Lost Planet XBOX 360 Review

Lost Planet is disappointing. It's not disappointing because it's a bad game, but because it could've been a great game. It's just frustrating that a bunch of things add up and detract from this game. I don't know where I would put my comments on “Story” and feel that I’ll need the room so I will just say it here. The Story in Lost Planet is bad. It’s hard to follow, and while it has some cool concepts and enticing plotlines, it is just put together horrendously. There is no character development, or really character introduction, and relationships aren’t formed or explained so everything just seems stereotypical or doesn’t make sense. **SPOILER ALERT** An example of this is when you capture this NEVEC bad guy named Joe, then become great friends with him, then he betrays you, and then you are friends again.**SPOILERS END** So just know that the story is forgettable. I definitely missed the intricacies of it, so if you would like to explain it to me, feel free. Anyways, onto the breakdown:

Gameplay: 8/10
Pros: The game is fun to play. There is so much action, the Vital Suits are fun to drive, and it’s just pure carnage and amped up arcade action. There are some real WOW moments where there are literally hundreds of creatures and people in the surrounding areas- definitely some killer and memorable battles. Boss battles are great and “classic.”
Cons: Grappling Hook is basically a stick here and pull me here and while it’s nice to have I wanted a fully functional Bionic Commando or Worms style grappling hook (ninja rope). Controls are a bit quirky and take some time to get used to (can’t look directly up! WTF?), but the most annoying thing about the gameplay is the stumbling, falling animations that stun you and lead to your death or at the very least a large chunk of your Thermal Energy Reserves. Oh yeah, that Thermal Energy thing really takes away from the exploring the world thing.

Graphics: 9.5/10
Pros: By far the strongest aspect of Lost Planet, the visuals are extremely impressive with the best and most realistic smoke I’ve ever seen in a game. The character design as a whole is awesome (love the thermal packs on each human and the pulsing, glowing suit under everyone’s clothes) not to mention the awesome Akrid designs, and Vital Suits. Graphics are just sweet!
Cons: The action can be so intense that you lose your bearings (especially if there’s smoke around or if you’re hit with a rocket). The other problem is that since you’re on a snow world the scenery gets a little tedious (even though there are some lava, and indoor levels to break it up).

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: The voice acting is actually pretty good even though the story is poorly put together. It’s a script problem and not an audio problem. The music, gunfire, and Akrid screams all get your blood pumping and going.
Cons: I found it really hard to hear my teammates in-mission dialogue/updates. This is especially annoying since they help direct you where to go and how to defeat enemies, etc.

Lasting Appeal: 5/10
Pros: 2 Multiplayer modes with up to 16 people on Xbox Live is fun. “Target Emblems that spell a word” achievements in each level give the main game some replay value.
Cons: The Multiplayer mode suffers since Vital Suits completely dominate the battlefield, and there aren’t many modes and it’s not as balanced and strategic as many other shooters out there on LIVE. It’s an arcade action fest, and while fun doesn’t have the longevity of a Gears of War, Halo, etc. The single player game is too short! While each mission is lengthly (60+ minutes in some cases), there are just over 10 missions and you can definitely beat the game in under 8 hours (It took me about 6 to get to the final boss).

Average: 78.75%
Tilt: -5.75%

The story, controls and other quirks really detract from the game and its lasting appeal. I don’t see myself playing the campaign again and again or the multiplayer. The game is instantly appealing and the demos were a lot of fun and got me excited for the game. I guess since the real game was just more of the same: more Vital Suits, levels, enemies, weapons, etc. With all the time since the first demo I just was hoping that they would tweak some of the gameplay and controls. This game is a great rental and a great buy for Arcade junkies who love graphics. It’s just not a title you be playing 3 months from now.

Verdict: 73%