Review: Lost Planet 2

As far as I can tell, there isn’t a cooperative experience similar to Lost Planet 2 anywhere out in the game market today. The action is tremendous, the foes numerous and oftentimes humongous, and the entire package is wrapped up in a world and visual aesthetic all its own. One of the pervading elements of Lost Planet 2 is scale, and while it can sometimes be harrowing, the feel of the gameplay is that of something that is just barely inside the realm of possibility.

Before I get into what makes me enjoy this game so much, I’d like to state my initial impressions. The control scheme is very complex. It borders on complicated. By default, the context-sensitive button used to activate just about everything in each level is also both a melee attack button and a run button. The button that allows the player to throw a grappling hook is in a location that nullifies the ability to aim a weapon or position the camera. These options were not working for me. I went through the menu to find a more suitable controller layout, and I believe I went through seven totally different layouts until I found one that worked for me (B-4, for those interested).

Even then, the controls are a bit of a speed bump. Zooming is accomplished by pressing in the right control stick, which seems intuitive, but pressing in the control stick in any position other than dead center acts as a quick turn. Pressing the left stick in makes the player crouch, and only while crouched can a dodge be performed (by pressing the jump button). These are things I found out roughly halfway into the game – they are not noted on the in-game controller layout screen.

Needless to say, I was frustrated. Beyond the controller itself, each character moves in a very tight fashion. By tight, I don’t necessarily mean responsive – turning is slow, running is slow, reloading is slow, and it really seems like the whole process could be loosened and sped up. The animations roughly follow suit. Holding the run button results in a comically slow sprint that can barely be maneuvered, jumps cover more vertical distance than horizontal, and every button-mashing activation for Data Posts or environmental objects can be excruciating.

These seem to be things that could be game breakers because they are. Players like myself are used to something a lot quicker, simpler, and more responsive. With expectations set aside, though, it’s very easy to get over the control issues. While the animations are slow, their generous exaggeration is polished and cinematic. Again, the movements are slow, but with practice can be extremely precise. And with what Lost Planet 2 tasks the player in doing, I can appreciate that.

The majority of the missions in the game kind of toss the player into a stage with some sort of minimal goal. A few of the missions have cutscenes beforehand that play part into the theme for each episode, and to some extent the cutscenes do a basic job of setting up the very next series of tasks. However, for the most part, each mission will start the player out with activating a few Data Posts before they know what they are actually doing. As soon as the posts are up, the player might find themselves surrounded by a swarm of beasts, or trying to sneak into an industrial complex of sorts, or in the Lost Planet 2 fashion, being challenged by an Akrid several stories tall.

There really isn’t much telling sometimes. The plot… the plot really makes no difference. It may be a good plot, but I couldn’t tell you. I have literally no idea what went on. I know the setting, I know the importance of thermal energy (or T-ENG), and the effect of destroying Akrid to harvest that energy, but never once could I actually figure out what the hell was happening. The first mission has players romping through a jungle, destroying swarms of aliens, and the next has them attacking a base of rogues and destroying a drill. After that, I was sneaking into some place, taking down the mech-like VSs, stealing a submarine, et cetera. I could make no sense of it.

When the action is as intense as it is, though, there’s not much of a need for story. Lost Planet 2 just delivers. There are many different kinds of beasts both small and large. Some enemies fly, some burrow, some bust through walls at inopportune times. The human enemies can oftentimes be just as terrifying, with their seemingly-limitless supply of gigantic rocket-spewing Vital Suits, hidden snipers, shotgun runners, and more. Still, the real stars of the show are the gigantic Category G Akrids with whom battles can be upwards of twenty minutes. Each one of them has several different attacks or abilities that keep the fights interesting. One in particular can create walls of ice, while another can jump clear across the level. With enemies of this size, it would take a single player several lives and tons of firepower to become victorious. Of course, playing solo with the AI allies leaves a bit to be desired, but they do a good enough task taking care of stray enemies and providing cover or distractions for some of the larger fiends. Still, the core of this game is co-op, and that is where the game shines.

One particular mission is set on a moving train running parallel to another train carrying a huge T-ENG-powered weapon. The player is supposed to take control of it, and after battling over and through train cars, activating data posts and taking down turrets, the group is faced with a gigantic Cat-G Akrid. This fiend is dozens of times the size of the train, and only the massive weapon they’ve just commandeered can take it down. In this particular instance, there are several tasks that must be accomplished just to fire a round off. One player can use a device to aim the weapon 90 degrees in a given direction, another uses a crane to load ammunition, another charges the ammo, another can strengthen the ammo with pulse charges, yet another slowly aims and fires the weapon, and lastly, a player can take out Akrid flying projectiles, making sure the train doesn’t overheat, and/or keep the cannon from being damaged.

Needless to say, there are a lot of things going on, and even though in this case the AI knew exactly what to do, the real fun of that mission was getting four people together and working as a team – sometimes to figure out what needs to be done, other times just for the firepower. Though that is the most obvious example of the necessity of teamwork, there are plenty of scenarios that let group strategies shine. In general, players can take on many kinds of roles. T-ENG can be shot to teammates to allow them to heal, shields can cover massive fire from one or more of the many VS machines, shotguns for close range and snipers for long; you name it, the scenario and best strategy for it is present.

Unfortunately, the co-op doesn’t allow the player to just drop it at any convenient time. A player coming into the middle of a campaign has to wait for that one to end and the next one to start. It isn’t exactly ideal for people like myself who don’t have three friends with the game, but given that situation, I imagine getting into a lobby and going about business would be butter smooth (as was the case when the Spawn Kill crew got together to check out the multiplayer and co-op demos).

Capcom did include several multiplayer modes for those who are so inclined. From what I have experienced, most of the modes have been seen before. The competitive gameplay is much more difficult than the campaign modes, basically because of the level of familiarity newcomers like myself will lack, but I can see it being a fun diversion for a little while. Hardcore fans will surely keep with it, though, for all of the unlockable elements that were included. Character avatars can be customized through various armor/clothes, setting color schemes, choosing weapon loadouts, nicknames, and more. Oh, and the multiplayer trophies/achievements, of course.

The feeling I get from Lost Planet 2 is very much like feelings I got from games 5 or 10 years ago. There is a lot to learn, a lot to see, a lot to do, and even after going through the massive manual included with the game I had to figure out a lot of things for myself. In a cutscene, I saw a character use a grapple to attach themselves to an enemy, holding onto the anchor in one hand and firing their rifle with the other. This is something that can actually be done. The limiting factor really seems to be what the players see themselves as being able to do, which is a very impressive notion.

Lost Planet 2 has a lot of faults, and will immediately turn many game fans away right from the start. This is a real shame. This title has some of the most intense moments I have been part of lately, and in my opinion manages to pull through despite some of its more prevalent issues. In short, this is a game everyone ought to play. It won’t suit everyone’s tastes and I’m not quite sure it’s even supposed to. Like many good things, the more time players put into this game, the more rewarding the experience will be.

Lost Planet 2
Playstation 3 (Reviewed), Xbox 360
	Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Genre: Third-person Action Release Date: May 11, 2025 MSRP: $59.99 ESRB Rating: T for Teen

Doin’ It RIGHT: - Awesome visuals and cinematic style. - Nonstop action. - Extremely rewarding cooperative play.	Doin’ It RONG: - Controls take some getting used to, and even then aren’t exactly ideal. - Plot and plot presentation are flawed. - Some game mechanics are convoluted.
FINAL SCORE: 7.5 / 10