The third -person action of Lost Soul Aside, developed by the Chinese studio Ultizero Games, has an unusual story. The project began as the work of one person back in 2014 and survived a long path of 11 years long. At some point, the developer faced difficulties, but the China Hero Project program from Sony Interactive Entertainment, created to support talented Chinese developers, came to his aid.
To find out what tests the authors had to go through, and what the game became, the 4gamer.net portal met with its creator, producer Jan Bin, as well as with the director of China Hero Project Bao Bo. We have prepared for you a translation of this interview so that you can hear their story from the first lips.
Thank you for joining us today. Please tell us once again, what is the attractiveness and feature of Lost Soul Aside?
Yan: From the point of view of game mechanics, then there are deeply worked out battles and action. As for the plot, I would like the players to see how an ordinary guy saves his sister and the whole world.
Like a kaiser, an ordinary guy, got a force sufficient to save the world?
Yan: He was a poor young man until he once met a dragon named Ares. They merged together, and since then it can use supernatural abilities.
So, this is a world where there are superpowers, ghosts and paranormal phenomena?
Jan: This is initially not a magical world, but in our history many characters arouse their abilities. The boss in the demo, which you tested, knows how to control lightning, and the main character can handle different types of weapons.
About 11 years have passed since the announcement to the release. Why did the development take so much time?
Jan: Initially, I started this project alone. I posted the trailer on the network, he received a lot of positive reviews, and I started developing. But, of course, one person has the possibility of restrictions, and the work went slowly.
That is, this was the main reason why the development was so dragged out?
Yan: It took me a lot of time to collect the team. In addition, I myself did not have much experience in developing games of this scale, so in the early stages I experimented a lot, and I had to redo everything from scratch. Then, having received support, we were able to speed up the process and reach the current stage.
How did you manage to maintain motivation during all these 11 years?
Yan: There were difficult periods both in development and emotionally. But it was at such moments that people around and Sony Interactive Entertainment helped me.
Over these 11 years, the genre of action from a third person has changed a lot. For example, the Solslayik-Girls became very popular. You didn’t think to introduce something like that in your game?
Jan: I really love Elden Ring, but I’m not going to change the whole concept of my game to adapt to the one that I like. Although both games are a third -person action, they are completely different. We want our game to give the players the same quick and dynamic action that we showed in the very first trailer.
That is, if I understood correctly, your game does not apply to the genre of SOLSLAKS? Is she closer to Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden?
Yan: She is similar to them, but we wanted to make it easier so that players could perform spectacular techniques without wasting a lot of time on mastering.
How did fans reacted when you finally announced the release date?
Yan: In the later stages of development, I did not so actively follow social networks, but at the very beginning, when I only laid out the trailer on YouTube, the players who all this time followed us left support and congratulations in the comments.
Let’s talk about the combat system. When I tested the demo, it seemed to me that some points, for example, animation and a change of weapon, resemble Final Fantasy XV. Have you been inspired by this game?
Jan: I have a special attitude to Final Fantasy XV since the time when it was called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Therefore, it is possible that she influenced us. But, of course, we wanted to show other things, for example, a merger with Ares and how the dragon turns into a weapon.
It seems to me that games with a beautiful main character are especially popular in China. Are heroes like a kaiser who looks like a model guy?
Jan: Our case is special, since the project began with the trailer, so we decided to adhere to the original design. I like such a character, and he met the expectations of those who followed the game from the very beginning. There was a time when I moved from an individual development to the team, and they told me that it would be better to make him a beautiful girl.
How many types of weapons will be available in the game?
Jan: Only 4 types. Three are available in this demo, and there will be four in the final version.
It seems to me that in the action from a third person, evasion and blocks are very important. In your game, their timings seem simple enough. Have you done it on purpose so that players can easily master them?
Jan: Our goal is to give players the opportunity to enjoy the attacks, so the protection mechanics differs from the one that is used in the Solsaucca game. We want everyone to play aggressively.
What do you feel when you see the success of other games, for example, Black Myth: Wukong? There were many new games on Chinajoy, and each has its own approach to the action from a third person. Do you feel pressure or anxiety?
Jan: Not that there was no pressure. But I think more about the fact that the appearance of such high -quality games increases the expectations of players from Chinese action from a third person. Regarding my game, it is unique due to its fast and aggressive combat system.
A question for you, Mr. Bao. Support for one author for 10 years is quite expensive. Have you always been sure that you will support it before the release?
BAO: In fact, our support was divided into several stages. At the very beginning, SIE officers helped find investors. China Hero Project began to actively participate in the project only since 2022. When the SHP itself began to finance the project and engage in polishing, we realized that we need to release the game with decent quality.
Mr. Yang, when large -scale support began in 2022, did you feel that you have no choice and you need to bring the game to the end?
It was rather not pressure, but an incentive. In 2022, we were faced with difficulties in developing and managing the team, and at that moment I even wanted to quit everything. And then we received great support from SIE, which very inspired me and gave confidence.
Regardless of the results of the game, will you do the next one alone or with a team?
Yan: I have not thought about the next project for a long time. Now I am concentrated only on one thing: how to make this game perfect and release it.
BAO: The release is scheduled for the end of August, and the development is at the final stage of polishing. But our team is still working overtime. Some SIE employees say that it is time for us to think about the next project, but I think that first we need to focus on releasing a quality product, and then think about the future.
Our time is coming to an end. On the last question, each of you. Mr. Bao, in your opinion, will the game be released so that you can say that it was not for nothing that it supported it?
BAO: This is a great question, but to be honest, I did not have time to think about it. Since we announced our support in 2022, I only thought about how to release this project, and what is needed to achieve the right quality. We spent several months on analysis of the team and resources that we need, and at the end of 2023 we started rapid development, and since then we have been working.
Now the question for Mr. Jan. There will still be a time for polishing. What feelings will you experience at the moment when the game on which you worked for more than 10 years will be completed and released?
Jan: Honestly, I never thought about it. But if you imagine, then, I think, after the release, my life will not change much. Development has become part of my life. They often tell me that it is great to work on something for so long. But for me it is the same as taking care of someone. Someday the development will end, but I think that my condition will not change.
BAO: Even after the release, the work will not end: you will need to communicate with the players, correct bugs. I think this will continue for another three to six months. And only after that we will begin to think about the following projects. I first met Yan in 2022, and since then I have been watching him. I believe that now he is in his best shape.
So, we can expect something new from you in the future. Thank you both for the interview.
