Online

While gamers will most likely play through the single player campaign a couple times to find all the secrets and achievements, Capcom has included a very distinct and enjoyable online experience. When first getting into the online portion of the game, you will have to do one important thing, pick a model you wish to play with. Players are able to choose from three different models and three different camouflage textures and more you play the more you unlock. In order to identify your opponents from your allies, any character with a name highlighted over their head is your ally while looking for your enemies they will be running around freely. In addition to the mandatory (and in the case of Lost Planet, fairly unfulfilling) Elimination and Team Elimination modes, there is the Post Grab gametype. This is a fun more that works akin to territories, where each team is trying to secure and maintain control of the most posts in the map in order to win. Lastly and certainly not least is Fugitive, which is an interesting and quick game you can hop into where one player is a target and all the other players are trying to take you down. Capcom included a level system for the online component. The system doesn’t necessarily level up any stats on your character, but it works in conjunction with the truskill system in order to match players up against those of similar skill. Players earn points toward their level by killing opponents, winning matches, capturing posts, and other such action.

Audio & Video

Visually the game is gorgeous, with environments and characters rendered beautifully down to the smallest detail. The cold atmosphere is palpable. While gamers may think there isn’t that much to offer in Lost Planet when the entire game takes place on a snow and bug infested planet, but there is a fair bit of variety as missions span snow fields and cities, and even down into the lava pits. Although Capcom has added the option of exploring for hidden coins in each map to unlock achievements, the game is basically one long path to the end. From the Akrid to the snow pirates, all the characters look superb, each with their own animations and visual appearance. Being that there are a variety of monsters to encounter the game really gives off a vibrant shine that will appeal to most shooters and fiction fanatics. Not only do creatures and environments of the world look great but the Vital Suits you’re supplied with look absolutely fantastic. Once again, every part on the machine is detailed down to the smallest piece of equipment. Lost Planet also features a variety of special features including some of the best smoke effects we’ve ever seen and great explosions. But with these effects and visuals comes a price, at times when the game starts to heat up, rockets flying by you, gun blazing enemies target you, the game will start to stutter.

Sound in the game varies from good to just plain OK. Most of the voice overs are done professionally; while Capcom once again added an awkward pause between most conversations (Dead Rising also had this). Most of the dialogue is good but there are the common sentences that could have gone through some tweaking. Capcom has tried to establish some humor during some scenes and in-game communications, but overall came out short. This is mostly a serious game based on revenge so it’s fairly hard to crack a joke from time to time. Now the sound effects are where it’s at. There is a good variety of gun shots from weapons. Now given the game has massive weapons such as rocket launchers and Vital Suits, Lost Planet’s explosions sound as good as they look. While smoke effects look great the sound of a rocket flying by and exploding behind you is an experience more than it is a glitzy feature – it draws you further into the action, and kicks the adrenaline up a notch in the midst of combat.



Collectors Edition

Capcom has released two versions of Lost Planet, a regular and Collectors Edition. Some of you may be wondering if it’s worth the extra $10, and in my opinion it is. The Collectors Edition comes with a nicely crafted Steelbook case, a small art book that shows you both 2D and 3D art of the game, a DVD full of goodies and what you will probably most excited about is a brand new map called Battlefield they couldn’t fit into the final copy. What you will mostly be paying for is the case, DVD and map. The Map of course is something no one can get until this summer when Capcom releases it on the Xbox Live Marketplace. This is a large map that takes place in a somewhat of a large city with bridges and narrow paths. It’s basically what its name stands for, a battlefield with bunkers and run down buildings and up to 16 players going head to head.

Capcom is supporting the Xbox 360 with some great exclusive content, with Dead Rising being released last summer and now Lost Planet. While Lost Planet’s single player is short and underwhelming from a narrative standpoint, the gameplay is more than enough to make up for that and the team-based online modes provide a unique alternative to other shooters that are currently available on the console. Lost Planet does have a few annoying flaws, but the game is an old-school action experience that no shooter fan should miss.