Capcom is well-known for the ability to construct entire fantasy worlds from scratch and create a unique style of storytelling to accompany these products. Successes likeMonster Hunter: WorldandDevil May Cry 5showcase the ability of the Japanese company in the videogame industry. Of these various series,Lost Planethas become not only an example of how diverse Capcom is willing to become for Western audiences but also a look into the precursor for the beginning of frozen planet dynamics in gaming, which can be seen in installments like Electronic Art’sDead Space 3.
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While theLost Planetseries can be considered a front-runner in many aspects, the games themselves also have many hidden features and background information to explain the various decisions that the design team and creators made for the three separate installments of the series.
10A Striking Resemblance
During the production of the first game in the series,Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Capcom had a tradition of basing the main characters of its games on real people. The chosen protagonist for the storyline goes by the name of Wayne, and his features are modeled after famous Korean star, Byung Hun Lee.
This was done by using aprogram called Face Robotto mimic the star’s expressions and natural reactions, as well as having him dress up in Wayne’s attire and3D scanning him to be replicated in-game.
9Giant Spider Vital Suit
One of the greatest experiences inLost Planet 2is the multiplayer content, which revealed several bonuses and special items that can be used by the players in combat or to use freely. The gameplay mechanics of the second game in the series rely heavily on Vital Suits. These giant mechas, also known as VS, are integral to survival and protection from the various enemy Akrid mobs that appear throughout the levels and against opposing players.
The Giant Spider is a massive mecha that seats five players and is considered near-invincible due to its plated armor and protective abilities. This VS-Akrid hybrid suit can be attained in Team Mode (Layout 3) during the campaign storyline. The group of players can swap between controlling abilities like web shots, flame throwers, and plasma cannons.
8Halo Inspiration
The creators ofLost Planet: Extreme Conditionnoted that inspiration for much of the synopsis of the original game came fromthemes present in theHaloseriesat the time. When cross-examining the two, it is clear that having robots and aliens with humans attempting to survive in the chaos on foreign planetshas a lot of similarities.
However, once the brand was established, subsequentLost Planetgames in the series pulled more from the original installment than outside gaming series. There are many nods to the new frontier on alien planets that have become a major selling point for a myriad of platforms, and Capcom’s adaptation can count itself among one of the first in the lineup for this style of gaming.
7Collectible Skins
Lost Planet 2increased the character customization options in its multiplayer by including cosmetic skins that consisted of cameos from other gaming series.Gears of War 2was one of the largest collaborations between the two brands, allowing Capcom to use the character skins ofMarcus Fenixand Dominic Santiago for Xbox 360 multiplayer arenas. Other characters offered included skins fromMonster Hunter, Resident Evil 5,andDead Rising.
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The second game in this series attempted to involve players more in multiplayer, which received mixed results from critics and fanbases. However, an added bonus is that thecustomizable skins could also be unlockedin campaign mode after completing the storyline once.
6Performance Capture
The main character inLost Planet 3, Jim, was created by another real person using Performance Capture software. This is completed by doing voice-overs, facial expressions, and body scans all in one session with the actor voicing the character.
Capcom attempted to make the main characters more relatable by casting them as real people with authentic backgrounds and matching the voice actor and their face on-screen. The actor playing Jim is Bill Watterson, who donated not only his voice but also his overall likeness.
5Akrid Skins
InLost Planet 2, leveling up a character with theSnow Pirate faction to level 80will unlock Akrid bug costumes. These costumes are cosmetic additions that mimic the fearsome Akrid aliens that the player can fight on the planet E. D. N. III, while maintaining a comical persona. The animations that accompany the suit involve the player crawling around on the floor on all fours, which can be used during multiplayer matches as well.
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The second installment of theLost Planetseries experimented with not only multiplayer abilities but the cosmetic circumstances surrounding players. In siding with a faction in the endgame content, players can access costumes and weapons that prove to be either useful or at the very least, entertaining during a multiplayer match.
4Albino Tarkaa
The Albino Tarkaa is a variant of the regular species of Tarkaa found throughout the frozen planet, however, this boss is pale and translucent compared to its counterparts. Hunting this rare spawn is only available at the halfway point ofLost Planet 3after Jim reaches the Camp of The Forgotten and finished the errands presented there.
While the Albino Tarkaa is elusive and hard to find, the player receives riddles throughout their time at the Camp of The Forgotten to assume where these aliens hide. Thankfully, Jim has also been gifted a tracker that displays the location of 10 Tarkaas on the map, one of which will randomly spawn an Albino Tarkaa.
3Xbox 360 Inspiration
When the Xbox 360 made its debut on the world stage, many developers began to tailor their series to the new console and the tech that came with it.Lost Planetwas no different, and many of the developers specifically mentioned how they intended on focusing on the Xbox console for their release and production ofLost Planetto better attune to the graphic, mechanics, and playing style of the Xbox 360.
Specifically, the environmental data and game mechanics for the controller and responding actions and animations were focused heavily on the controller and hardware present in the gaming system, as well as focusing more on the multiplayer capabilities thatXbox was newly capable of doing on an increasingly advanced scale.
2Invisibility
Multiplayer can prove to be challenging with control mechanics like those seen inLost Planet 2, however, there are various ways to work around them. Much likeHalo 2’s multiplayer, many players have found techniques to win battles against stronger opponents.
One of the various methods used inLost Planetincludes making a Vital Suit machine invisible. The temporary cover is used by sealing the armored suit (on an Xbox 360, the controls are a melee attack combined with either the X or Y buttons), and combining this feature with the Silent Step ability creates a seamless cover. This cover only breaks when the player attacks someone else, creating a perfect opportunity to flank an opponent during a match.
1Evil Bear
One of the more unusual Easter Eggs inLost Planet 3is an eerie teddy bear with glowing eyes that is locked within some ice. After killing a large Akrid near the Fuel Station, the player can head into the small cave that the alien emerged from and use the Grappling Hook to scale the ice-wall.
After reaching the top, there is an ice wall that has a pair of glowing eyes within it that doesn’t interact with the player themselves, besides simply looking odd. Turning up the brightness on the screen will reveal a teddy bear sealed within the ice.
