China Hero Project: How Streamline Supported UltiZero on Lost Soul Aside’s Vertical Slice

Co-developing a Vertical Slice that Sparked Momentum

Streamline's collaboration with UltiZero Games began with gameplay testing and design consultancy. As trust deepened between the teams, our relationship evolved into a full co-development engagement. We transitioned from guiding Ultizero to directly contributing to the early prototyping of their vertical slice in UE4. We collaborated from different locations, with in-person sessions that grounded the partnership and fostered the exchange of knowledge. As part of Sony’s China Hero Project, this partnership exemplified how Streamline supports emerging developers by combining strategic expertise with hands-on execution to deliver results.

The Vision: Proving the Concept, Building Confidence

To secure stakeholder confidence and keep development charging forward, UltiZero needed a vertical slice that proved out their game concept. As a China Hero Project title, the collaboration emphasized both forward progress and capability building, This was achieved by a combination of targeted consultation within-engine, hands-on work so the team could independently maintain momentum beyond the vertical slice.

What We Delivered: The Results

• Vertical Slice for Platform Review
  ‍The vertical slice was delivered to Sony featuring new environment content, environmental NPC AI, and gameplay. Streamline supported with gameplay testing and design consultation, as well as hands on art and programming work in Unreal Engine 4: concepting, modelling, animation, and AI implementation of creatures in the vertical slice

• Rapid Iteration across Time Zones
  In-build testing kept both teams working against the same live UE4 build, enabling fast feedback cycles and quick tuning despite geographic and time-zone differences.

• UltiZero Team, Leveled Up
  Through embedded workflows, workshops, and the China Hero Project collaboration, the Ultizero team gained processes, tools, and UE4 knowledge to continue development confidently.

The Streamline Difference: Embedded, End-to-End

A multi-disciplinary team, in engine.

Streamline didn’t “hand off” assets to Ultizero. We committed directly in UltiZero’s UE4project. Designers, engineers, animators, and artists worked shoulder-to-shoulder, moving from design consultation to engine implementation without breaking cadence.

In-engine, in-build, always tested.

All work was integrated directly into UltiZero’s UE4 mainline build. This enabled each update to be compiled, tested, and tuned in the live gameplay environment.

Workshops that accelerate teams.

Face-to-face sessions aligned creative intent, unblocked technical hurdles, and established shared rituals for iteration. These workshops became a force multiplier, that UltiZero benefited from even past the vertical slice stage.

Co-development, not outsourcing.

We identified and worked collaboratively with Ultizero on “must-prove” aspects for the milestone. Throughout the process, we also proactively called out potential risks and worked with Ultizero to address them. Daily commits, transparent reporting, and clear ownership kept iteration tight and short, with focused iteration loops tied to stakeholder checkpoints. Our goal was simple: multiply output without adding overhead. That’s how we Deliver the Promise. On time, in-engine, and with lasting impact.

Ready to Multiply Momentum?

Streamline Studios is a global specialist in co-development and full production. Whether you need a vertical slice that wins reviews, systems that scale, or an embedded team that levels up your studio, we’re here to Deliver the Promise—with mastery, discipline, and heart.

Let’s build your next milestone together.