Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Limited Edition Steel Case) (Xbox 360)

With the Xbox 360 still selling like two week old sushi in Japan, Capcom remains Microsoft’s biggest supporter from the land of the rising uppercut. Realising there’s no point trying to appeal to the local market their games so far have all been very much Western in style, as exemplified by the well-received Dead Rising. This was intended as a third person take on Halo and even though the similarities are ultimately minor it’s still one of the 360’s best action games. Like most Capcom games the story (and particularly dialogue and voiceovers) is not one of the game’s best features, but thankfully there’s not much that needs explaining when you’re fighting monster bugs and giant robot riding snow pirates.

Like Halo you can have only two weapons at a time and use a recharging shield. This though is powered by an always decreasing supply of thermal energy, topped up from defeated enemies. Apart from this the only other piece of gadgetry you have to help you is a grappling hook, although it remains largely underused in the single player campaign. The various mechs you can commandeer are a great deal of fun though, with different variants being able to jump, hover or transform into vehicles. Graphically the game is excellent, with some awesomely large Starship Troopers style bugs and possibly the best explosions ever in gaming.

Where the game gets into trouble is the brevity of the single player campaign. Although this is compensated by the online multiplayer mode, even that cannot overcome the game’s innate simplicity. Complexity, or even longevity, is not what this game is about though and in terms of offering plenty of big dumb fun it succeeds admirably.
HARRISON DENT