Despite the new additions, the original single player campaign is still the star of the show. Set in the distant future, humans have escaped the confines of Earth in order to colonise other planets. The lost planet in question is EDN III, an icy wilderness where colonisation has not gone exactly as the humans planned. The natives are not the friendliest bunch, to say the least. The Akrid are a monstrous race of insects, molluscs, arachnids and just about every other kind of unpleasant creature you can imagine. Their reaction to the human settlement is enough to make the colonists wish they'd opted for that city break to Prague instead.
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| The scale of the bosses is incredible. | Can you guess where he's vulnerable?. |
However, human nature being what it is, the colonists soon manage to kill some Akrid and are richly rewarded with the discovery of thermal energy or T-ENG, to give it its rap name. This source of power entices some humans to stay and fight, developing the Vital Suit (a big mech) to kill some of the larger beasts. You take on the role of Wayne (futuristic hero or Essex bricklayer?), a Snow Pirate who lost his memory (and his dad) in a nasty confrontation with a giant Akrid named Green Eye. Anyway, revenge, betrayal, large-breasted Asian chicks and plot twists all feature with stunning predictability. The story is played out in classic Capcom cut-scenes, which look fantastic whilst at the same time managing to be completely shallow, tedious and badly-acted.
Lost Planet wears its influences on its sleeve and anyone who has seen Dune, Aliens and Starship Troopers will be in familiar territory here. Capcom have lifted some ideas from games too and Shadow of the Colossus is an obvious reference point. They do like a boss battle. And in terms of scale, nothing on the 360 comes close. If playing this game in the presence of anyone who doesn't own a 360, keep an eye on the jaw-to-floor ratio. Lost Planet is at its best when you find yourself face-to-horrible-looking-face with a huge boss. And 'huge' is possibly an understatement. Some of the bosses are so monstrously big that they barely fit on the screen and taking them on is a daunting, but exhilarating task. You won't have to plough too far into the campaign before you encounter one of these beasts either. The giant subterranean worm is an early highlight and features in a spectacular set-piece, replete with stunning visuals, screen shaking and some detailed particle effects. The boss battle isn't the most fashionable gaming mechanic these days, but it works well in Lost Planet.
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| The grappling hook: equal parts fantastic and irritating. | You'll often need a Vital Suit before you can consider taking on the level boss. |
Unfortunately, the retro nature of the game comes with some problems. The intimidating effect of the massive Akrid creatures is soon diminished when you work out their AI routines, which are very simplistic by modern standards. You'll never be lost for ideas when trying to take down a boss – everything is signposted very clearly. Aim for the bright bits and you can't go wrong. The standard 'grunt' enemies are nothing more than pests, like terriers nipping at your ankles and offer little resistance to the Snow Pirates' weapons. There's also some lazy design at work. Invisible walls are far too frequent and its highly disappointing when the beautiful sprawling landscapes funnel you into a particular direction. The indoor levels all look very familiar (the modern obsession with futuristic warehouses never fails to disappoint) and are obviously included to add some variety. However, when other levels offer stunning panoramas of EDN III's frozen landscapes, you can't help but feel a little cheated by the cave sections. Despite being padded out by these indoor stages, the single player campaign won't take long to complete and most will near the finish line around about the eight-hour mark. Which isn't particularly impressive. Luckily, the Colonies Edition comes with a wealth of new content to keep you interested.
At first glance it seems like Capcom has pulled out all the stops with the new additions. We are given three new single player modes to contend with for a start. The Score Attack mode adds a points and combo system to the main campaign. Linking together kills and destroying environmental objects increases the combo meter, meaning more points. However nostalgic this might feel at first, it seems to be a redundant addition. Lost Planet's single player campaign is already an arcade game at heart, and you don't really need a points total to tell you that. The Trial Battle mode is a more interesting feature, allowing you to fight all of the game's bosses consecutively, with no T-ENG recharge between battles. Your performance in each battle affects which boss you fight next so you'll need to keep an eye on your energy and plan ahead. For those who've finished the main game already, it's an easy way to relive the highlights. The final single player mode is Off Limit, which lets you play the main game with supercharged weapons, unlimited ammo and greater movement speed (once the mode has been unlocked).
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| One of the worst cases of Mumm Ra Mouth we've seen in a long time. | There are some spectacular explosions and particle effects. |
Lost Planet's multiplayer was always undemanding lightweight fun featuring the traditional game modes. Colonies' additions don't stray far from that formula. Four new maps are included: Assault Space, Lost Arena, Area 921 and Crossfire City, the latter being the most impressive featuring wide streets perfect for sniper and mech battles. Some new game modes are also introduced including VS Annihilator (where you must target the opposing team's mech for victory), Counter Grab (a territory-based affair) and variations on the capture the flag model, Akrid Egg Battle and Egg Bandit. However, despite the new modes online games of Lost Planet feel similar to before. It's all about quick movement, the grappling hook, lightning reflexes and finding the best weapons. There's not much in the way of tactics and teamwork. Until, that is, you give Akrid Hunter a try. This new game mode puts a minority of players in control of big Akrid creatures, while the remaining players are tasked with taking them down. The Akrid have everything stacked in their favour: lots of energy, powerful attacks and…well they're massive. There's certainly something satisfying about chasing down tiny little humans and smashing hell out of them with your enormous alien limbs. However, it's equally enjoyable to play as the human team. Supplied with plenty of hardware, you must combine and work as a team in order to hunt the Akrid. A single player stands no chance. It adds a bit of focus to the game, actively encouraging teamwork and bringing the same sense of scale from the single player campaign to the online side of things. Lost Planet was crying out for a co-op campaign, and this is as close as you'll get to it.
LOST PLANET: EXTREME CONDITION COLONIES VERDICT
However, whether all this new content amounts to value for money is another question. There’s not really enough here to encourage existing owners to repurchase, despite the £24.99 price tag. It’s not currently known whether the new content will be available as DLC, but this would seem like a sensible option for Capcom. Yet, for those who are yet to experience Lost Planet, Colonies Edition is the definitive version of the 360’s first truly next-gen retro shooter.
TOP GAME MOMENT
First contact with the giant worm
