport’s story ought to have been among the many pillars of its success.
Second, the sport’s fight completely slaps. It took me again to titles like Steel Gear Rising, Ninja Gaiden, and naturally, Ultimate Fantasy, parts of that are current in Yang Bing, the sport’s developer’s title. Each swing of your weapon, each excellent dodge, and a mixture of very potent expertise from each Kaser and Area are a deal with to unleash, tearing by grunt enemies and managers.
The promotional supplies and advertising for Misplaced Soul Apart have been additionally on level, in all probability because of Sony Interactive Leisure’s position as a writer. They’re part of why I used to be as excited as I used to be for this title. And regardless of the sport’s linearity, its gameplay is kind of enjoyable when it brings in some very entertaining platforming sequences along with the various fights you’ll have to information Kaser and Area by.
On paper, all of those strengths needs to be parts that contribute to a title that’s each entertaining and nice to play. However it’s time to flip the script and take a look at the opposite aspect of Misplaced Soul Apart.
Deadly Flaws
Ultizero’s journey is one which clearly introduced some sensible concepts to the drafting board when the corporate was born in 2017 out of Bing’s collaboration with Sony, and the latter’s China Hero Undertaking. These concepts had already been part of the sport’s DNA when it was nonetheless a solo mission that Bing was engaged on, whilst he pursued his schooling.
However sadly, that collaboration might have been among the many causes for Misplaced Soul Apart’s downfall. All of its nice concepts appear to be the victims of flawed execution, a theme that underlines all the pieces that’s improper with the sport. Regardless of having Sony’s full assist and a variety of assist from the Japanese big, Ultizero’s inexperience with a big-budget title has not allowed its debut title to shine in the best way that it meant.
Inconsistency in each essential side of the expertise showcases how Misplaced Soul Apart might have suffered from a growth cycle that went backwards and forwards between its builders and Sony’s vastly extra educated groups. It appears like a basic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, and it’s the sport and its gamers who’ve suffered for it.
Take the sport’s visuals, for instance. They’re an essential a part of my argument that Misplaced Soul Apart was the sufferer of misaligned priorities throughout its growth. Whereas some areas of the sport are beautiful, others seem like they have been made for previous-gen techniques. Contemplating that the sport used Unreal Engine 4, that’s an issue that ought to have been recognized and rectified early on.
The sport’s efficiency can also be an space that reveals a variety of inconsistency, with the sport struggling to take care of a gradual framerate even on the PS5 Professional in High quality Mode. That’s a pity contemplating how its fight, which is the sport’s better part, suffers in consequence. Plainly Ultizero targeted a bit an excessive amount of on the motion whereas neglecting equally essential areas of the expertise it aimed to ship.
It’s type of a rookie mistake that might be forgiven if not for the truth that Ultizero was being supported by Sony from the time of its inception.
A Lack of Stability
It’s clear that Kaser’s grace and steadiness haven’t been part of the event of his journey. It’s fairly noticeable even in the best way that Misplaced Soul Apart thrusts him into what appears like an infinite stream of battles towards grunts and managers. It doesn’t assist that the sport’s prologue took the story in a single path solely to have the narrative go utterly the opposite means.
The Voidrax invasion ought to have been launched a bit additional down the road, permitting Kaser’s battles towards the Empire to shine by a bit extra earlier than putting it on the again burner. Because it stands, the sport’s narrative wasted the potential of its prologue, rendering it fairly forgettable when you’re thrust into the bigger story beats that accompany it. To me, it made Kaser quite one-dimensional as a personality, and the story fell flat within the wake of him being pressured to tackle a bigger menace regardless of his apparent grudge towards a regime that I used to be led to imagine he spent a big a part of his life making an attempt to overthrow.
One other space by which I imagine Ultizero may have made higher decisions was its selection of engine for the sport. Contemplating that Misplaced Soul Apart was in growth since 2017 at the very least, the sport’s visuals would definitely have benefited from a shift to Unreal Engine 5, making it a real current-gen title, however then the efficiency points may have been worse!
Whereas Ultizero, being a newly fashioned studio, might be seen as a possible cause for avoiding the comparatively new engine, Sony’s experience may have, and dare I say ought to have, been leveraged to make up for any discrepancies. That’s very true contemplating that titles like Black Fantasy: Wukong and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers have finished very nicely with UE5 regardless of beginning growth on UE4.
Each these titles prolonged their growth cycles because of the shift, however got here out as vastly higher experiences in consequence. Misplaced Soul Apart may have gone in an identical path, and even perhaps ironed out each its visible inconsistencies and efficiency points in a single fell swoop.
The Highway to Redemption
It’s clear that Misplaced Soul Apart may have used extra time in growth, with the top end result being much more palatable. With that being stated, nonetheless, there may be nonetheless the possibility for Ultizero to try a bit of harm management and maybe enhance the scenario to an extent.
It’s an excellent signal that the studio has acknowledged the suggestions it has acquired and is engaged on fixes that would assist with the sport’s present issues. A day one patch apart, it’s going to be fascinating to see how Misplaced Soul Apart seems to be within the subsequent few months. However can it’s saved fully?
Whereas I’d be inclined to say no, I can not disregard the truth that Sony is concerned with the title. That might very nicely be the ace up the sport’s sleeve, and with the precise fixes, a variety of Misplaced Soul Apart might be introduced as much as scratch if the writer behind a few of trendy gaming’s best heavyweights offers Ultizero the assist it so clearly wants.
It’s going to be an uphill activity, however I do need Misplaced Souls Apart to succeed at incomes the nice graces of its gamers, myself amongst them. It’s actually fairly enjoyable when it fires on all cylinders and brings a variety of memorable moments to the desk.
Time will inform if my want will come true. However I sincerely hope that Ultizero has discovered classes that make its efforts to repair the scenario higher, and maybe permit it to realize even better outcomes on its subsequent title.
Observe: The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially signify the views of, and shouldn’t be attributed to, GamingBolt as a corporation.
