When Lost Planet debuted on Xbox 360 in January, there was little doubt that it was going to be a bit hit for Capcom. Packing a beautiful presentation, intricate gameplay and a heavy dose of multiplayer action, kicked off the company's 2007 line-up in a big way. Following its success, Capcom prepares a Lost Planet: Extreme Condition PC version, and it looks every bit as good as its console counterpart.
Lost Planet PC follows the same snowy path as its Xbox 360 cousin. On a distant, icy planet, a lone soldier investigates strange goings-on with the local inhabitants and discovers a horde of snow pirates and giant bug-like aliens, a.k.a. Akrid that pop up from the ground, delivering the ultimate surprise attack. The only way to bring them down? Shoot them or hop into a mechanized assault vehicle, also called a Vital Suit. Later in the game, larger Akrid appear, requiring heavy firepower -- and cunning strategy -- to defeat.
Speaking of strategy, the game forces the player to keep moving to stay alive (the cold eats away at the soldier's energy bar). Whether outdoors or in a parking garage, enemies run at the player from all directions. The player must react quickly, utilizing weapons (including an awesome two-handed heavy machine gun) and a grappling hook, activated manually using the "C" button on the keyboard or automatically if he wanders off a ledge. The option to choose between using a keyboard-and-mouse combo or Xbox 360 controller should make the control scheme appealing to gamers of all stripes -- whether or not they played the original version.
Armored vehicles called Vital Suits serve a great advantage in Lost Planet. Players can attempt to shoot enemies on foot, but stand a greater chance of survival by hopping into one of these robotic suits and put its weapons to use. Players can also attach or detach guns to a Vital Suit, either adding to their arsenal or giving them a necessary weapon when forced on-foot.
The PC version of the game features sharper graphics than its 360 counterpart. The game supports DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, working with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. The display can also be bumped up to 2560x1600, making a world of difference on those with super-costly LCD monitors. Explosions and smaller details like snowflakes and footprints really shine in high-def. The game also shows zero sign of slowdown, even when screen's filled with enemies. Capcom partnered with Nvidia specifically to make this game look amazing, a partnership seems to have -- so far -- paid off.
Lost Planet will support up to 16 players online, allowing teams to take shots at each other in four modes (details coming soon). Capcom reps say exclusive multiplayer maps will ship with the game, as well -- too bad it won't also support crossover between the PC and Xbox 360 versions -- so those who want to challenge their console buddies have to own the 360 version to do so.
Look for a PC demo of Lost Planet in May, and the full retail version in June.
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