Lost Planet 3

Lost Planet 3 isn’t a particularly handsome or graceful action game, but beneath the somewhat dull surface the characters and the multiplayer progression are outstanding.

Very different from the Japanese games, but a quality, polished shooter. [Nov 2013, p.62]

Lost Planet 3 fully commits to the story and the right atmosphere to tell it. In that, the game succeeds in the same way major science fiction movies of the past did so. The gameplay that surrounds the story never excels, despite some good ideas and an all-round decent execution. You’ll take it for granted though, because the well-being of main character Jim Peyton soon turns out to be the X-factor Lost Planet 3 needed.

Lost Planet 3 has positive elements that a player can truly enjoy. The surprisingly deep storyline and character depth can make up for some of the flaws in the gameplay systems, but dull and repetitive battles make this title nothing more than average.

There's already been a price drop of about $20 for Lost Planet 3, which makes it a pretty good deal. The timing for such a thing isn't great. There are a couple new consoles launching soon and the tidal wave of 4th Quarter games has only just started, I think Lost Planet 3's window of opportunity has closed for this somewhat enjoyable mid-tier game.

A disappointment. It wants to build a complex and emotional story, and mix it with a cinematic shooter. Unfortunately, the story takes too long to get going, and the action is uninspired and generic.

Lost Planet 3 is not Lost Planet anymore, nonetheless it's a competent third person shooter, with a solid script and a good number of different missions.

Ironically Lost Planet 3 lacks what the developer has in its name – a spark. It’s a solid but generic shooter that you will forget quickly. [CD-Action 10/2013, p.48]

Lost Planet 3 is the best game from Spark Unlimited, but that isn't a real achievement (remember Legendary?). Capcom trusted a mediocre studio from California and let them create a new installment in a well known series. Fortunately everything went ok. If you don't have elevated expectations, enjoy the cold atmosphere and got a kick out of Dead Space 3, you should definitely buy LP3. This is the best game in the series and looks like a step in a good direction.

The slow-burning start betrays a really engrossing game, let-down only by its rather repetitive firefights and laborious backtracking.

It went beyond predictable third-person shooter conceits often enough to make me glad I explored it, even if I wondered where the "could have beens" would have gone.

Spark Unlimited did well with the game's script and the stunning landscapes, but all this gets hindered by a too-repetitive gameplay and an overly slow pace, worsened by the too many and frequent load screens.

Lost Planet 3 fails to have its own identity. It is technically competent, and there are moments of fun to be had by shooting enemies.

Lost Planet 3 is a mediocre shooter that confirms all doubts in recent months about the capabilities of Spark Unlimited.

Holds some legitimate moments of brilliance, and the game shines when it comes to character development and storytelling. Unfortunately, Lost Planet 3 then ends up sabotaging itself with gameplay so dull or tedious at times that it can’t begin to support the weight of its ambitions.

Lost Planet's latest is an unsophisticated and messily made game. It has some good ideas like its free-roam concept, but most of these are poorly executed.

This is an action adventure that fans of the genre will probably enjoy, but apart from this, it fails to do anything outstanding.

Lost Planet 3 at least has a respectable story and some combat variety to it, even if the pieces don’t always come together quite right.

If anything, Lost Planet 3 shows that the series has had a rough run, and while it has made some improvements, it continues to fall short of the potential that fans know it has.

Lost Planet 3 is a peculiar game. It’s a solid third-person shooter with an identity crisis. Some of the changes to the single player won’t go down so well with the fans – it’s missing some of the bits that gave Lost Planet its own personality.

This is one of those games that you might snag on sale and end up finding enjoyment in its merits. Just know that there are several problems that are impossible to overlook when you do. Still, fans of the Lost Planet series would do well to give it a go when it gets cheaper.

A disappointing entry in the Lost Planet series that occasionally shows flashes of potential, but ultimately ends up being marred by numerous problems, Lost Planet 3 manages to eke out a mildly compelling story and a solid multiplayer mode. More akin to the first game, Lost Planet 3 will nonetheless leave you cold.

Lost Planet 3 has nothing in common with its two predecessors. The single player campaign is actually quite pleasant, especially because of its story that manages to keep us in suspense. However, the game is quite uninspired and lacks depth.

A solid third person shooter but is marred by some repetitive gameplay elements and a lack of depth with its mechanics and story.

Lost Planet 3 gets the hard stuff right and is ultimately likeable, but its gameplay just isn’t capable of sustaining any warm feelings you might harbour for it.

The first two games balanced out any unsavory elements with mega moments and straightforward fun. The third entry simply doesn’t have enough thermal energy to overcome its many problems.

Lost Planet 3 throws away all the good of its predecessors and turns into a mediocre, banal and repetitive shooter.

Spark Unlimited had the ambition to revive the Lost Planet franchise, but the execution is sorely lacking in multiple areas. [Issue#103, p.82]

Lost Planet 3 does a decent job telling its story, but absolutely average, unimaginative gameplay lets it down. [Nov 2013, p.72]

Lost Planet 3 is a weird and uninspired sequel to an already mediocre series. It's a decent game with relatively high production values, but it's just not very fun to play and I'll forget about it the second I turn it off.

Despite looking the part, and having some of the best voice work in a third person shooter, Lost Planet 3 turns the gun on itself with bad gameplay design, terrible boss battles, and a story that never delivers on its promises.

Developed by an unproven developer with no marketing push, Lost Planet 3 is dead on arrival. It’s almost as if Capcom sent the franchise to die, as even if Spark wasn’t so inept at staging combat, it would still seem like an unessential imitation of the first game.

It's competent enough, efficient as a means to fill the day and not totally devoid of fun, but you'll never be in it with all your heart. It's time to quit and leave EDN III. This time, maybe once and for all.

Lost Planet 3 takes narrative steps forward while standardizing its sci-fi action, for better and for worse. It's a decent game, neither a mess nor a triumph.

Spark has made its best game to date, but fails on so many levels the end result is still only a notch above a complete washout. Enemies are dull, weapons are lacklustre (the shotgun is one of the worst I've ever used and the melee attack is appalling), the mech isn't fun, and the multiplayer is blighted by similar issues that real-life foes can't fix.

It’s certainly a fresh take on the franchise, but sadly, it isn’t a particularly captivating one.

This third-person shooter is buried under an avalanche of repetitive encounters, endless backtracking, and a partially-thawed storyline.

It’s not a bad game at first glance, and you probably won’t look at it as a waste of time if you decided to purchase or rent it. But once it’s finished you’ll never feel compelled to pull it off the shelf again, and in a scant couple years you’ll have a hard time remembering that someone even made a Lost Planet 3.

If the Lost Planet series still had any devotees, they'd probably be disappointed by this third installment's padded and passionless offering.

Lost Planet 3's basic competence doesn't mask an almost complete reliance on recycled fetch quests. Its story ends on a relative high, but once the pace finally picks up in the final couple of hours, it's much too late and the 14-hour slog to get there isn't worth the payoff.

Unwanted and unnecessary, but despite the bland third person shooting there’s an unexpectedly light touch to the script that hints at other lost opportunities.