Capcom is aiming at the summertime gaming drought with a slightly “cooler” game release – Lost Planet 3. This prequel entry in the series places players on a cold planet that’s packed with a (un)healthy amount of Akrid denizens.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game’s plot, multiplayer, pre-order bonuses and even more game-changing info.
1. This Sequel Takes Place Before The First Game
Lost Planet 3 is a prequel that takes players to the events that transpired before the very first game in the series. The Wiki page for this upcoming third-person shooter details the game’s story quite nicely:
The game takes place long before the events of the first game, and hence the planet of E.D.N. III is still in an ice-age like environment rather than the tropical environment of the second game that occurs after the events of the first game. It takes place during the time of the first few human colonists on E.D.N. III sent there by the Neo-Venus Construction company or NEVEC, who later become the main antagonists for the series. The game follows the story of Jim Peyton, a colonist who is working for NEVEC and helping mine the planet and sending minerals back to Earth, where his family awaits him. The game, however, doesn’t feature militarized VS bipedal mechs like previous entries in the series, and instead features mechs called Rigs that are the predecessors of VS mechs, given the timeline of the game. Unlike VS mechs, Rigs aren’t militarized with weapons and instead are equipped with drill arms and claw arms for mining.
In the first game, NEVEC had become a dictatorial force on E.D.N. III having defeated the Akrid and only being left with defeating the Snow Pirates who were rebelling against their governance. However, in the game NEVEC has not yet become an antagonist and instead is helping make the planet habitable to humans by constructing thermal posts on the planet to combat the harsh icy weather conditions. Though as the story progresses Jim begins to unravel the dark secrets of NEVEC.
The Akrid, an enemy that has been present through the entire series, is suggested to be one of the enemy types faced by the main character. This was shown in a leaked trailer for the game.
2. It’s Being Developed By a Western Developer
A recent trend has been pretty noticeable these days from the gaming publishers at Capcom. Capcom has been outsourcing its popular gaming franchises to Western developers lately (Dmc: Devil May Cry was developed by Ninja Theory, for example), which is a trend that’s continuing with the development of Lost Planet 3. Spark Unlimited, the creators of PS3/Xbox 360 first-person shooter Legendary, are the devs behind Capcom’s upcoming third-person shooter.
Spark Unlimited’s Matt Sophos is serving as the director of the game, while the series creator Kenji Oguro is also aiding the development since he’s the series’ franchise creative director.
3. This Sequel is a More Story Driven Entry in the Series
Past Lost Planet games had a primary focus on action-oriented gameplay and multiplayer scenarios. 3News conducted an interview with the game’s producer, Andrew Szymanski, and got some details on how this release will differ from the last game and focus more on the narrative:
Originally we wanted to not so much get away from Lost Planet 2, but get back to where we were with the first game. We had a lot of feedback from people, and thoughts at Capcom, that while Lost Planet 2 did a lot of great things in the multiplayer space where you could get together with four people and fight, they didn’t really know what was going on, they didn’t feel invested in the story of the character, and were just along for the ride. With Lost Planet 3 we’ve focused on getting back to more of a narrative-driven experience and getting people invested in the characters and engaged with the story. That sort of formed the basis for where we wanted to take it, and it sort of went from there. We decided to structure it similar to the first game where we had a campaign story mode that is single player, story-focused and very character-driven, then we had a multiplayer mode that adds an equally robust but separate option to that.
4. The Rigs are the Newest Forms of the Series’ Rigs
Fans of this series regard the gigantic robot fixtures as one of the main reasons for its surprise success. The VS mechs were major fixtures of the series that played up the games’ penchant for epic firefights and boss battles. Andrew Szymanski provided some further details on the introduction of Lost Planet 3’s newest mechs – the Rigs:
The rigs fit with our setting more as Lost Planet 3 is set in the past and based on it being a scientific and civilian expedition as opposed to a military operation. We’ve gone back in time with the mechs as well, and we’ve imagined what the predecessor to the battle suit would be, which is the utility rig. So the VS mechs are a smaller, more maneuverable type of vehicle that has a lot of weapons attached to it. The utility rig is actually set up as a construction vehicle. It’s what is used to perform contracts on the planet and is not designed as a weapon. So the player has to improvise with how to use it in combat scenarios. We thought about the idea of technology miniaturizing over time, so that’s why the utility rig is bigger than the battle suits in the previous games.
5. The In-Game is More Open to Exploring
The in-game world of E.D.N. III will be more open and varied than the locations in past installments. Core, main missions will be available to players, along with side-quests that focus on the planet’s fellow colonists. Exploring the frigid planet means gamers will be able to play the game like an RPG (speaking with non-playable characters, upgrading gear, getting access to new areas with that upgraded equipment etc.).
In the past, thermal energy was required to keep the main character alive. However, Lost Planet 3 will switch the thermal energy into currency.
This design decision has been made in order to allow players to explore E.D.N. III more than before.
6. The Multiplayer Focuses on Co-Op and a Horde-Like Mode
Multiplayer is most definitely returning for this new installment in the series. Most of the modes that are playable in the game will feature familiar multiplayer elements of cooperative play and Horde-mode like enemy encounters.
IGN.com posted a few notes on what this game’s multiplayer modes will entail:
The first, “Scenario,” actually creates a different rule set depending on which map players select. Playing on ‘Stronghold’ creates parameters for an asymmetrical tower defense, where one team attempts to escort machinery into hostile territory while the other attempts to protect its base. In another, “Alpha Lair,”players work together in teams to destroy a giant Akrid to earn points. It’s sort of like a football game, if the football is a living, aggressive creature that wants to kill you.
The second mode we tested was called “Akrid Survival,” a mix of wave-based creature combat that progressively escalates towards standard team combat. Capcom stressed to us that mixing team elements with Akrid battles was a priority, but plenty of standard multiplayer elements – experience points and upgrades, active and passive abilities, loadouts and in-match rewards that come from both your successes and failures.
7. The Game’s Music Composer Has Worked on Splinter Cell and Call of Duty
Jack Wall.
The composer of the game’s musical score, Jack Wall, has a long resume when it comes to his profession. Check out his music production credits below:
– Myst series
– Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
– Jade Empire
– Mass Effect
– Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
– Vigilance
8. Action Figures are Being Developed for the Game
Toy company Toy Notch is creating a line of action figures that revolve every game in the series. A few notable figures are being created in anticipation for the impending release of Lost Planet 3 as well.
Check out some more pics of the soon-to-be-released figures below:
9. It Will Feature Some Sort of Collaboration with Pacific Rim
In a marketing move that makes a whole hell of a lotta sense, Capcom is preparing a crossover collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro’s recent robot/monster fighting blockbuster, Pacific Rim. Once some official news on what the collaboration will be becomes public, we’ll have it here for all of you fans to see.
10. The Game’s Pre-Order Rewards Are Available Through Tier Unlocks
The pre-order incentives will get even more awesome if more gamers reserve Lost Planet 3. The more people that pre-order the game will eventually lead to better reserve items becoming available through three different tiers.
Check out the cool items that could be in your possession if you put some dough down on Lost Planet 3:
– Tier 1: Freedom Fighter’s Pack – Five characters and two Rig upgrades
– Tier 2: The Freedom Fighter’s Pack, plus Punisher Pack – Three long-range weapons and two Rig upgrades
– Tier 3: The Freedom Fighter’s Pack, the Punisher Pack plus copies of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition and Bionic Commando: Rearmed
Here’s the official release date schedule as well:
– August 27, 2013 (North America)
– August 29, 2013 (Japan and Australia)
– August 30, 2013 (Europe)
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Lost Planet 3: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know