Teeth-rattling explosions. Bullet-belching robot suits. Giant monster-lizards that literally pass you through their ass and crap you onto the battlefield. If there’s one idea Capcom wants to convey about Lost Planet 2, it’s “more” – more towering bugs, more bosses, more players, more stuff to do. We recently visited Osaka for a brief hands-on with next year’s surefire hit, and what we played blends the original game’s well-received multiplayer modes with a mission-based, co-op campaign.

Gone is the unrepentantly boring story that focused on some guy doing something while some villains tried to stop him. Instead, you create your own character, hook up with other Snow Pirates and haul ass through the rapidly thawing EDN III. The goal? To hoard valuable thermal energy that powers your mechanized Vital Suits, energy weapons and your own life bar.

Above: Forget fighting solo – this time it’s all about co-op

The most immediate and dramatic demonstration of this new direction came in the form of the aforementioned lizard, so far dubbed “salamander.” He’s easily one of the biggest enemies we’ve seen in our many years of gaming, with six legs, huge tendrils and a gaping maw large enough to swallow players whole. Our group of four hardened Snow Pirates engaged ol’ Sally and met frequent doom despite its glaringly obvious weak points, only succeeding when we got our shit together and coordinated attacks.

Example:

Above: Oh crap

There it is. Obviously the orange bits are the weak points. But what do you do? Charge it with the new Gears of War-style roadie run? Hop into a three-person Vital Suit and shower it with bullets? Systematically shave its legs off, then scale its back with your grappling hook and wear it down over time? All are sound possibilities, but none are as impressive climbing inside, struggling against its internal juices and firing off a few rounds into its glowing heart.

Eventually through, you’re going to be expunged, and you’ll have no choice but to allow its digestive track to force you out of its ass. We would describe the ass in more detail, but… just wow. You’ll want to see it for yourself. Hell, the whole damn monster is immensely impressive as it roams around its nest, climbing the rocks and trying to shake you off. It actually feels like you’re tackling a living creature, not just a boss on a pre-programmed course.

Above: Full-frontal assault probably isn’t the best strategy