Lost Planet 2 wound up being a far different experience than I had anticipated. Vaguely familiar with the original, I assumed it was a standard 3rd person action/adventure with above average art direction and solid mechanics. What I found in our demo, however, turned out to be much more than another generic shooter. Steve, Greg, and I (along with a nice guy from Capcom PR) blasted through a gigantic boss cooperatively. Though we had to secure some checkpoints (easily handled by looking at the map) and dispatch some minor foot soldiers first, the heart of the game, or, more appropriately, the “shock and awe” sequence, lied with an astounding boss battle.
The four of us worked together to bring the insect-like creature down. Neon orange colored fleshy spots were obviously the weak point, but blasting those away was much easier said than done. My assault rifle and host of grenades made the process somewhat easier, but it was still an elongated and thoroughly fun process. And, in traditional Capcom fashion, the fight was far from over after the bosses’ lengthy health bar was depleted (c’mon, you didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?)
Weapons are also going to be a pretty big deal. While not yet unlocked in the build we played, Capcom PR assured us a healthy supply of weapons would be available for specific, persistent character classes (including a host of grenades and machine gun with a laser bayonet). Customization was also heavily pushed, though from a limited impression it was hard to gauge. The availability of dozens of odd weapons doesn’t necessarily guarantee different play styles, but it’s hardly a bad thing. It’s also worth noting that we found a few environment-specific weapons, such as a giant gatling gun from a fallen mech, as well as a functional mech itself. Very cool stuff, to say the least.
Lost Planet 2 doesn’t have a release date yet, but multiplayer demos are available on both PSN and Live Arcade.
