SFist Plays Video Games: Lost Planet Is Eye See Eee Cold

The name of the game is Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions for the Xbox 360.

It's a third-person shooter with first-person elements produced for Capcom by the guy who created the Mega Man / Rockman and Onimusha video game franchises.

So you can be sure that the in-game items and weaponry will be awwwesome.

And that's what separates this game from other go-blast-an-alien games -- the items and weapons and robots.

There's a story that goes blah blah blah, alien world, blah blah, ice age cometh, blah blah, some baaad alien attackers, blah blah blah, amnesiac-yet-attractive with some sort of military background hero.

Y'know, the basics.

Story, schmory; the game totally passes the pick-up-and-play test. If you've ever gibbed, fragged, videomastered, or played any old post-Doom shooter, you'll be right at home.

Your character a bipedal guy with a gun. You can pick up more guns, up to two. You've got energy-based guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers and Jesse Ventura-in-Predator-sized chainguns. Nothing felt too overpowered.

The melee attack seemed to have been made not-so-accurate or quick to disparage its use excepting in the most dire of straits.

You can jump, you can roll, you have control over where you look with your right stick, so the camera was never an issue.

Now, here's the creative curve to this game:

1.) Your little amnesiac soldier dude has a Bionic Commando-style grappling hook on his arm. You can use it to scale any part of the terrain that you can reach with it, somewhat like the Tenchu series. Your aiming reticule will automatically let you know if you can reach what you're aiming at. This brings quite a lot of depth to the randomly-generated deathmatch arenas. And it means that no hiding place is truly safe.

2.) Since the planet you're fighting on is cold, you've got to maintain your heat energy in your player. So, this's represented by a gauge that continually decreases, and if you're out, you can't power energy based weapons or a robot. Speaking of which...

3.) The machines, o, the machines! There are giant military robot mechs, big stork-like walking guns, snowmobile mechs, heavy-weapon turret emplacements, jetpack mechs, and all there for your immediate amusement!

Playing a key role in both single player and multiplayer, the giant robot designs are pleasing and fun to tool about in. Each has its own weaponry and specialty so you can get all Metal Slug on offending parties.

You can hop into a robot with the push of a button from your normal I'm-just-a-guy mode, and click-whirrr, you're at the controls and on your way. Two-legged pleasingly-animated rocket-powered two-story-tall killing machines with chain guns? Satisfying!

And that was the most powerful emotional memory we got from playing hands-on versus other players with this game; when trying to flank another online human who is hunting you through snowy ruins of an abandoned city in their giant robot... you get the prickly sensation like a child watching a monster movie because the enemy is bigger than you, stronger than you and actively seeking your demise! Fun and terrifying!

Suffice it to say, we enjoyed what we played of Lost Planet. That night we ate, drank, were merry, and pwned some fools across the Xbox Live internets.

We're looking forward to seeing the final version of the game when it is released in January of next year. Stay tuned. And stay warm on whichever planet you're on.