Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

This Xbox 360 port retains all the high-octane thrills of the original snowy adventure while incorporating features for the PC like mouse/key support and DirectX 10 effects(finally!). [Oct 2007, p.62]

Shot-for-shot this is the same game console players had in January - a fantastic, hard as hell shooter that'll knock your eyes out of your head. But with no new content at all and a lack of the ultra-cool bonus multiplayer maps, we've got to dock it a bit.

Even though the game may feel slightly repetitive, and the mouse lag and other minor cases of "consolitis" (performance on some systems) may annoy some gamers, the quality of the action itself and the sheer magnificence of some scenes, should prove a good enough reason to play this one.

The port itself just seems to be incomplete, with the Xbox 360-centric prompts, reward tokens (previously used for 360 achievements) that now have no purpose whatsoever, and sluggish performance.

Lost Planet's strong single-player campaign stands out, in spite of buggy online functionality and other missteps.

It's brief enough and silly enough that it never stops being dumb, no-strings fun. Even when your VS becomes capable of barely-steerable flight and unbearably slow-to-recharge energy swords, y'know, it's still a flying robot with swords. Also, a generically Xboxian art style aside, it often looks fantastic, the motion blur and haze of snow especially.

Lost Planet is a great game, but the PC translation suffers quite a bit due to some conversion issues and strange production choices. If you have an Xbox 360, then definitely pick up that version over the PC port.

All in all, this game suffers from a shoddy port job along with general problems still not addressed. There are problems with the AI, general mechanics and short gaming time. Still, it's a decent action game.

Is it worth purchasing the PC version of Lost Planet if you already own the 360 one? Not really, no. You’ll only play using your 360 controller anyway, so there’s not much point in owning both copies.

Feels like a hardened old-skool title wrapped up in some lavish next-gen visuals. Annoyances with the difficulty spikes are likely to mar the enjoyment for a fair few players, but there's still no question that Lost Planet should be experienced.

Capcom of Japan is learning from the West in their game design, and learning how to do a PC port the right way. It's clear that this is alien territory for them, and they have missed some opportunities along the way. Still, they have created an enjoyable game and a port that satisfies, even if it isn't as grand as it could have been.

If Starship Troopers is your favourite film and you're looking for a new game to play for a couple of days and then use it only to prove to friends that the abilities of your brand new PC are beyond those of their next-gen consoles, then this is a suitable choice. If, however, you are looking for something more, I would look elsewhere.

The AI has some dumb moments. Several enemies remained inactive until I'd shot them three times. [Sept 2007, p.70]

Astonishing graphics do not compensate for underwhelming gameplay.

But if shooter enthusiasts own a powerful gaming rig, they will not be disappointed, with a $39.99 price tag (a full $20 cheaper then the X360 version) thrown in for good measure.

If Lost Planet was a budget title, we'd have an easier time recommending it. The main campaign is short, multiplayer matches are nowhere to be found, and you'll need a lot of computing muscle if you want to run it with a decent level of detail.

So, again, PC users are treated like second-class citizens, just another source of cash for the publishers. Frankly, I’m getting tired of this attitude from the publishers, and the simplest way to show them what we think about them is to stop buying their games. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

For an arcade game to succeed, it really needs tight, fluid methods for moving around, something Lost Planet's often cantankerous controls, even though they're better on PC, can only daydream about. What you get here caters to the mindless action fan - huge enemies, hulking weapons, monstrous explosions, and flashy visuals.

The port job itself is incomplete at best with the Xbox 360-centric prompts and sluggish performance, and if they are fixed in a future patch, which Capcom says is coming soon, the title is easily recommendable.

Nothing new or genre-shaking on show here, in what is basically a port that's far too short. Give this cold planet the could shoulder. [Sept 2007, p.50]

Talk about the old sound and fury saw -- you'll finish Lost Planet too soon and won't go back for seconds. That's really the definition of why not to buy something, isn't it?