Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Score: 76% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Media: Blu-ray/1 Players: 1; 2 - 16 (Online) Genre: Action/ Third Person Shooter/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Lost Planet: Extreme Condition comes to the PS3 nearly a year after the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the same game. Although the PS3 version features a few new maps and characters for multiplayer, the core game remains largely the same. While these are nice additions, at least for people who enjoy multiplayer games, they aren't enough to entice people into an upgrade, nor do they make up for number of imperfections that mar the PS3 version. One of more noticeable differences between this version and others are the visuals. Lost Planet retains the same fun character and enemy designs as well as the game's cinematic scope and feel. The snow-covered ruins that make up many of the game's levels have a desolate, run-down feel. It is easy to get the sense that these were once functioning cities that fell prey to the ravages of time and war. At the same time, the entire game feels flat; the textures aren't as sharp and there is much more slowdown. Story sequences are fully voiced, and for the most part the actors do a pretty good job. Some lines are over-delivered while others just don't work, but when you stop to consider how much story doesn't matter, it isn't enough to get worked up over. One vocal element I loved was the VS's on-board A.I., which would sound off when the VS was about to explode. It is not something you want to hear coming from your suit, but it is music to your ears when coming from an enemy VS. Music is, for the most part, not present unless something big is going on. Most of the time it is just you, a few Akrid cries and the snow under your boots. The absence of sound helps to set the feeling that you're alone while the musical cues add a little more excitement to fights.
Gameplay: The PS3 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is identical to the 360 and PC versions as far as content. You play as Wayne, an amnesic soldier who falls in with a group of pirates after a huge bug known only as "Green Eyes" kills his father. As expected, Wayne takes his father's death personally and decides to take on the whole hive in order to get revenge. He also has a few run-ins with snow pirates as well as a mysterious corporation known as Nevec, which has plans for the planet. Storytelling is very scattershot and tends to jump around with little explanation. But, it does its job at moving you between levels, so it is something. Gameplay is straightforward and doesn't do too many things different from any third-person shooter. What helps to set the game apart is the Thermal Energy Gauge. As you kill enemies, they'll drop orbs of glowing thermal energy which are collected and stored. Thermal Energy is used in a variety of ways and provides much of the game's "push" to keep you moving forward in each level. It's most important use is as a supplement to your life bar. Whenever you take hits, some of your energy is dumped into your life bar. Thermal Energy is always trickling off, so there's never a balance issue resulting in infinite life. Instead, you are forced to keep moving and fighting through levels rather than getting into standstill gunfights. You also need to keep your thermal levels up; otherwise you'll freeze. Thermal Energy also plays a role in how you attack. Weapons range from machine guns to missile launchers and are always in supply. Kill someone and you can snag their weapon. The trick is that you are only allowed to carry two weapons at a time, so there is a bit of strategy involved. It is possible to run around only using the machine gun, though you might find an energy rifle that can kill in one shot at the cost of some thermal energy. Vital Suits (VS) add another dimension of play and are one of your bigger Thermal Energy sinks. Like weapons, there are a number of types available, from suits with chainsaws attached to their arms to suits that transform into tanks and snowmobiles. More powerful suits usually require more Thermal Energy, though they can sometimes be the only way to effectively take down certain enemies. VS weapons are interchangeable, adding the same amount of strategy used while on foot. VS weapons can even be used while not piloting a VS, trading foot speed for firepower. The one improvement the PS3 version makes over previous installments is the added multiplayer options. Among the offered modes are Fugitive, where one player is marked as the prey while everyone else hunts them down, and Post Grab, where teams fight for control of posts scattered across the map. Team and solo Elimination modes are also around. The PS3 version offers all of the maps and skins that shipped with the PC version, including Frank West (from Dead Rising) and Mega Man. All of the downloadable maps available on Xbox Live are also included, bringing the total to 16 maps.
Difficulty: Whether on foot or in a suit, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition offers a lot of flexibility when dealing with enemies. You can simply shoot them, or use objects like exploding barrels, rocks and steel beams as weapons. Even with numerous ways to stomp bugs, Lost Planet can still become overwhelming at times. You're always outnumbered and if you're not careful, you can sometimes find yourself in a situation with no ammo or the wrong gun for the job. Although these situations make your job harder, you are never backed into a corner and left with nothing. Unfortunately, this same amount of flexibility isn't offered during boss fights, which follow the standard, "Hit 'em with everything you've got" formula. Boss battles are some of Lost Planet's most exhilarating and frustrating moments. With the exception of a few fights where you take on other suits, bosses are giant and require a lot of firepower to take down. On top of that, most can only be damaged in certain spots, and require nothing short of luck and an ungodly number of replays to beat. Most of the problem lies with the number of "cheap" attacks some bosses possess, like an ice spray that covers the entire area and will damage you regardless of what you do to try and evade it. Others are made difficult simply because of their massive size, which doesn't agree with the camera. Despite these tribulations, Lost Planet still manages to capture the something special that keeps you coming back for more punishment, even if just to hurl unheard insults and curses at the developers.
Game Mechanics: Lost Planet: Extreme Condition sticks to the same mechanics as any third-person shooter. The camera is locked behind your character at all times, though you can pull it in for an over-the-shoulder view. Moving the right stick moves the camera as well as your targeting reticule. The targeting reticule is contained in a small, invisible bounding box. Once it hits the edges of this box, it turns the camera. The system feels odd at first, but after a while, you'll come to appreciate the added freedom it allows. It is great to be able to quickly switch between targets without inadvertently moving the camera. Compared to the 360 version, the controls on the PS3 version are incredibly sluggish - which is the one issue that will probably torpedo the entire experience for fans who would otherwise like what the game has to offer. Wayne is incredibly slow and suffers from horrible lag between moves. This is the last thing someone wants in an action game, especially one that really doesn't have much else to hang its hat on. They don't kill the game, but the difference is noticeable. Another of Lost Planet's unique mechanics is the grappling hook that lets you grapple onto things Bionic Commando-style. The grappling cord can latch on to nearly anything, at which point you can pull yourself up to a higher ledge or quickly move across a gap. The hook also acts as a safety net for when you might accidentally get too close to the edge of a ledge. If you fall off, the cord immediately launches to catch you. Some areas even have you lowering yourself down a hole with the cord as you take out enemies. For as long as it took for Lost Planet to reach the PS3, you would expect a better game than what was presented. The core gameplay - which is a lot of fun - is still around, but the sluggish controls hurt the experience.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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