Capcom had the chance to do something right with the PlayStation 3 port of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, particularly in the areas of fixing the controls, putting some necessary visual upgrades in place and offering online goodies for PlayStation Network subscribers. Instead, the game is even messier than before, carrying over flaws from the previous versions and coming up with several new ones. As a result, you'll find yourself fighting the game's screw-ups more than the actual in-game Nevec and Akrid opposition.

In Lost Planet, you play a troubled human soldier who has a nasty memory of the alien race known as the Akrid. It seems they put you into a coma, and when you wake up, you're sent to the planet of E.D.N. III to wipe them out. That's where the Nevec mercenaries come into play, attempting to shut you down before you turn the tables on them. It's an interesting idea, especially when choosing between battling on foot and utilizing a mechanized Vital Suit, but it never comes together like it should.

This Vital Suit better have a damn heater!

You'll notice problems with Lost Planet right away. For some inexplicable reason, Lost Planet on the PlayStation 3 requires over 5 GB of hard drive space. There's no way around it, so unless you have one of the bigger hard drive PS3s (like the 60 or 80 GB model), you might find yourself out of luck with even starting the game. What's even worse, it never takes full advantage of the hard drive, as it runs choppily a majority of the time. If you have multiple enemies on-screen, the game literally moves about half the speed and sometimes even less. This has a negative effect on the overall gameplay, especially when you attempt to scramble out of the way of an incoming attack and end up getting caught in its wake.

If the game was touched up in any way, hard drive installation and a little slowdown might be understandable. Unfortunately, Lost Planet for the PS3 actually looks worse. The graphics look like they've gone through a grainy filter. The animation's okay (especially on the larger Vital Suits and a couple of the bosses), but there's nothing here that wasn't seen before in last year's Xbox 360 game. The sound is acceptable, with hearty explosions and decent weapon effects, but the voice acting is still forgettable and flat.

When it comes to gameplay, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition already has enough flaws on the 360 and PC to make it less than favorable. Combine these insipid controls with the slowdown factor, and it becomes even worse. The game plays like a messy shoot-em-up, with unresponsive controls, irritating "juggle" hits when enemies lay multiple attacks on you and a lame ninety-degree turn-around option that's only good when you know exactly where your enemies are. Otherwise, you turn right into blind fire and lose a large portion of health. There is some moderately cool use of a grappling hook, which helps you reach higher areas. Otherwise, you'll find the controls are an uphill struggle, and one not worth the trouble.

If only the game looked this good all the way throughout...

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition does have several multiplayer maps to choose from (including some from the downloadable packs), as well as a couple of neat player skins that long-time Capcom fans will easily recognize. However, slowdown affects online play as well, making firefights less than intense. You might have fun for about half an hour or so before realizing the game's bothersome limitations. There are bonus coins to find in the single player campaign, but they literally serve no purpose on the PS3 -- no rewards, no new maps, no nothing; thanks, Capcom.

You'd think after a year of being on the market, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition would've been spectacular for the PS3. Instead, the slowdown is shoddy; the gameplay is still weak; the multiplayer shorts out and the graphics don't carry that current-gen zest, unlike most of Capcom's games. In the end, the only thing this Planet will leave you feeling is a bitter, unsatisfying cold. Head for the warmer climates of Devil May Cry 4 instead.

Related Links

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Game Guide

Capcom

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