Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

"Greatest Multiplayer Xbox Live has to offer."

Whats the point of playing a multiplayer game if the outcome of matches isn't determined by skill but by pure luck? Thats how I feel about most games on xbox live. I am a competitive gamer that likes a steep and infinite learning curve. Im one of those counter strike freaks that you think is cheating because you cant touch me after 10 rounds. Are you the same way? Then you will find what you're looking for in Lost Planet.

Mutiplayer

Some game developers spend thousands of man hours and loads of cash just to fine tune the often problematic multiplayer portion of a game. This is truly a hard thing to get right. But I truly think that a successful mp game has a lot to do with luck as well. Capcom got lucky.

Simple things that people have come to expect from a mp game are absent here. Shoddy matchmaking, connection errors, and other glitches seem like they could have been easily caught with a little testing. So what makes it so great?

Controls

Very different from what you are used to on the xbox yet very effective and customizable. The rb and lb are quick turn buttons that will turn you 90 degrees in the respective direction. They are vital in order to get the jump on your opponent. My biggest complain about console shooters is that the controller doesn't allow for quick turn-arounds. This little feature may seem small but it makes all the difference.

Gameplay

You really just need to play to understand. Just know that the gameplay mechanics are surpisingly deep and will require hours upon hours just to become competitive. Check the leader boards and memorize their names. When you run into those players I advise you to observe. The greatest players of this game are mind boggling good. You just dont see stand out stars in other games which goes to show how steep and seemingly infinite the learning curve is.

Much of your time will be spent hunting down the best weapon or the best mech on a map but even a simple machine gun fight can get very intense. When you are being hit you cannot fire your weapon so when engaged in a close quarter gun fight you must roll and evade your opponent in order to get a shot off(quick turns become very important here as well). This is such a refreshing change from other console shooters where all you do is circle strafe each other until one or both of you die.

The weapons and mechs are actually very unbalanced. Some are almost useless while others are very overpowered. When someone realises this they often dismiss the game which is understandable but a big mistake nonetheless. The most important thing you must learn is how to set yourself up to have the advantage. That is the object of the game. If you played Unreal Tournament or Quake you will know what I mean by that. If someone has the best weapon you need to be patient and stalk them. Wait for them to get into a battle. The first person to approach them will most likely die but they will also have chipped away at the players health. Now is your chance! When you see a mech smoking that means its one grenade away from blowing up. Take that sucker down!

But even your default weapons can be deadly. You are given a random selection of grenades when you spawn which in themselves can be deadly to ANY player regardless of what weapon they have. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon is far more of an undertaking than in most games.

Single Player
Almost not worth talking about but here it goes. I have to admit I was bored out of my mind most of the time mostly due to the brain dead AI, repetitive boss fights, and an absurdly shallow storyline even by action game standards.

What bothers me so much about the story is that the premise is actually very intriguing so when things are never explained it bothers me even more. Im sure you're somewhat familiar with the plot so Im not going to go into specifics. Just know that the game is all about gameplay without a story to really make you feel like you are fighting for a reason. Nope just enjoy the pretty graphics and the death cries of your enemies.

Another thing to note is the difficulty. Personally I think that if you are a seasoned gamer you should have no problem figuring out what to do because its actually a very old school type of action game. So just apply the same rules of boss fights you've always used. Shoot the weak spot, keep moving, blah blah blah.

Conclusion

The multiplayer is worth the $60 alone but if you are only interested in single player for whatever reason then this is a rental at best. So why the 9 out of 10? Because the Multiplayer is THAT good. See you on live!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/23/07