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Lost Planet 2 (PC, 360, PS2) (Forum Thread) Initial Reviewer: tb2571989 Response Reviews: 0 Write a Response Review

Initial Review
by tb2571989

Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions was a bit of a surprise for me. I’m not normally a fan of the Japanese with their epic slash-and-hack and button mashing RPGs but this was a bit different coming from the east. Lost Planet was a solid, fun, old-style blaster with epic enemies, awesome locations, if a slightly wobbly plot and at the end all hell broke loose, went back it its Japanese roots and went all out with mechs with motherfricking lasers. In the end though, it was a decent game with the unfortunate lack of co-op/local multiplayer.

The team behind Lost Planet 2 have undeniably tried to make a game that could follow up to the original. Game mechanics have changed in the way that you don’t constantly loose T-Eng (thermal energy) due to the warmer climate of EDN III, the location of both games and instead it is used as a fuel for the Vital Suits, or VS’s, walking battle suits capable of carrying an assortment of weapons from rocket launchers and oversized shotguns. Also the energy is used for the Harmonizer, used to quickly replenish health at the risk of being unable to fight back. Overall, the game has been enhanced with the addition of co-op campaign and the feeling of taking on the “boss” akrid at the end of the first chapter with a friend (or in my case, brother) is simply epic. This is also where the game falls down though.

When you start a level (3 levels to a chapter) you are given a Battle Gauge balance of about 2500. Each time you die, you lose 500 points, and when you activate a datapoint you get 500 points. The datapoints are the games checkpoint system; if you die you get sent back there, with your 500 point deduction. When you run out of points however, then the game brings into play, as XBOXWORLD 360 describes, “the bastard checkpoint system from hell”. You don’t die and go back to the datapoint, or the level, no. You go back to the beginning of the chapter, and the progress that just took you half an hour is wiped out and the feeling to throw the controller at the screen is immense. I hope Capcom reacts to this and change it because it needs to be done; otherwise completing the game in co-op is going to be very hard work.

All in all, Lost Planet 2 is like the first, a damn good enjoyable blaster, with the added bonus of bringing a friend along for the ride. It does, however, have two main problems. The first being the bastard checkpoint system from hell, and the second are the controls. Most of them are OK, apart there are a couple of fiddly maneuvers like Y and left trigger, ill-pressed means you’ll probably blow yourself up with a grenade and holding B to run, in a straight line.

Rating: 3/5 Dead Akrid
Lost Planet 2 is a decent enough game if you can look over its flaws. I wouldn't pay the full £50 asked for some 360 games now but picking it up for half that price is enough for me to enjoy it. Until I get stomped on by a massive fricking Akrid, or jumping into a lake in a VS with my brother, killing us both and sending us back to the start of the chapter. Only pick up if you've played the first game or can get it cheap.

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