Lost Planet
PlayStation 3
Rating: 3/5
LOST Planet for PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a flawed sci-fi action game that is saved only by unique online multiplayer mode. The game was released last year for the Xbox 360 and PC and has only this month crawled its way onto Sony’s home console.
While it should have been improved, it isn’t, and Lost Planet for PS3 has graphics that fail to stimulate the senses, controls that are far too sluggish, and a required 5GB install process that brings tears to the eyes of 40GB PS3 owners who will lose more than 10 per cent of their space to an average game.
The game is played from a third-person-perspective and combines ground combat with mech combat.
Lost Planet sees the player become part of a reconnaissance team for humankind’s bid to reap a snowbound planet of its thermal resources.
But along the way the player must battle the monsters that inhabit the planet, as well as contend with the planet’s indigenous tribes.
The single player game feels uninspiring and the lack of save points at crucial encounters makes it a frustrating experience to have to restart your game at a checkpoint you passed 10 minutes ago.
But online multiplayer is Lost Planet’s saviour. Combining ground combat with mech combat to defeat human opponents is immensely rewarding and will keep you glued to the television for hours.
The compulsory installation is inexcusable – games such as Unreal Tournament III make it optional – and it really soured my game experience knowing that the data was occupying what could have been reserved for demo downloads, SingStar songs or music and video.
That alone makes it difficult to recommend a game that is already available for PC and Xbox 360, and has better action-shooting alternatives such as Uncharted.
