Since last year’s E3, Capcom’s Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions has been generating a ton of buzz and becoming one of the top anticipated titles for the Xbox 360. In an odd move, Capcom decided to have the title miss the holiday rush and instead release in January. Whatever the case may be, the game is finally out now for gamers looking to spend some of the dough or gift certificates that they earned on Christmas morning. The game is a fun and intense action game, with a distinct cinematic feel to it that will really pull you in. While the game’s single-player campaign feels like it’s over way too soon, the online features will keep you enthralled for a while. Lost Planet is great fun, and one of the coolest (no pun intended) shooters you’ll find on the Xbox 360.

In Lost Planet, you play as Wayne, a young man thrust into a war against gigantic alien bugs. After his father is killed by the invading bugs (in particular, a huge one named “Green Eyes”) Wayne takes the battle personally as he attempts to defeat the enemy creatures. However, you won’t just be blasting assorted arthropods, as you’ll have to fend off space pirates on the frozen tundra as well.

While a next-gen game in terms of a high-class aesthetic, Lost Planet has a very distinct old-school feel to it, complete with citable examples from the old-school canon. The way that certain enemies will come out of spawn points and not stop until you destroy it feels very much like Gauntlet, as does your Thermal Energy, which will deplete slowly much like health in Gauntlet. Also, you have access to an anchor shot that functions similarly to the grappling arm in Bionic Commando, which will let you hoist yourself up to higher spots or zip out of your enemy’s reach. You'll also have access to Vital Suits, mech-suits with heavy firepower and armor for taking on the bigger baddies.

One of the main ways that the game sets itself apart from the rest is the pack is through its cinematic style and feel. More than just pretty graphics, Lost Planet thrives on creating a compelling atmosphere where the action is intense from start to finish. Huge boss enemies and tons of smaller drones will take you on in full force with the best of each of their abilities. Giant creatures will use the environment against you, be it to roll up and then come down to smash you or otherwise, while the flying trilobite-looking creatures will fly through the air with the finesse of a school of fish in the ocean. This all transcends the graphical appearance of the game and helps build the foundation of the gameplay, immersing the gamer.

Of course, the game is by no means an eyesore. The desolate and barren landscapes are certainly not devoid of details with destroyed cars and buildings and the way the enemies move and attack looks phenomenal. Not only that, but the game has some great lighting and motion blur effects, adding to the overall sense of realism.

The one thing that seems to hinder the game is the short single-player experience. Lost Planet’s single-player campaign clocks in at a couple hours short of the 10-hour standard for most action games, meaning that most gamers should have no problem beating the game during a crash-gaming weekend.

Fortunately, the game’s rich multiplayer features pick up the slack. The game allows for eight 16-player maps and several game modes, from the standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch as well as a fugitive mode and a post grab game, where you capture and defend data posts through out the map, kind of like in Battlefield 2.

The multiplayer element in Lost Planet is unique since players will gain levels and extra character skins depending on how they play. The level-system enables players to know a certain player’s abilities and their skill level when they take them on, a very nice touch for online matches.

Soundwise, the game is pretty decent, but not as polished as the graphical presentation. The hammy voice-acting that has been a mainstay in so many Capcom games (though certainly not limited to them at all) is present, and the dialog is pretty goofy. The music is pretty good theme music and sets the mood for the game. Unfortunately, there’s just not that much of it. The sound effects are pretty solid throughout, with sharp explosions and gunfire.

Lost Planet is a great, albeit short-lived single player experience. However, if you plan on tackling the very fleshed-out multiplayer modes, then you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Gameplay: 8.5
Lost Planet provides fantastic cinematic action and intense gameplay with a noticeable old-school charm. It’s a shame the single-player campaign is so short-lived.

Graphics: 9.0
Graphically, Lost Planet is excellent, with fantastic character models, detailed environments and nice special effects. Every character and enemy in Lost Planet moves with a great sense of personality to them, adding to the sense of atmosphere in the game.

Sound: 8.0
The sound presentation is good, but a bit of a mixed bag. The music is good but sparse, the voice acting is the typical cheese that you’d expect from Capcom, and the gunfire and explosions are good.

Difficultly: Medium

Concept: 8.5
Lost Planet does a great job of mixing old-school gameplay and next-gen technological advances to make a fun game with a great sense of style to it.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The multiplayer modes are where the game really shines, with great online mechanics and a level system that develops as you play. After you’ve beaten the single-player mode, the multiplayer will keep you coming back for more.

Overall: 8.9
Lost Planet is a great game with action-packed gameplay and a nice cinematic feel to it. Even though the single-player mode is a little on the short side, the great multiplayer elements are enough for the price of admission.