Many of your missions have the same objectives: find the hordes of Akrid and kill them. Within each level there are several data posts which restore your t-eng (thermal energy) level. Also, there are many weapons strewn throughout the landscape which are either laying in plain sight or that Wayne can dig out. Collecting weapons is essential, as weapons are layed out in strategic locations. Most of the time, the position of a weapon is a hint that you will need to use it to get to the next part of the level. Throughout the level are many weaker Akrid and usually one or two mini-bosses. There is usually a boss at the end of the level, but mostly no warning that you are coming up to one. Be alert; many bosses come out of the snow or jump at you from the sky. Keeping your t-eng level up throughout the game is key to achieving all of the objectives.
The first level of LP serves as the tutorial. Follow your clan members and learn how to shoot, use Vital Suits, pick up weapons, and use your grappling hook. LP’s controls are laid out in an intuitive way, so the tutorial is not totally comprehensive. Reading the instruction manual will help a bit, as it took me about a minute to find out how to change weapons.
The weapons in LP range from grenades to rocket launchers; gatling guns to rifles. Available weapons depend on whether you are on foot or astride a VS. VS’s usually have much more powerful weapons than Wayne can carry alone, so it is a good strategy to use a VS whenever possible. The only gripe that I have about the weapons is that Wayne can only carry two at a time on the right and left triggers. Grenades are carried on the left trigger, guns on the right. Players must choose between many available weapons, so it is too bad that we can’t carry them all at once. Because there are so many weapons available in each level, picking up one that Wayne already has restocks the ammunition. Keeping enough firepower during each level is not difficult.
Aiming in LP sometimes can be a challenge. The direction that Wayne is looking is controlled by the left analog stick, and aiming is controlled by the right. Swinging around to make a quick shot at a bad guy is slow. During boss battles when it pays to be quick, the difficulty of the battle is exacerbated by the slowness of the aiming. The “cruise” style of aiming is automatic when you start the game, so make sure and go into game options and change the aim to “accelerate”. This makes playing much easier.
There is an certain level of exploring present in Lost Planet. Checking the map is always important to make sure Wayne is going in the right direction, but hunting around for energy, enemies, and weapons can be a fun part of the game. All of the levels are huge! Using the grappling hook to get around is interesting, and the grappling hook also employs automatically if you fall off of any of the abundant ledges. The landscape doesn’t really change according to the levels. Many times Wayne travels through abandoned buildings, snow, and caves, but the landscapes and layouts are always different.
Saving is also never a problem. The game autosaves after you reach specific points in each level. Many of the save points are either right before or after a large battle, or when Wayne enters are new section of the level. If Wayne dies during combat, players can choose “retry” from the main menu and pick up where they left off. If players choose to quit during a level they can continue later from almost where they left off. No save points, no save option, nothing. The responsibility is taken out of our hands, and I really appreciate that!
