Lost Planet 2 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 was a good example of how messing up gameplay basics can render a gorgeous and full-bodied third-person shooter hopelessly un-fun.

Stunning and varied visual design; Fun shoot-outs versus giant creatures; Lots of ways to play online; A number of small but meaningful improvements over the console versions

Relies on frequent knockbacks instead of an actual challenge; Shrug-worthy story; Useless persistent rewards

Lost Planet 2 has always looked impressive at preview, a high-octane mix of giant aliens and super-powered mechs battling against a backdrop of bombastic music and even more bombastic action sequences.

Sequels are supposed to take a game franchise forward, building on their predecessors' strengths, shoring up their weaknesses, and adding new features to enhance the gameplay. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Lost Planet 2, a sequel that manages to be a step backward from the original game.

The first ' Lost Planet ' was a fantastic looking game, with an interesting single player, and some great team-based multiplayer- how does the sequel compare? All the previews have certainly made the game seem like it will be far more varied, and certainly even more epic than the first game, which...

When the biggest selling action games of recent memory include lengthy solo-campaign and expansive multiplayer experiences, the pressure on developers to release similarly well featured packages must be huge.

First Impressions My reaction is The first Lost Planet was as on and off as it gets. The series did how ever show potential. The level design was awesome and the enemies came in all sizes and shapes.

When Capcom started making games for this generation of consoles, it didn't immediately go for franchise sequels like Devil May Cry 4 or Resident Evil 5 , nor did they go for franchise reboots like Bionic Commando or re-releases of their arcade classics.

If Lost Planet 2 were the only videogame on store shelves enabling players to shoot at shit, it would be revolutionary. But it isn't. It's just another deposit of digital cholesterol on a constricting artery that's one cheeseburger away from being clogged forever by uninspired third-person shooters.

Lost Planet 2 is a divisive game. When I write that, I don't mean that it divides players in any way. I'm using the term to describe the very ideas at the game'score. The game feels like two schools of game design are at war with each other and when the dust settles, what's left is a game that has...

Looking back over my experience with Lost Planet 2 in comparison to the first installment, you can easily see that Capcom wanted and succeeded in providing the same great experience you found in Lost Planet with Lost Planet 2, while also fixing several of the issues that plagued the first...