If you were one of the many who skipped out on Lost Planet 2 on consoles, and thought about picking it up on the PC, I can tell you that for the most part, the game is unchanged, which, by large, is the main issue with the port.
To summarize Lost Planet 2’s story, the planet of EDF III is going through some drastic changes, changes that have snowy tundras transforming into lavish jungles. Multiple factions are fighting against each other for survival, meaning the Akrid aren’t your main problem this time around, and you will experience the many sides of the story through each faction’s eyes. This setup ensures you never grow to like, or to even know any of the main characters.
Lost Planet 2’s gameplay has borrowed mechanics from a different Capcom title: Monster Hunter. The entire structure is based on taking three other team mates along with you—be it AI or human controlled—and to clear each mission, zone by zone. The multiplayer mechanic works, and is a nice feature, but it shouldn’t have replaced the main story mode.
What brings the game to a screeching halt are the clunky controls. Jumping is clunky, dodging is delayed, and even the dash button takes away complete control of your character, by barely letting you turn. Couple that with constantly having to mash on a button to activate outposts, and you’ll see how long it will take until frustration sets in.
Opting to play offline has players dependent on playing with AI, which is useless more often than not. They serve as a distraction to enemy fire, and can assist to activate outposts quicker, but during boss fights they’re idiots. What’s worse is that they often get in the way of friendly gunfire, as if they’re completely oblivious to the chaos that surrounds them.
The enemy AI is sadly no better. The bigger VS Mech enemies will pose a challenge but only in the way of higher fire power, and the soldiers are often dumbfounded to your presence. There have been many examples where I would run all the way up to an enemy, which would just stand there unaware of my presence, and it wasn’t until I fired my first shot that it even responded to me.
If there is anything redeeming in Lost Planet 2, it’s the gigantic boss fights. They start out huge, but later on border the ridiculously oversized. Most of those gargantuan Akrid are a challenge to take down, and more often than not require some serious team effort. These encounters were hands down the most entertaining parts of the game, and had me wishing for more crazy boss encounters.
Competitive multiplayer also remains unchanged from the first game, and offers very little else. Modes such as Fugitive and Post Grab make a return, whereas Akrid Egg Battle is just another name for capture the flag. The most entertaining mode was Battle Gauge; each team has a certain amount of Battle Points, which are either gained or lost depending on how successful you are during the match.
Lost Planet 2 is no slouch when it comes to graphics department. Every changing scenery is extremely impressive and pushes graphics cards to their limit. From an emerald green jungle filled with lush vegetation, a rusted rundown factory, to an almost post apocalyptic city, it’s a nice change considering the first game’s snowy locales. Add in DirectX11 support and you will have truly eye popping visuals.
Sadly, graphics alone can’t overshadow Lost Planet 2’s abysmal controls or cliched plot, and competitive multiplayer won’t tear you away from multiplayer juggernauts such as Call of Duty or Battlefield.
by Mike Splechta, November 2, 2010
