The first Lost Planet's single-player was a whirlwind of explosions, robots and giant bugs, making it one of the most memorable action titles of the year. Some hated the plodding controls (they're kind of stiff compared to other action shooters), so now they can give the Off-Limit mode a chance. Capcom's release says you'll be using "super-charged weapons" and have "increased speed of movement," so there's a chance the developers listened to the complaints and tweaked the slow-running hero a bit. We didn't see it, but that's what they tell us.

Score Attack sends you through the original's story, only now every enemy and interactive object in the game has a point value. The more you destroy, and the way you destroy it, the more points you receive. Trial Battle pits you against all the huge bosses back-to-back. Again, we didn't see these, so on paper they sound a lot like modes that should have been on the first disc, or at best should be downloadable content. But, bundled with the multiplayer perks, there still could be enough life on this barren planet for one more round. Expect more on Colonies as May 27 draws closer.

Mar 13, 2008