Official Website
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Genre: Action Shooter

Number of Players: 1 (2 - 16 Online)

Support: 480p. 720p, Ethernet Broadband Required, PlayStation Network Compatible

Exclusives don’t always last forever, at least not when it comes to third party games. Most console supporters know this, and just because something appears on one console as an “exclusive” doesn’t mean that will always be the case. PlayStation 3 owners weren’t exactly pleased when games like Dead Rising and Lost Planet surfaced on the Xbox 360, but the times are changing. While some of us are still waiting for Dead Rising to make an appearance on the PS3, Capcom has instead delivered us to the frozen wastes of Lost Planet.

In the distant future, mankind has moved to colonize a new world known as E.D.N III. There have been a number of obstacles to try and overcome however, the first being that the planet itself is nothing more than a snow cover rock (think Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back) and in attempting to establish a new home, the original inhabitants of the planet, the Akrid, have began to fight back. At first, the efforts to destroy these massive creatures proved to be a hopeless situation, at least not until new weapons were developed. Among these were the Vital Suits, or VS, and the fight against the Akrid seems to have turned in humanities favor.

Wayne Holden, his father Gale, and a number of others recently have battled one of the fiercest of the Akrid, but this battle was more than anyone anticipated. Wayne has been found some time later, frozen in his VS, but alive. Yuri Solotov, the leader of this small band which also consists of a brother and sister, Rick and Luka, have need of Wayne’s skills. It isn’t just the snow pirate that are lurking the frozen tundra but the Akrid, but there is something more. Wayne begins to learn of NEVEC, a force who is out to not only destroy both pirate and Akrid alike, but also to establish their Frontier Project which allegedly will make the planet inhabitable, but this will come at a high price should it succeed. Now Wayne not only wants to avenge his father but learn more about NEVEC, their true plans, and what the fate of E.D.N III might be.

Lost Planet plays as a third person shooter with a number of different things to set it apart and keep it from being “just another one of those games.” Everything on E.D.N III, save for an interior locations, is set completely in the snow and ice, and the sub-artic temperatures aren’t the type of thing to be taken lightly. In order to survive, the T-ENG has been developed, a thermal devise which can keep the user warm and alive, and these are used by anyone on the planet. This is one of the primary things to focus on during any mission.

The way that the T-ENG works is that Akrid which are killed will drop a glowing, orange object which is thermal energy. Pick it up and you’re T-ENG will increase, but due to the cold, it will also constantly deplete. There are also reservoir tanks which hold larger amounts of this energy and GPS beacons that will increase the T-ENG by a tremendous amount. By activating these, something done by repeatedly tapping the circle button, not only will Wayne be given more energy but also the present GPS coordinates including information of enemies in the area.

The way in which health is used in the game is a bit different. You are paying more attention to the T-ENG, but should you get shots or be assaulted in any other way, your health will drop, though temporarily, and soon replenish itself. However, if the T-ENG drops to zero, your health will begin to deteriorate as well until you have managed to grab more thermal energy or your health bar drops completely to zero. Something which has become common in a number of games is present as well in Lost Planet, and that’s the idea that no matter how skillful a character might be, they really can’t carry a massive amount of firearms with them, You will be limited to just two different weapons. Wayne will start with a machine gun, and any other machine gun you might run across will allow you to add its ammo into your present stock. You will also find shotguns, energy rifles, rocket launchers, and a host of other weaponry, but things go beyond just being able to grab weapons that the average human could wield.

The Vital Suits have weapons as well which can be utilized, and seeing Wayne carrying around a massive gattling gun or laser is quite enjoyable. You might even feel a bit manlier for a moment or two, but these weapons aren’t easy to lug around, nor can they be reloaded quite as easily by just finding another stockpile or ammunition. It’s almost better to use the VS for what they were intended for, and there are a number of different varieties. Some of them will improve your jumping in order to reach high areas while others are designed specifically with combat in mind. The mecha can be equipped with two weapons, and this is done in the same fashion as picking any other weaponry up. The T-ENG still remains a vital part however, and mecha have their own health bar. Once it begins to deplete, you’ll have a warning message flash across the screen and should it reach critical, you’ll be given the option to eject before it is completely destroyed.

Traveling on foot and in the mecah become a valuable way to transverse the snow covered landscape. But, when you can’t reach an area with a mecha, Wayne has another means beyond just jumping. You have a grappling hook which can be shot at higher areas, and this is an easy process. If your targeting reticule is green, you can grapple to it in which case you will pull yourself up and in most cases, jump and land at the higher area. This form of targeting also works in combat and is once again easy; just look for it to turn red. There are also plenty of different types of grenades to use as well, and Wayne will need just about everything that he can lay his hands on.

Lost Planet also features target markers in each stage, and these are also in different locations depending on the level of difficulty you have chosen. Now, on another console, these all equate to achievements, but that’s not something that has been implemented into the PlayStation 3 community presently. Now these are used for some additional characters in the game. Hopefully once Home is up and running (and as I’m writing this review, it has been delayed once again) companies will add in the PS3 equal to achievements as downloadable content, but only time will tell.

The game also features an online mode where up to 16 players can participate in single or team combat. You can participate in ranked or unranked matches which is good for those maybe wanting to get a feel for the game when it comes to online play. The match types are twists on those commonly seen in the world of first person shooters. You have your elimination and team elimination matches, post matches which are something like capture the flag and fugitive matches.

The big debate has been over the graphics between the different platforms. Let’s keep something in mind and that would be that Lost Planet is a port, and something always gets lost in translation when it comes to that market. The game was originally designed with the 360 in mind, and to make the game up to par with the hardware of the PlayStation 3, it’s going to require some changes in programming that would come down to man hours and costs. Having seen the comparisons between the two, I don’t think there’s much difference at all and the “washed out” look some want to point out on the PS3 version I feel really works better given the game environment. It’s a snow covered planet that should have a cold, barren, and stark feeling to it.

Lost Planet, being set on an ice planet, does limit itself in terms of the conditions you will experience, but I don’t think that’s a real setback to the overall look of the game. The snow and freezing winds really add a nice element, and seeing Wayne’s pants start to collect snow as he trudges through snowdrifts is a very nice touch. The game doesn’t’ use the same wet and dry approach that Uncharted does, but it’s not necessity. The enemies though, the Akrid in particular, are very impressive and you’ll encounter some very large monstrosities that will have you running for higher ground in some cases, especially when they can bring down structures around you or shake the very ground you’re standing on. Overall Lost Planet captures the harsh environment that it is set in quite well, and all of this comparison nonsense just needs to stop.

The only real complaint that I have with Lost Planet is that it’s a bit short, but I don’t think that’s something that will keep the game down. The funny thing is, reviewers from other outlets really didn’t mention this much, instead trying to focus on the graphics end of things, but they sure were all over the short length of Heavenly Sword. Unlocking new characters or finding the target marks does add a certain degree of replay to the game, and hopefully downloadable content will become available at some point. I sense the possibility here of yet another Capcom franchise to follow along with Resident Evil, and Lost Planet seems to have gotten a cold reception from some on the PlayStation 3, and while it may be a port, this is one of the game that is certain to have the PS3 heating up.
 

-mike-