The screenshot on the poster is not a mistake: that is actually a naked Frank West (from Dead Rising) playing a multiplayer map in the frozen tundra! Frank is one of the new playable character models in the latest edition of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. This new edition also gives you serveral enhanced single-player modes, many online gameplay modes, four new maps, new supercharged weapons, environments, and enemies!
The updated game is titled “Lost Planet: Extreme Condition: Colonies Edition” and is the same groundbreaking gameplay that was released for the PC and Xbox 360 last year, but has a ton of new fun features thrown in. A few new modes have been added to the single-player campaign, which can make playing through the short campaign a nice diversion again.
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition provides explosive action for both online and offline players. Gamers who missed the original Lost Planet will have the opportunity to experience the epic gameplay that made the original a global hit with the added bonus of fresh new content and cross platform multi-play all at a great value price. Fans of the Lost Planet’s online action will be thrilled at the inclusion of new online modes, maps, weapons and models.
New modes for single player campaign
- Score Attack – Each enemy and destructible object has points assigned to them, with the player being awarded different points depending on how they defeat the enemy.
- Trial Battle Mode – Take on each of the game’s Bosses, one after another
- Off Limit Mode – Go wild with over-the-top, super-charged weapons with unlimited ammunition and increased speed of movement
New online modes
- Akrid Hunter – Get the chance to finally play as an Akrid as your opponents attempt to take you down
- VS Annihilator – Each team attempts to destroy its opponent’s VS while defending its own
- CounterGrab – The team with the longest data post activation time wins
- Point Snatcher – Take down opponents and collect the most thermal energy points
- Akrid Egg Battle – Steal Akrid eggs from the opponent’s team and bring them safely back to your own base
- Egg Bandit – steal your opponents’ Akrid egg, with points awarded for longer capture times
It must be noted that the new Colonies edition is completely incompatible with the previous version of Lost Planet… not even tprevious single-player saves will work So if you look in the “barg’n bin” at your local GameStop then you need to make sure you’re getting the new version. To play the extra multiplayer features, all of your friends will have to have the new version, too. Xbox 360 and PC gamers can now meet each other online for the first time, but only if everyone is using the Colonies edition. The packaging for the box looks very similar to the original game, but has “Colonies Edition” printed on the right side of the box.
The single-player campaign has three new modes added to it. In Score Attack mode, each enemy (and destructible object) is worth a certain number of points. You are awarded a percentage of these points depending on how you take the enemy out. In Trial Battle Mode, you get to take on each of the game’s Bosses, one after another. The most fun of these single-player modes is the Off Limit Mode, where you get to play through the campaign with super-charged weapons, unlimited ammunition, and a faster character.
Most of the new modes are online, however. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play as an Akrid? Well in Akrid Hunter mode, you can do just that… hunt down tasty humans and devour their flesh! Many of the other online modes should be familiar to any fan of multiplayer shooters. In VS Annihilator mode, each team tries to destroy the other team’s VS, while protecting their own. CounterGrab gives each team a data post to defend, and the winner is the team that defends their post the longest. Point Snatcher mode is pretty much a free-for-all deathmatch, but the winner is determined not by how many kills, but who collects the most dropped thermal energy points.
Akrid Egg Battle is similar to “capture the flag”. You must steal Akrid eggs from the opponent’s team and bring them to your own team’s nest. Egg Bandit mode is very much like Akrid Egg Battle, but you get more points for longer capture times.
There are also four new multiplayer maps with which to test out these new modes.
- Crossfire City – the wide streets provide an excellent opportunity for VS battles, while buildings provide great cover for sharp-eyed snipers
- Area 921– Two industrial compounds located in a vast desert and linked by an underground pipe
- Lost Arena – The central arena is ideal for VS pilots to act as futuristic gladiators, while those on foot can use the surrounding grandstands as their battleground
- Assault Space – Set onboard a space ship and its supply vessel, zero gravity is sure to make for some interesting encounters
Several new weapons have been added to the multiplayer modes, which makes online carnage even more over-the-top. There’s even a new “over-the-shoulder” mode a-la Resident Evil 4.
The Colonies Edition now has eleven playable online personas. Two new female and two robot characters have been added to the roster of choices, so you don’t have to look like everyone else. I personally like to play as a female character, but it doesn’t to have the distracting effect on other players that I intend… grr….
| New weapons (human) | • Hand Gun – weak in power, but very accurate and easy to use • Revolver – The expert’s one-shot kill weapon of choice at close quarters • Flame Launcher – Uses thermal energy to lay down a wall of fire • Hand Cannon – A handgun-like rocket launcher that is very effective against VS suits |
| New weapons (VS) | • Pile Bunker – A long spike fires out at immense speed • VS Rifle – VS-dedicated rifle which has the longest range and loses no power regardless of the distance • Rocket Pod – Shoot off a salvo of rockets to cause immense damage to a specific area • Laser Lance – Attack with a sweeping arc of devastation |
| New Environments | Snowstorms, arctic winds, towering mountains of ice are all stunningly realized, creating a truly immersive and cinematic event of epic proportions. |
| New perspectives | Switch to first person view or the over-the-shoulder view from Resident Evil 4 for even more intense action Cross Platform Play |
This new release of Lost Planet adds some interesting and fun new multiplayer options, so if you’re into multiplayer then this edition is definately worth looking into.
Online compatibility has changed significantly with this new edition. On one hand, multiplayer is broken with the original version of Lost Planet (only Colonies edition players can see each other). On the other hand, both PC and Xbox 360 gamers can duke it out on the same battlefields.
Usually, new multiplayer features are handled through on online update. Some players may feel a little jilted that they have to fork out another wad of cash just to experience the new play modes. Lost Planet is a good game, but there have been many other great (and better) games since its original release. It’s not like this is an updated edition of Halo 3 or Gears of War, which frankly are the only two games that could get away with asking its fanbase to empty out their wallets a second time.
Recommending this game for a new purchase is a sticky subject. If you already have the old version of the game, then it’s really not worth spending an extra $30 on just for the new features. The extra “value add” features (like new characters, maps and modes) could have been distributed through Xbox Live, such as Halo 3 and GoW have done.
Lost Planet is still a great game, so if you haven’t played it yet, then the new Colonies edition is a no-brainer. It’s available for “barg’n bin” prices but has an expansive set of features that significantly increases the game’s longevity.
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