Lost Planet could have, would have, and should have been a Game
of the Year contender. The visuals are amazing; the action is fast and furious
and has that slick new-gen sheen everyone is clamoring for. I didn”t even mind
the nonsensical sci-fi back story, which involves a frozen planet, aliens that
bleed valuable thermal goo, and a shadowy organization that”s up to no good. Why?
Because the cinemas are done so well.

But ultimately, it falls oh so short. Over time, the gorgeous graphics and
interesting gameplay concepts give way to some frustrating quirks that seriously
bend, and will occasionally break, your patience.

Cold As Ice
Lost Planet offers a schizophrenically uneven gaming experience. It”s a frustrating
balancing act as expansive levels require you to be patient and methodical in
your approach, but a ticking energy meter forces you to stay constantly on the
move. It was only during certain, all-too-rare moments when abundant energy
levels and a manageable number of enemies allowed me to sit back and enjoy Lost
Planet”s unique flavor of action. The game isn”t challenging, it”s just plain
hard. I don”t mind a challenge, but I do mind a game where you have to repeatedly
fight the same boss over and over again because of unfair deaths due to limited
weapon stock and ridiculously difficult environmental hazards.

There”s also the aforementioned energy meter. Your health is sustained by a
special suit powered by special thermal goo dropped by fallen enemies. The game”s
emphasis on running around in a desperate attempt to pick up every little droplet
of goo the aliens spill is frustrating and should have been handled with an
auto-collection option.

Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Throughout the game, the gunplay is fast-paced, satisfying, and ammo is plentiful.
Ironically, Lost Planet has a decidedly futuristic sci-fi flavor but the game”s
arsenal is mostly composed of standard armaments. Let me get this straight:
Humanity has conquered the stars, but isn”t able to design a weapon more advanced
than a shotgun? To be fair, though, one of the coolest play elements is that
you can hop into a variety of big mech suits and get your gun on.

Then there are the explosions. While they”re incredibly impressive visually,
the explosions kick up a crapload of smoke, which looks great, but ends up obscuring
your vision during the heat of battle. Regardless, when you see that orange
plume of fire blossom in front of your eyes, you can”t help but smile.

Coming In From The Cold
At the end of the day, playing Lost Planet is like dating a supermodel with
personality problems: It”s great looking and has the potential for good times,
but ultimately, it”s just not worth the trouble. Hardcore gamers will be able
to test their uber-l33t skills against the game”s difficult enemies, but I play
games to have fun and though there are some good moments in the game, but they”re
too few and far between.

Review by: GamePro.com