In the eighties, it was platformers.
In the nineties, it was...3D platformers.
There's always a genre that seems to dominate the industry...that is, until the next big
thing comes along.
And of the biggest things these days...seems to be putting a camera above your character's
right shoulder.
I guess you can thank Leon Kennedy for that...because ever since his little trip to Europe, this
has been it.
Third-person shooters.
Maybe some cover elements.
Or in this case, some really sh*tty weather.
Lost Planet 3 may take place on a frozen rock in outer space, but...again, for those up
to date on their gaming, this is a very familiar world.
The core gameplay and mechanics are the standard used by so many of the industry's biggest
games, but to its credit, this one also has a surprising amount of character.
What you're left with is a game that, while familiar to a fault, is just different enough
to be worth your time.
You've made this climb before, but...it's still an awesome view.
It all starts with the hero, James Peyton...a Nicolas Cage lookalike who seems to have just
as much personality.
But what he lacks in charisma, he makes up for with empathy.
He's just a guy who ended up on a frozen planet, separated from his wife and kid, just because
his boss said so.
He's surrounded by a suit of armor and ice that's about a hundred miles thick, but inside
the cockpit...there's surprising warmth.
Peyton just misses his wife.
And even as he drills deeper into this frozen hell, her messages play in front of him...a
touching contrast to the icy terrors just beyond that thin sheet of glass.
Speaking of which...oh, yeah.
Dude has a mech.
One of the things that gives Lost Planet 3 its own unique feel, despite a less-than-unique
genre, is the fact that...you navigate the planet in this massive walking tank.
And it's like your home away from home.
It refills your ammo; it gets you from mission to mission, by literally drilling through
the ice; and best of all...it's kind of a freaking weapon.
Of course, as powerful as it is, it also has some shortcomings.
Just one of this planet's devastating snowstorms can freeze it solid.
So now, you're on foot, trying to take care of the ice...as well as whatever else the
storm blew in.
And by the way...it's really cold here.
Like, really freaking cold.
And that's another defining element of Lost Planet 3.
The fact that...the place just feels frozen.
Ice crystals glisten everywhere you look; a thin layer of frozen fog covers every cave
and crevice; the game does a great job of creating this frigid atmosphere that's both
unique and gorgeous to take in as you explore.
But actually, that's where the quality starts to melt with Lost Planet 3.
Once you're on foot.
It's not that this is a bad shooter, not at all.
It's just, it's like every other one you've ever played.
It does do a lot to set itself apart, but Lost Planet 3 is still a very familiar gameplay
experience.
Too familiar, in fact.
To the point that you could say it's...kind of generic.
You know, this game is actually a great example of all that's right and wrong with the gaming
industry.
Here's this stunning world that manages to be hypnotic and horrifying within the same
breath.
Here's a touching story with an unexpected moral.
And here it is, in this gorgeous package, all built around...a standard third-person
shooter.
Lost Planet 3 is one hell of a ride, but it's kinda like a roller coaster.
It's just safety dressed up as a thrill.
It's the unexpected drawn on a blueprint.
It's danger...with a seatbelt.
Although in Lost Planet 3, that seatbelt is inside a giant mech.
I guess sometimes, the most enjoyable thrills...are the safe ones.