Lost Planet is not a very innovative game. For the most part, the game is a straightforward shooter that doesn’t do too many things different from any other entry in the genre. What helps to set the game apart is the Thermal Energy Gauge. As you kill enemies, they’ll drop orbs of glowing thermal energy which are collected and stored. Thermal energy is used in a variety of ways; it supplies power to Vital Suits, powers some energy weapons and keeps you alive. The last one is, of course, the most important of its uses.
The Thermal Energy Gauge is tied into your life bar. Whenever you take hits, some of your energy is dumped into your life bar. Thermal energy is always trickling off, so there’s never a balance issue resulting in infinite life. Instead, you are forced to keep moving and fighting through levels rather than getting into standstill gunfights. You also need to keep your thermal levels up; otherwise you’ll freeze.
Weapon and VS (Vital Suit) variety also helps to keep action always moving forward. Weapons range from machine guns to missile launchers and are always in supply. Kill someone and you can snag their weapon. The trick is that you are only allowed to carry two weapons at a time, so there is a bit of strategy involved. It is possible to run around only using the machine gun, though you might find an energy rifle that can kill in one shot at the cost of some thermal energy.
Vital Suits add another dimension of play. Like weapons, there are a number of types available, from suits with chainsaws attached to their arms to suits that transform into tanks and snowmobiles. VS weapons are interchangeable, adding the same amount of strategy used while on foot. VS weapons can even be used while not piloting a VS, trading foot speed for firepower.
Whether on foot or in a VS, Lost Planet offers a lot of flexibility when dealing with enemies. You can simply shoot them, or use objects like exploding barrels, rocks and steel beams as weapons. Unfortunately, this same amount of flexibility isn’t offered during boss fights, which follow the standard, "Hit ‘em with everything you’ve got" formula.
Story isn’t Lost Planet’s strong suit. You play as Wayne, an amnesic solider who falls in with a group of pirates after a huge bug known only as "Green Eyes" kills his father. As expected, Wayne takes his father's death personally and decides to take on the whole hive in order to get revenge. He also has a few run-ins with snow pirates as well as a mysterious corporation known as Nevec, which has plans for the planet. Storytelling is very scattershot and tends to jump around with little explanation. But, it does its job at moving you between levels, so it is something.
Mutliplayer elements round out Lost Planet. Among the offered modes are Fugitive, where one player is marked as the prey while everyone else hunts them down, and Post Grab, where teams fight for control of posts scattered across the map. Team and solo Elimination modes are also around, though with an added twist. Capturing posts in Elimination matches activates your radar, allowing you to see where opponents are. This can really come in handy, especially in larger maps or those while lots of smoke and haze. Both ranked and unranked matches are available, though ranked ones tend to be more fun – especially with the scoring system that allows you to level your character and unlock new skins.
