Summer 2006 saw Capcom make quite a splash with their critically acclaimed zombie buffet, Dead Rising, as Xbox 360 owners gobbled up what little they could get during an early drought in the console’s history. Things have changed since then. An onslaught of fantastic games through the holiday season of Late 2006 raised expectations for the titles that would lead the charge in 2007. Now the first major title of the year, Capcom’s Lost Planet, looks to showcase what can be achieved with a blockbuster budget, has Capcom proved they can once again raise the bar for leave gamers out in the cold?

The game begins with a very lengthy cinematic presenting the human race colonizing on a frozen wasteland of a planet inhabited by insect-like creatures known as the Akrid. It’s not long before the humans realize that the Akrid have harvested and stored a precious thermal energy inside them that could be utilized for the human race’s survival. This realization leads to what would soon become an all out war on the lost planet, man versus the Akrid.

As part of the colonization team, our protagonist, Wayne, and his father operate in what are known as Vital Suits (VS) – armored mechs equipped with various weaponry needed to battle the Akrid, something you will commandeer for a large portion of the single player campaign. Soon our father and son are caught in a vicious showdown with one of the largest known creatures on the planet, nicknamed “Green Eye”. Wayne barely escapes the carnage. Exhausted, he collapses into the snow where he is found later by friendly snow pirates. Unfortunately, Wayne has no memory of the prior events and players will now take over in an effort to search for an explanation as to what happened and will soon learn that not everything is as it seems.

Following each mission, you’re treated to even more lengthy cinematics that can be rather campy and confusing at the same time. There’s quite a bit of foreshadowing going on, making eventual twists in the story very expected. Some of the plot development is questionable, with seemingly wild transitions from one motive to another. Introducing new antagonists every turn doesn’t seem to help much for overall cohesiveness. The game and our protagonist begin to lose sight of their original focus, shifting from wiping out the Akrid, to searching for clues about an evil corporation then to getting revenge. This loss of focus is also shared in the gameplay, as progressing in the single player campaign will reveal a heavier emphasis on the VS gameplay as enemies get bigger and badder.

The loss of focus is unfortunate because the on foot action is relatively solid and provides some strong depth with various weapons and the grapple. The control layout for the on-foot action doesn’t stray too far from genre clichés. Though the targeting reticule may seem slow moving or frustrating at first, Capcom was kind enough to include a wealth of options to change not only the speed, but adjusting the reticule to be fixed on-screen. For those that have trouble adjusting to moving reticules, having it set on ‘fixed’ seemed to relieve the early awkwardness of aiming in Lost Planet. Getting past the initial awkwardness of the reticule, one can see that the shooting mechanics and even the grapple are all well done. The auto aim system works as it should to handle your targets and rarely causes a fuss. However on the downside, Wayne’s melee attacks are perhaps too clunky for the fast moving enemies, usually missing them. His animations for falling, jumping, and getting in and out of the VS are also incredibly slow, leaving you prone to further attack. Luckily, these few issues don’t dampen the experience as much as you might think.

Beyond the core run and gun gameplay, Lost Planet is never quite sure if it wants to be a mech title. It’s readily apparent the effort made to blend these two proven action staples together did not prove to be completely successful. The problem is that the two staples are like black and white. The transition from one to the other is never fluid. Jumping in and out of a VS can be sluggish and interrupts the general flow of the action. Often at times during boss fights, the VS will get stuck in place when the mammoth creatures strike the ground around you, rendering you defenseless to attack. It is during these frustrating moments you’ll notice how problematic the VS can be, quickly destroying your best means of defense against the baddies.

Piloting the VS isn’t all that bad, there are situations where controlling the mech can definitely be entertaining. Some may be put off by the addition of mechs in the first place, but those fear should be subdued as the VS appears to be influenced by western mechanics, perhaps in hopes to appeal to players globally. Customizing your VS is easy, as you can lift up various weapons that are scattered throughout the terrain and place them onto either side. Equipping some of the stronger weapons on the VS can lead to explosive results. It can be particularly handy to equip two rocket launchers on one for boss fights, or even mix it up with a laser rifle and grenade launcher. There’s some apparent depth to the VS gameplay with several different types of VS, each with different control schemes and abilities. Some suited for platforming, some for strafing and hovering, and even one that converts into a snowmobile for long distance traveling. Almost all of them prove to be great vehicles for mayhem. It’s because of this it is unfortunate the clunky transition and impact mechanics mar the VS gameplay.

