It’s weird to think about Lost Planet as a franchise, given
how different the first two titles were both in terms of mechanics and
story, and for the third release publisher Capcom has opted once again
to change things, using a new developer, a new engine, a prequel
structure, and returning to a frozen version of the EDN III.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.
StoryEDN
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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Upgrade path
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Busy work
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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.
GameplayThere
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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Hero material
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Grenade time
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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 audioThere
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.
MultiplayerLost
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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Akrid assault
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Multiplayer action
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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.
ConclusionLost
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.
Windows 8.1 RTM is already available for download, so many users have actually decided to deploy it right away, even though the public launch will only take place in October.
The good:
The bad:
Final score: 6.5 / 10
Controller support: Yes 
System requirements:
