Review- Lost Planet 2 [PS3]

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Released: 11^th May 2010

Other Formats: Xbox 360, PC

Laying waste to the original Lost Planet's icy plains, the sequel sees the ice begin to melt and immediately remedies one of the previous game's main bugbears. The campaign, of 6 chapters (each of varying length), spans a number of different locales and different playable factions. From the opening 'prologue' on ice to lush jungle, grey concrete warehouses, dry desert landscapes, fiery mountain ranges and even space- the game's constant mix of location is nice to see, even though the level design, which is both obscure and extremely repetitive, often means the whole progression through the game is often a long and arduous task. Each level is more often than not a negotiation through the opening 'Intel' briefing, generally informing you to capture the array of 'data posts' spread through the level and progressing in linear fashion through to the 'area complete' message. And whilst the variety in 'Akrid' creature design is to be admired; from sea urchins, crustaceans and desert dwellers accompanied by absolutely huge boss creatures that are justifiably epic in scope (even though Capcom's design philosophy to yellow weak spots is tired and dull.)

The third-person run-and-gun game play here works well and is generally fine although other aspects of the game play are clunky and a hideous mess. The 'crouch-run' is far from the standard of Gears of War, for example, with little manoeuvrability once in its animation meaning the frantic action is often nigh-on-impossible to keep up with when in a fire fight. Elsewhere, the extremely aggravating way in which the character falls to the floor upon a slight hit in an over-long animation really begin to get irritating quickly with vast sections of the game suffering the same repetition of being knocked down over and over again through no fault of your own. The grapple-hook also returns from the first Lost Planet, with the 'square' button firing the short leash and meaning higher ground can be covered, adding much-needed verticality to the somewhat stale level design. The health system is governed with the returning use of the 'thermal energy' mechanic. The 'thermal energy' level is constantly accumulated by collecting the yellow energy in the world and is used in conjunction with both re-boosting the health bar (a hold of the 'Start' button) and using Lost Planet 2's special weapons and the extremely powerful and always fun 'VS suits' which somewhat alleviate the slog through levels with the intermittent sections where these can be used. The addition of 'battle armour' is also a nice addition as such suits have no hindrance of movement but do add temporary shields until depleted. The weapons have a very powerful feel to them, with even the pistol delivering sufficient might to combat. Single-handed weapons (that can be carried two at a time) are the genre's classics (shotguns, machine guns, pistols, rocket launcher) whilst there are also more powerful two-handed weapons freely available, ammo meanwhile is always in sufficient supply. The aforementioned opening of 'data posts' in levels activate the previously fuzzy map interface and also act as re spawn hot-spots and add a healthy 500 points to the 'battle gauge'- a bar that fills upon opening the posts but disintegrates by 500 for each life lost by human players. If the level reaches zero, it's game over and the level is restarted from scratch- a key source of enormous frustration no doubt in some of Lost Planet 2's horrendous difficulty spikes such as 3,3's train boss battle which seems hugely unbalanced. The eventuality of a 'game over' can be particularly rife if playing as one of four in co-op play since single-player does not punish the player for AI deaths.

Capcom seem to have dedicated much of their time towards the mutliplayer experience. Whilst this can be congratulated wholeheartedly for adding another dimension to the framework of Lost Planet, it is also at a huge detriment to the game as a whole in its implementation. If not playing in co-op with buddies, AI replaces the remaining team members and to say they are more often than not useless is an understatement. The tailoring towards online play has meant the single player suffers so forcefully that the campaign is often nearly unplayable when in solitary play, and no, this is no exaggeration. The AI does little in terms of progression, instead more reliant on running directly beside you as cannon fodder. This is where the game falls apart- whereas the clunky combat system can often be ignored since most of it works sufficiently, the AI is as poor as it comes in a game where it is vital. Whereas team play is at the forefront of menu messages (“Co-operation is key”- it annoyingly reminds me!), this is an impossibility if playing by yourself, with no integration of any 'team order' mechanics used. Granted, online integration is available and works well with no latency problems at all witnessed, but to cause unnecessary frustration when I just want a quick stint through the campaign is plain ridiculous.

In terms of the appearance of the game, it looks good graphically, although can not quite live up to the fidelity of other new releases. Also, the epic bosses that define the game often seem to take up much of the processing power when on screen that textures elsewhere are bland and lifeless. This is a far cry from the likes of God of War III. The problem of drop in frame rate is also apparent throughout. Cut scenes interrupt the action every now and then and are well directed and well animated, progressing the story nicely in brief moments of over the top action. Quick-time events are used on occasion for some unbeknown reason because most of the time the action plays out with no requirement for the player, meaning upon first play through they'll often catch you off guard. The UI is cluttered and screen real estate is overloaded with the game's health and energy bars, map, ammo count, gun display and team statistics. Modern game design seems to have been put to the back-burner in a more focused attack on traditional Capcom design. This is none more apparent than when in the boss battles, which, although grand, remain frustrating through the whole 'rinse and repeat' nature of blasting yellow weak spots consistently over and over until it finally falls to the ground in a shower of energy orbs.

