Capcom's Lost Planet 2 Has Arrived!!!

LOST PLANET 2 has arrived on Xbox 360 and PS3 and, from what I have played of it so far, it is bigger and better in more than a few ways than the original. First off, the original LOST PLANET: Extreme Condition was a lot of fun. Set in the future on a frozen, Hoth-like planet known as E.D.N. III, you find yourself left for dead fighting your way across snow and ice covered landscapes battling gigantic, insect-like aliens(Akrid), and dealing with snow pirates that are trying to snuff you out as well. Just imagine STARSHIP TROOPERS meets the first half hour or so of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It was a tough and intense third person shooter and offered more action and thrills than you could shake a stick at.

A decade later, the planet has changed significantly due to terraforming efforts and there are lush jungles and deserts scattered about the planet's surface. This is how LOST PLANET 2 starts out. Your character is caught up in a civil war among a number of different factions of colonists. Everyone on E.D.N. III is fighting over the main resource of the planet, thermal energy, and there are a lot of folks that will do whatever it takes to get their hands on it. Think of the thermal energy like the spice in Frank Herbert's DUNE. Whoever controls the stuff controls the planet and T-energy, like the first LOST PLANET, plays a big role in gameplay.

The story behind everything that is taking place as the game progesses is interesting enough but it takes a backseat to the over the top battle sequences and the sheer immensity of some of the monstrous Akrid that are trying to take you out of the picture. Vital suits(mechs) continue to be a key part of the gameplay as well. A new feature actually allows you to hitch a ride on one of your friend's vital suits in the midst of combat.

LOST PLANET 2 is truly gaming in its purest form and has a throwback feel to the arcade games of the eighties. You are constantly bombarded by enemies and will find yourself rarely letting up on the fire button. This is the kind of game that really makes you feel like you are in the midst of a huge war for an entire world and that world happens to look incredibly detailed thanks to a new souped up version of Capcom's proprietary game engine, MT Framework 2.0.

I will definitely be spending some quality game time with LOST PLANET 2. Sadly, there are some aspects that I know will get annoying and frustrating. For some ridiculous reason you cannot pause the game, for starters. Another thing I know will bug me is the scarcity of savepoints. There is one at the end of each chapter but chapters can be huge. Aside from these two gripes and the fact that the main menu is a bit confusing, this is yet another example of why Capcom is still one of the biggest and boldest players in the video game industry.

Check out this trailer at videogamer.com to see just how big some of the monsters are:

http://www.videogamer.com/videos/lost_planet_2_kill_big_trailer_2.html