Lost Planet 3 is the eagerly awaited third person shooter game developed by Spark Unlimited, and published by Capcom. This game is the third instalment in the incredibly unique Lost Planet series, and is the prequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, and Lost Planet 2, as it takes place before the events of these two games on the same planet of E.D.N. III. Welcome to the now unfamiliar planet of E.D.N. III, which is still trapped in the throes of the ice age. The game revolves around a man by the name of Jim, a Rig pilot and one of the first few human colonists on the planet, who was sent there by the Neo-Venus Construction company (NEVEC). Jim has been contracted by NEVEC on the Coronis mission to help mine the planet and send the minerals back to Earth, where his family lives, as well as prepare the planet for colonisation. The planet’s core energy supply, called Thermal Energy, is all that NEVEC truly desire as their own resources are fast running out, and the entire Coronis mission depends purely on discovering the source. Jim takes it upon himself to find the source of the Thermal Energy, seizing the opportunity for a possible ticket home back to his family. He may have bitten off more than he can chew, as the environment of E.D.N. III is a deadly and treacherous barren icy wasteland, fraught with the Akrid, the terrifying and lethal indigenous alien creatures. The utility Rig is Jim’s only hope for survival, acting as his only protection against the extreme and severe climate, with its unpredictable and ever-changing weather conditions. Lost Planet 3 depicts a story-driven narrative adventure, incorporating mission-based mechanics. Quests are divided into core quests, which help the player to progress through the storyline, and side quests, which generally task the player to help out fellow colonists on the planet with whatever they need. The game is set as an open world, allowing you explore the planet at will, should you be brave enough to face the terrifying weather conditions and the creatures that await you. Alongside this, there is also the option to upgrade your equipment, and even build your own bipedal Rigs as you gather the necessary items throughout the campaign. Technically stranded on the harshest planet you will ever encounter, placed there by the mysterious NEVEC, are you up to the challenge of staying alive, and unravelling the secrets surrounding the company that put you there? (Cat Emerson)