It's not that I don't like Lost Planet 2 but it is so hard to accept its faults at a time where polish is applied in vast quantity to every triple-A release that any annoyances are positively ironed out before release. The story is passable (the main might of which resides to stop a huge 'Akrid' force bringing the planet to a new ice age) and it doesn't help that the game has no recognisable characters since all are faceless protagonists. I've never been a fan of boss battles, and as such, perhaps it is my own ignorance that lay at the heart of my problem with the game but the general frustration that was greeted through each play through was difficult to ignore. All in all, it's difficult to recommend. If you enjoyed the first, I believe you will enjoy this outing. For newcomers, it's average at best, I was expecting so much more.

Out this Week! 14th May 2010

Unusually, Tuesday boasts a new game release- Capcom's Lost Planet 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Picking up 10 years after the events of the first game, the title features a rich story driven campaign that spans across various locations, from barren and dry desert landscapes to frozen wastes. A full 4-player co-operative mode is at the forefront of the experience, with customisation of your character's look, abilities and choice of unique weapons making each member of the squad unique. The action looks set to be on an unprecedented scale with huge monsters standing in the way through the game. It'll be up to you and your squad mates to work together to bring down the monumental mammals. The first game was flawed and received a mix bag critically- Capcom look to have delivered a game that can now truly harness the power of the current generation of consoles which were very much at their infancy when the first game was released.

Now for one of my most anticipated games of the year, and it's been a long time coming- Alan Wake, exclusively for the Xbox 360 from Remedy Entertainment. The psychological horror foundations of the game should deliver an unsettling amount of atmosphere to proceedings in no doubt an intense gaming experience. With an expansive world playing a key role within the game, seemingly idyllic 'Bright Falls' is the location of the game- a retreat for novelist Alan Wake and a vast open environment of which to roam freely as you investigate the disappearance of your wife. The game plays out through episodic narrative, with a 'previously on' introduction to each episode only elevating the cinematic feel of the game and ensuring a gripping story is unfolded.

The latest in EA's Skate series, Skate 3 places a firmer emphasis on team play in which player's must bring together a talented team of skaters- participating in unique team challenges and rivalling other team's online. 'Port Caverton' is the skater's paradise city this time around; with a number of skate parks, plazas and rails on which to skate. The game also features an all-new mode in which player's can create their own dream skate park and share this online with other players. It looks to be more of the same really, although the brilliant game design that has been layed out by the previous games is in no need for a facelift- even though I would like to see a few new ideas for this, the third in the series.

All this modernised gaming not take your fancy? Want a call-back to the gaming era of past? 3D Dot Game Heroes is an adventure game in the same vein as classic RPGs from the 8-bit era. In a modern take on the classic 8-bit sprites and areas, 3DDGH is rendered in 3D pixel form which brings classic gaming into the modern age. On a take of classic adventure storytelling, 'Dotnia Kingdom' is the focus of the game, as the custom hero seeks to rid the forces of evil overthrowing the land. From Software bring together the most popular games of the era with apparent painstaking detail, with in-jokes and beautiful visuals making this a definite buy for fans of a deep RPG or two.

Out this Week! 30th April 2010

A cash-in or an important update? Of course, it's most probably the former, but you'd be hard pressed to find a Fifa fan who isn't excited about the latest in the series, 2010 Fifa World Cup. The game features a roster of 199 playable nations, all questing for ultimate glory on the world stage, whilst a new penalty shoot-out system is also added to make those nail-biting finishes all the more thrilling. As the officially licensed game of the World Cup, all 10 South African stadia are re-created in exacting detail. Come on England! [Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP]

Not played God of War yet but eager to play the third in the trilogy? The God of War: Collection can fill in the blanks of Kratos's bid for revenge- a re-release of the first two God of War games, both up-scaled to glorious 720p high definition and with added trophy support- all on one Blu Ray disc! [PS3]

Arriving just after a year since it was first released. Capcom's hugely popular 2D fighter Super Street Fighter IV is out this week. The release boosts the character roster up 10 to a total of 35 and adds 6 new stages. Characters have also been re-balanced and tuned whilst each fighter also receives a new 'Ultra' attack. The online mode has also been vastly improved from the original release, with added modes ('Tag match', 'Tournament') and the ability to view replays from the top matches via 'Street Fighter TV'. Definitely worth another punt on for fans of the original and newcomer's alike. [Xbox 360, PS3]

Iron Man 2 rounds off the look at this week's releases. With a storyline written entirely for the game by comic book author Matt Fraction, the game features destructible environments, hand-to-hand combat, flying mechanics and huge bosses, as well as more inspiration taken from the comic book universe. Players can play as either 'Iron Man' or 'War Machine'. Interested? No, me neither. Movie tie-ins are notoriously under-whelming, especially when the game is released at the same time as the cinematic release. [Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS]

Preview- Monster Hunter Tri

Released: 23^rd April 2010

Format(s): Nintendo Wii

For the first time in its history, the ever popular Monster Hunter franchise comes to the Nintendo Wii in Monster Hunter Tri. Depicting a world where man co-exists with mythical beast, Tri features an expansive story line that sees players fill the shoes of a tough hunter who is tasked by the village chief of Moga to investigate the recent earthquakes that threaten their way of life. Restoring normality will only come about from hunting and slaying the beasts, thus Monster Hunter Tri features 18 new monsters to roam the land, an overhauled AI engine, and updated weapon/equipment load-outs. With the option of two player split screen or up to four player co-op play via Wi-fi, Monster Hunter's debut on the Wii is, no doubt, an expansive package.