| Lost Planet 3 by Spark Unlimited |
 The good:+ Beautiful world + Some emotional depth + Rig battles  The bad:- Mediocre third-person shooter - Uninspired characters  Final score: 6.5 / 10
 Controller support: Yes |
 System requirements:Minimum system requirements: - Windows XP - Dual-core CPU running at 2.5 GHz - 3 GB of RAM - Nvidia GeForce 9800 or ATI Radeon HD 4770 or better - 16 GB of free hard drive space Recommended system requirements: - Windows 7 - Quad-core 2.7 GHz or better - 8 GB of RAM - Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 or better - 16 GB of free hard drive space |
Spark Unlimited is using the Unreal Engine 3 in order to create an icy, frozen game universe where the tale of an everyman caught in extraordinary circumstances slowly emerges.
Lost Planet 3 also aims to deliver a blend of third-person on-foot action with mech-based battles while also adding a multiplayer side to the experience.
Story
EDN III is a mysterious planet covered in ice, with seemingly hostile creatures roaming the landscape, and a corporation has decided that the only way to harvest the all-important thermal energy is to bring in workers willing to take the risk as long as the pay is good.
Jim Peyton is such an individual, and years later he uses the tired flashback mechanics to tell his entire story, feeling that to hide what he did in his youth is a betrayal.
There are some moments that feel truly emotional and heartfelt in Lost Planet 3, but the overall structure and themes are not original in any way, a mix of elements that most gamers will probably associate with something like Avatar.
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The various supporting characters also tend to be bland and uninteresting and only the wife of the protagonist, the one who’s the least accessible to the player, seems to have any sort of personality that would warrant any further exploration.
The story also has its share of holes, never explaining enough about the energy of the planet or about the choice to use rigs instead of tracked vehicles or never bothering to explain why individual weapons are allowed, some of them pretty dangerous, while mechs have to use drills and claws despite the clear danger from the wildlife.
Gameplay
There are two types of gameplay in Lost Planet 3: third-person human-based action and first-person sections based around the rig.
They are liberally mixed by the game’s core and side missions, with the player mostly tasked to move out to some distant point, get out of the rig, perform some sort of action, battle some enemies, use the rig to move some more, or fight from inside the mech.
The structure is pretty repetitive and the game also includes such much loved gameplay mechanics as Quick Time Events, linked both to combat and to some maintenance tasks.
Peyton is a mechanic, so he can also repair some stuff around the base, which is done by simply holding down a key for a period of time, which is never a fun idea for an action game.
The third-person exploration and battles are serviceable but there’s nothing spectacular in what Lost Planet 3 has to offer.
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Peyton can take cover and evade by rolling around, there are various weapons he can use and upgrade, grenades add some extra punch for some enemies, and often running around is a better idea than standing your ground.
The enemies are interesting at first but the team soon runs out of ideas and most boss battles are tedious, relying on length to simulate tension and excitement.
The level design is also a letdown because there are limited ways to approach any situation and it’s always clear that just one way to a target exists, even if the grappling hook suggests that alternative ways can be found.
The rig-powered sections are much more engaging, at least initially, because this is a lumbering monster that smashes stuff in its way or drills through sheer walls of ice.
Unfortunately, the game quickly disappoints by placing some barriers that can only be eliminated by swinging an arm and not by drilling or by using the huge mech to perform menial tasks like breaking ice that’s settled over some mechanisms.
The game also feels padded, with a main base that’s practically designed to make gamers lose time by simply running around and using lifts in order to reach quest givers and shop owners.
One character in a hallway event has humorous comments about the layout and how Payton deals with it by basically constantly sprinting, but irony is not a solution when a player feels he is simply wasting his time rather than actually playing something interesting.
The core mechanics of Lost Planet 3 are not bad, but there’s no sign that the development team understands what the audience wants or how to create truly immersive experiences rather than just stretching together sections of tedious, repetitive actions.
Graphics and audio
There are moments, too rare unfortunately, when Lost Planet 3 looks gorgeous and delivers a breathtaking view of EDN III and its unique nature.
The planet could have been the star of the game because it’s wild, and the mix of ice, storms, and weird colors creates a truly alien look.
Unfortunately, too much of Lost Planet 3 takes place in corridors that hide its beauty or focuses on the very ugly manmade structures rather than on the vast expanses of ice.
Lost Planet 3 also has a problem with the faces of its characters, which at times seem glued on, and the overall look of Jim Peyton seems to be a cross between Nicholas Cage on one of his bad days and a would-be space marine.
The voice acting is also subpar, except for the moments when the protagonist and his wife share messages which have some quite interesting touches.
The rig soundtrack is cool and manages to underline the frontier spirit that Lost Planet 3 tries to convey, but it does far too little to create a sense of place and immersion.
Multiplayer
Lost Planet 3 offers an interesting mix of multiplayer modes, allowing gamers to quickly jump into a match with no control over the settings or engage in team-based battles that involve humans as well as the Akrid.
The fact that the aliens are involved and are very capable when it comes to killing players creates an interesting challenge, an asymmetrical scenario where teams need to coordinate to battle their opponents while also dealing with the local fauna in order to achieve their objectives.
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Lost Planet 3 takes a cue from the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield and implements a complex progression system that allows players to customize both skills and equipment in order to fulfill a clear role in matches.
Those who want a set of third-person multiplayer modes with some interesting choices and Akrid presence will be delighted by what the game has to offer.
Conclusion
Lost Planet 3 seems like a game that does not understand its own fan base and never knows exactly what segment of the market it tries to attract.
The second game in the series had a dedicated following, but they will find little to love in this third installment.
The single-player is undercooked and never manages to grab the attention of the player despite the beauty of the game world and the presence of the rigs.
The multiplayer is a little more interesting because it uses the Akrid in various ways, but it’s unclear whether the modes are solid enough to keep up player engagement in the long term.
Lost Planet 3 could appeal to true fans of the franchise, if they exist, but other players have better options for the start of the fall launch season.
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