Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions(Capcom)

This is Starship Troopers set on Hoth

Game Review by Graeme Strachan | 10 Feb 2007
In the future, mankind has abandoned earth in favour of a frozen world. Unsurprisingly, the planet is infested with killer insectoid aliens called Akrids, who hold T-ENG, an energy that can be harnessed by humans and machines alike. Thus mankind decides to stay and fight it out in large armoured Mechs called Vital Suits. You play Wayne, an amnesiac who saw his father killed by a giant Green-Eyed Akrid and is taken in by a bevy of clichéd animé rejects before being sent out repeatedly on vaguely defined missions to accomplish unclear goals. Yes, the story is that bad, as is the terrible dialogue and utterly illogical characters.

Thankfully, you'll have forgotten all of this five minutes into game. Capcom have utterly outdone themselves with a game that looks incredible and is a joy to play. With landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see, you'll run miles through the snow with bugs of all sizes bursting out around, as you blast furiously to get their precious life-giving T-ENG. Forget the story, this is Starship Troopers set on Hoth with Chromehound style Mechs thrown in for good measure. Add in frequent bosses, who are varied enough to keep it fun - and with the levels lasting around a satisfying hour each, you're laughing. Then there's still the incredible multiplayer modes to show off your skills. The learning curve is fairly steep but after a few hours, power-sliding round in a Mech while pumping rockets into a 60-foot scorpion will seem like second-nature. [Graeme Strachan]
Release Date: Out now on Xbox 360 from Capcom. RRP £49.99
http://www.lostplanet-thegame.com/