Lost Planet 2 is the follow-up to Capcom’s successful third-person shooter Lost Planet, that was originally released in 2007 for the Xbox 360. Lost Planet was then eventually ported to the PC and PlayStation 3 thereafter. The first Lost Planet proved popular enough to warrant a sequel and I can safely say that Lost Planet 2 is a gem on its own merit. With all the tough competition with lots of games being shooters, Lost Planet 2 is just as enjoyable as it predecessor with a few added features to make this game unique. Capcom released a demo of the game via the PlayStation Store and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace to give gamers a taste of the campaign and multiplayer modes. Is the demo enough to persuade gamers to shell out for the full thing?
One of the new features in Lost Planet 2 is the four-player co-operative campaign. The ability to team up with up to four people online or offline gives gamers a chance to plan a strategy in taking out the big bosses in the game. Four-player co-operative campaign has been done before in other games but is that feature enough to make it a worthy title to buy? The first Lost Planet was a fun action shooter, can we expect the same level of excitement with the sequel? Let’s take a look in the HOTs and NOTs of the game to answer all these questions and more:
HOT
Four-Player Co-operative Campaign
The biggest selling point of Lost Planet 2 is the four player co-operative campaign that can be played both online and offline. The whole game was designed solely for multiplayer. If a gamer decides to play offline, the AI will control the rest of your teammates. The AI may not be as efficient as real-life human players but it gets the job done. There is a total of six episodes in the game divided into different chapters. It can take up to 40 minutes to finish each episode depending on the difficulty. At the end of each episode, gamers will get a chance to fight a boss where your skills will be put to test.
Online campaign mode is where the game truly shines. The ability to play all over the world makes the game accessible to everyone seeking for players. The server is not only open in specific regions as you can play just about anyone around the world. Playing a campaign with three other people will give gamers a challenge to form a strategy in defeating the bosses. With the AI, they don’t move unless the player moves or shoots. I suggest playing the game on hard difficulty for anyone seeking challenge while playing the online four player co-op campaign. When starting up a match, gamers can customize the Lobby they want to get in. They can choose what episode / chapter they want to play, difficulty, and the settings for friendly fire. Once it’s all done, gamers are all set for a fun action-packed campaign. For Lost Planet veterans, they should expect the VS Machines and other weapons to make a come back in this game.
Big Bosses
For gamers who have played the co-operative campaign demo that Capcom released earlier should have already gotten a glimpse on the bosses that will be in the final game. The Category-G Akrid that appeared in the demo isn’t the only one that gamers will get to fight, instead, there are roughly six more that will require a lot of teamwork in taking them out. Similar to the first Lost Planet, the key in taking the Akrid out lies in the thermal spots that can be found in the body. When fighting bosses in Lost Planet 2, the boss will have a health bar and it’s up to the team to find where the weakness is. Taking out each body parts is recommended when gamers cannot find the weak spot of the boss. Gamers doesn’t need to be worried as weaponry such as the VS Machines and a Rocket Launcher will help get the job done.
Impressive Graphics
In terms of visuals, Lost Planet 2 has one of the best graphics in this generation. The game not only takes you to the barren ice waste land, but will also see you traverse through the luscious jungle, underground cities, deserts and a lot more. Each of the six episodes will bring gamers to a multitude of different places to experience what the Planet EDN is all about. Graphically the Snow Pirates (the game’s human characters) aren’t nearly as clean or detailed as the environments. The VS Machines have improved and it looks more sharper than the ones used in the first game.
16 Player Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode of Lost Planet 2 is what we can expect from every other shooter game. In Lost Planet 2, gamers will gain a level depending on the performance in each session. To persuade gamers in playing more, there will be items that can be unlocked when a certain level is reached. There is also a comprehensive character customization that can be done in this game. From the outfit to the arsenal of weapons that a character can use, gamers can make their character stand out when fighting each other online. For Resident Evil and Gears of War fans, a skin will be available only when playing multiplayer mode. However, make sure you have the save file associated in your hard drive if you want to unlock the skin for Gears of War or Dead Rising for the Xbox 360.
There are three different modes in the multiplayer section of Lost Planet 2. Elimination, Team Elimination and Data Post Grab. For fans who played the first game, they should expect the more of the same gameplay; nothing has changed in the multiplayer modes of the game. However, to make the multiplayer more intense, Capcom has created a map where the gun fight takes place entirely underwater. Time to get those VS Machines, Rocket Launcher, or Gum Grenade ready for a fun multiplayer mode.
Intense Gameplay
Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter. For gamers who played the first game, the controls are similar. In each episode, there will be goals that need to be achieved before proceeding onto the next chapter. This varies from activating data post or eliminating Snow Pirates and Akrids. At the end of each chapter, gamers will be ranked depending on how good they were. Achieving a high rank in each chapter depends on the objectives given when playing a chapter. Keep a lookout on the objectives that needs to be done in the HUD to get a better ranking (Good Job Points). Blazing through the chapter is intense with four-player. Gamers will get to experience the action Capcom intends to give original Lost Planet fans.
NOT
Weak Story
Comparing the story between Lost Planet and Lost Planet 2, the first game is better. It seems that Capcom has focused more on the co-op mode in the game and forget to craft an intriguing storyline. The story of Lost Planet 2 takes place 10 years after the events of the first Lost Planet. Through the six episodes of the game, six different stories of the different Snow Pirates’ factions will be told as they struggle to survive in the Planet EDN. There are no main characters in the game unlike the first game’s story focusing on the character Wayne. Gamers might even forget that Lost Planet 2 even has a story when playing the campaign mode because in reality, there is really nothing that will keep gamers hooked to the story. You’ll mostly be preoccupied trying to survive and blasting as many enemies as possible.
Dumb AI
When a gamer plays the campaign mode by themselves and under the Hard difficulty, expect to be demolished even with the three AI controlled characters following you. It’s not entirely impossible to finish the campaign alone but it will take time as the AI is really incompetent. The AI doesn’t follow you unless the character moves or shoots. They activate data posts when you get near to it but you will have to help them or else it will take eons to activate it. They shoot down enemies but rarely finish them off. Gamers will have to do the finishing shot to take them down. When it comes to battling bosses, the AI shoots random parts of the boss’ body and not their main weakness. So basically, the gamer will be the only one focusing on the boss’ weakness while the AI is shooting every part of the boss’s body. In other words, the AI is not nearly as smart as it should be the game is pretty much a one-man show if you’re playing alone.
VERDICT
Lost Planet 2 is a game where fans will have to get despite its weak story and dumb AI. The game is built for gamers who want to play with friends on the campaign mode. Playing alone in Lost Planet 2 will defeat the purpose of having a “fun” experience as the AI will not be able to give you the thrill and excitement gamers will be getting when playing online. Capcom has created Lost Planet 2 solely for multiplayer online and not offline. If gamers are seeking for an explosive, intense, and hot game for this summer, Lost Planet 2 is the game you are looking for.
[Editor’s Note: Lost Planet 2 was reviewed on a PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
KerrWasHere
May 12, 2010 at 10:31 AMI dont think the review copy of the game is the same as the final copy because it is possible to play completley alone and when you do the game changes because you are alone the VS’s are different.
It also tells and shows you everything your are supposed to do.
The only problem is the no pause button but missions dont last long
That One Guy
May 23, 2010 at 10:59 AMNo its not I played the game it was terrible. They tell you exactly what to do? What about the part in the desert where you have to fight the worm with the railgun? They dont tell you crap! The checkpoint system sucks and because of the animation design the Multiplayer is way more aggravating then it is fun. My opinion? Fail.