Capcom

Back when Monster Hunter first appeared on the PlayStation 2, I can remember seeing one of the first trailers for it a few months before the game hit. At the time, it was utterly mindblowing and promised potential that players had only dreamed of. Even today, the trailer still looks extremely exciting and full of action. Unfortunately, the reality did not match up to the level of action in that trailer.

Multi is the New Single

HIGH Jumping into a transforming Vital Suit and unleashing hell on enemy troops.

LOW The poor setup for mission 3-3 turns a great battle into a frustrating slog.

WTF Earning customization items is soul-crushingly slow and hatefully random.

Game Description: The next installment in the popular Lost Planet action series, Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter which continues the story of humanity's futuristic struggles and attempts at colonization on the planet E.D.N III. A blend of new RPG elements and features that made the original game a huge success, including massive boss battles against the alien Akrid creatures, rugged terrain, mech warfare and dynamic multiplayer support, Lost Planet 2 is sure to please both new and longtime fans of the franchise alike.

Earlier I finished Lost Planet 2 on PlayStation 3. It was a really bizarre experience for a few reasons, but primarily because it started off lukewarm and sort of middling, but then actually managed to get better and more exciting with each successive level. I wasn't feeling too hot on it at first, but the game had completely won me over by the time credits rolled.

Did you miss us? We missed you. After a tearful reunion, Brad tells us about his trip to see Lost Planet 2, Mike offers his unique take on Final Fantasy XIII (finally!), and we examine the challenges faced by decades-old franchises. With Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Tim Spaeth, and Tingle.

Download: Right click here and select "Save Target As..."
Subscribe: iTunes | Zune | RSS
Read: Transcript

Topics discussed:

• Lost Planet 2
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
• The Legend of Zelda
• Shin Megami Tensei

  Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

So, Capcom was gracious enough to invite me in to get a sneak peek of Lost Planet 2's multiplayer the other day. I'd never been to Capcom before and there were a ton of great review/journo people as well, so it was truly a double treat to attend the event.

UPDATE #2: The Xbox 360 codes are ALL GONE!

However, we do have a small number of PlayStation 3 codes left. If you have a PS3 and want a code, there's still time!

What do you need to do?

Post a message in the GameCritics.com forums and tell me who/what your favorite big robot/mecha/android/mechanized thing of all time is. Comics, cartoons, anime, games, WHATEVER. Also, tell me why.

When you post, tell me you want the code for PS3 version. Winners will be picked tonight at random.

8-bit is Still Back

HIGH: Sheep Man ftw!

LOW: The weapon I got from Sheep Man.

WTF: Can Wily come up with a final form that isn't a disappearing ship?

Game Description: The original 2-D classic Mega Man returns in the all new Mega Man 10! Mega Man 10 continues to bring the series back to its old-school roots, with retro platforming action and classic 8-bit graphics and sound. Rediscover Mega Man with new, classically-inspired boss characters, each with unique weapons and vulnerabilities. The year is 20XX and Robotenza - the Robot Flu - has spread like wildfire, incapacitating robots everywhere. One month after the outbreak, the situation worsens. Infected robots have gone out of control and have destroyed the city! It's up to Mega Man to get to the bottom of this viral mystery.

I've been spending most of the last two days playing Shiren the Wanderer on the Wii and Dark Void on the Xbox 360.