Lost Planet 2 (ロスト プラネット 2 Rosuto Puranetto Tsu) is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom and Beeline Interactive, Inc. The game is the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, taking place ten years after the events of the first game, on the same fictional planet. The game was developed for BlackBerry, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Originally set to be released in early 2010, Capcom delayed the game's consoles release to May 11, 2010 in North America and Europe, May 13, 2010 in Australia and May 20, 2010 for Japan, while the BlackBerry version was released worldwide on April 28, 2010, and the Microsoft Windows version was released in October 2010. Capcom stated that the title sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Gameplay
Many gameplay features from the original Lost Planet game are present. Recurring elements include major boss battles, extreme terrain, and the ability to pilot mechanized armor suits, known as Vital Suits (VSs). On July 24, 2009, at Comic-Con 2009, producer Jun Takeuchi held a Q&A session for fans. Takeuchi revealed that there would be a lot more co-op based VSs. Players will be able to ride on the sides of some VSs. These VSs can be controlled by one player, while two others hang on by the sides and shoot. Takeuchi also revealed that there would be flying VSs which feature unlimited flying time.
Also unlike Lost Planet, Lost Planet 2 will not constantly drain players of thermal energy. This is due to the warmer climate, which can sustain T-ENG presence longer than a cold climate, which drains thermal energy bit by bit. Instead, energy can only be drained when the player pilots a VS and uses a weapon that requires energy. However thermal energy is still constantly lost unless a specific ability is equipped despite the 'warmer climate'. The character may also lose thermal energy by completing one entire sprint with a character (confirmed in the demo). If one player loses all of their energy, another can give them some of their energy, using a new weapon, to keep players alive.
Kenji Oguro and Jun Takeuchi announced that the game would reward players with experience points. Players will earn more points for playing in a unique manner and completing extra objectives in missions. Once the game has been beaten on any difficulty, players are allowed to use this character for the campaign. These points can then be used to unlock costumes and attachments for the player to customize their Pirate.
Online versus
Lost Planet 2 borrowed the online multiplayer versus modes of its predecessor, and featured new modes as well. Versus characters can also be modified in far greater depth than in the original game, customising not only skins but a wide selection of skins for legs, the face and torso.
Plot
The game begins on E.D.N. III 10 years after the events of the first game. In Episode 1 the player is a member of a band of mercenaries. The player's squad is picked up by a helicopter that takes them into a jungle, on a mission to destroy a mine. After destroying the mine and meeting with reinforcements as directed by central command, the squad is attacked by a Category G Akrid. The player fights through a mass of Jungle Pirate forces, heading towards a rendezvous point for pick up. After a helicopter finally shows up, the pilot informs them he is just passing by. The player realizes all three units received the same message and were set up. They are then told that the other units deployed to destroy the mine were wiped out. Snow begins to fall over the jungle area and the temperature begins to drop rapidly.
In Episode 2, the player takes on the role of NEVEC's Black Ops, named Task Force First Descent. They fight their way through a Carpetbagger city in an effort to capture a railway gun, a train mounted with a massive cannon. During the mission, a Category G Akrid arrives to attack the railway gun. The Carpetbaggers fire the gun, decapitating the Akrid, and drive away. While contemplating their fallible capturing the weapon, Task Force First Descent notice the Akrid resurrecting. The Akrid reveals itself as "Akrid X" from space, and begins attacking the group. After it is killed again the group is sent on their next mission. It is revealed that all Task Force First Descent members are clones of Ivan Solotov, a NEVEC rebel from Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. The commander then sends Task Force First Descent on continuous suicide missions, aiming to have them killed.
Episode 3 puts the player in control of a Waysider, previous snow pirates who now live in the desert. They are returning from a raid on a Carpetbagger city with heavy casualties while having stolen very little thermal energy. On the way home, they are ambushed by a Category G Akrid dubbed "Red Eye". After loading their remaining thermal energy onto helicopter-like VSs, they make their escape, only to be shot down by sandraiders several hours later. After wiping out the sandraiders and stealing their train, the group is ambushed by the escaped Carpetbaggers with the railway gun from the previous Episode. After seizing control of the gun, they are once again attacked by Red Eye, but with the railway gun's firepower are able to kill it. As they continue on home, it starts snowing heavily, and realize upon arrival that their base has been buried underneath a big amount of snow. The player character notices a giant, glowing orb in the distance and aims the railway gun at it.
Episode 4. The perspective shifts to two Ex-NEVEC talking on a helicopter VS. The orb seen by the Waysiders is declared "the Over G", and it is determined that its increasing thermal energy usage will trigger another ice age on E.D.N. III. NEVEC plans to kill "the Over G" with the satellite canon on NEOS. Once the thermal energy is harvested, they plan to abandon the planet. To prevent this genocide, most NEVEC ground troops defect. The player's squad capture a NEVEC submarine and make their escape. Meeting up with all the other Ex-NEVEC troops, an invasion of a NEVEC base is planned. The base is captured and an experimental weapon created by NEVEC is destroyed. The group of troops heads for the space station NEOS to use its massive firepower to destroy "the Over G" before it reaches its final form.
Episode 5, the focus shifts to the "Vagabundos", a group of sand pirates. They battle NEVEC troops, capturing a massive cannon-bearing overland ship from NEVEC. They see "the Over G" in the distance and decide to head there.
In Episode 6 the player shifts back as the Ex-NEVEC troops in the space shuttle. After capturing NEOS, they plan to control and aim the space cannon using VSs. The Task Force First Descent appears, and the Ex-NEVEC commander assures his troops they can trust them. The Ex-NEVEC troops descend to the planet as a call is sent out to all snow pirates, asking for assistance in destroying "the Over G" akrid. After fighting to the core of "the Over G", the group tags their GPS units to it and the space cannon is fired by Task Force First Descent. But "the Over G" survives and begins to regenerate itself. Task Force First Descent decide to sacrifice themselves by crashing NEOS into the Over-G. As NEOS gets closer, akrids flock to "the Over G" and the units outside the core begin to retreat. The Ex-NEVEC characters and the characters present for the final fight are rescued by the mercenaries from the beginning of the game. After awaking in darkness, thermal energy appears to not work, but as the sun comes up a sea of thermal energy is seen and all the VSs activate. NEOS can be seen in the distance as a mountain, showing where "the Over G" once was. The game ends as the Mercenaries and Ex-NEVEC troops fly off in a helicopter VS and a Trillid-like akrid flies whimsically alongside them.