There are some other questionable design flaws that eventually surface through the single play campaign. While Capcom has delivered a living, breathing horde of inhabitants for you to annihilate in Lost Planet, there is very little reason to do so. There are several missions that are prime examples of this flaw, like the “Crossing the Plains” level, that requires you to cross a barren plain to reach the mountain route. Here you only encounter a giant worm and hundreds of flying Akrid; both of which you could completely avoid to make your way to the end. You have to ask yourself, “Why would I bother fighting these amazing looking creatures when I could just run by them and still finish the level?”. Perhaps if there was a reason (beyond achievements) that affected the progression of the campaign this wouldn’t be so bad. The result is neglect of what could be made into venerable action sequences. That’s not to say the heavy population of Akrid in the environments do nothing to the experience. In fact, the mass of enemies swarming the environments go a long way to demonstrate the hostility on a planet at war. It’s just counterproductive in the sense that it seems pointless.

Then there’s the use of thermal energy. The collection of thermal energy (or T-ENG) is the livelihood of the humans on the freezing cold planet. As you wander the barren wastelands, your thermal energy meter drops quickly, forcing you to seek action and continue moving at a brisk pace. When attacked, a separate health meter takes a dip and is soon refilled by using the thermal energy supply. To refill your supply, you must collect pools of the thermal energy that are left behind when killing any enemy. It’s an interesting take on the health mechanic that was made popular in Halo. However, its use is made questionable when Wayne makes his way into the volcanic region of the planet and into various caverns filled with pools of heated lava and thermal energy. It started as an excellent mechanic, but quickly descends into a gimmick that only makes sense in a small portion of the environments. Why is thermal energy needed inside a heated cavern? It’s odd.

On the visual side of things, Lost Planet is one of the better looking titles on the Xbox 360 out right now. With some excellent and highly detailed texture work, every render looks beautiful on-screen and in action. Where the game truly shines is during the gigantic boss battles. These Akrid monsters have each been meticulously defined and truly prove that next-gen visuals can increase the atmosphere of a video game. Watching as those bosses die and ice over before shattering into pieces on screen is a treat that should be seen by everyone – even by those that refuse to believe graphics have little to not impact on the way you experience a game. It’s not just the boss models that Capcom have expertly produced, as Nevec soldiers, the snow pirates, and even Wayne’s comrades are all modeled well. Let’s not forget the most impressive explosion effects ever seen on a video game console. They lend a helping hand to delivering a chaotic and intense action experience that [visually-speaking] puts Epic Games’ Gears of War in its place.

These elements help develop the fantastic atmosphere Lost Planet has to offer. Other details like how the environment’s hue change as you progress in the campaign are striking. When descending into deep, dark and fiery caverns you will quickly notice a red hue that contrasts the earlier desaturated blue hue that lit earlier locations on the barren planet. Looking back on the multiplayer maps and single player mission environments, they all look equally beautiful and are varied. From the harsh frozen wasteland all the way to the fiery pits of the planet’s volcanic region, the environments go a long way to create a unique and memorable look for the game.

On top of the superb visuals, there’s a commendable effort in the audio department. Hearing fast-moving rockets squeal toward you creating a spectacular explosion is a wonderful treat for those that have spent a good deal on acquiring capable sound systems for their home theater. There’s nothing to complain about the individual sounds from each of the weapons and enemies, they all capture the effect that would be expected. It does suffer from some poor voice acting that is partially due to the fact that some of the dialogue is questionable. An example being the performance of Luka’s brother, Rick, who almost ruins every scene he’s speaking in, and when you consider the length of these cinematics it can drive you mad.

Outside of the single player campaign, there’s a robust multiplayer with a maximum of 16 players allowed in a single match. You can take each other on in a variety of environments, small to large, some inspired by levels in the campaign. The online match types include elimination, team elimination, post grab, and fugitive hunt, which are all fun to play. However, the game’s multiplayer is presented in a very formulaic package; giving you exactly what you would expect. A lot of what makes the campaign enjoyable – the evolution of fighting small creatures to mammoth monsters and taking the beautiful journey through the lost planet – is missing. What it does well is a slightly different experience from the campaign, with focused and explosive gameplay on a smaller scale. Watching multiple players each commandeering a VS while the rest assault on foot with rocket launchers, gum grenades is frenetic and enjoyable. The lobby system is up to par due to the development team utilizing player feedback from the earlier demos released on Xbox Live. There’s some depth with unlockable models and skins to choose from as you continue to play online matches and build up your rank.

Capcom has gone to great lengths to ensure LP’s online multiplayer would hold up well in a crowded library of online shooters. While the multiplayer is a fine addition to the title, the single player portion of the game is its strongest element. Of the problems that do plague Lost Planet, almost all of them could have been avoided. There’s no doubt that producer Keiji Inafune has crafted a beautiful and riveting universe, that if polished could prove to be a lasting franchise on Microsoft’s console. The foundation is there; memorable creature designs, epic boss battles, and strong gameplay make Lost Planet worth experiencing. Though slightly marred by some odd decisions with gameplay mechanics, the experience is still delectable and is an easy recommendation.

Final Score: 7 out of 10 - Above Average (How do we rate games?)