Lost Planet - multiplayer map EXCLUSIVE

By now, you've had over two weeks to sample the multiplayer action in next year's icy shooter Lost Planet. If not, what are you waiting for? The 16-player demo is available for free over Xbox Live right now and you certainly can't say we didn'ttell you about it. Gorgeous snow-swept landscapes, fast and frenzied gunplay, grappling hook acrobatics, massive mech showdowns... which part of that didn't you understand?

If you have been playing, however, you're probably getting a little bored with Pirate Fortress, the one complimentary map. (A second arena, Dilapidation, is available to those who preordered the full game). Curious about what else to expect from Lost Planet 's multiplayer when it ships in January? We were, too, until publisher Capcom gave us exclusive access to a new map - Dark Town.

The difference between Pirate Fortress and Dark Town is like the difference between day and night. Seriously, this map is really dark. And, after battling so many times across the glaringly bright and open expanses of the other two levels, our eyes needed some time to adjust. When they did, we found ourselves standing in the center of a subterranean ghost town - a deep and gloomy chamber encircled by the skeletal remains of abandoned structures. Here and there, a hazy beam of light pierced the shroud to shine on an empty window or a crumbling wall.

Charlie Barratt
I enjoy sunshine, the company of kittens and turning frowns upside down. I am also a fan of sarcasm. Let's be friends!