Lost Planet 2 Message Board older than one year ago

Akrid you not.

We knew that the exclusive Lost Planet 2 pre-order bonus maps from GameStop would be publicly available eventually, but this is just silly. A sharp-eyed tipster has revealed that the Lost Planet 2 "Map Pack #1" is actually already available on Xbox Live Marketplace. That's particularly noteworthy considering the game's retail release is still a week away. We're guessing someone flipped the "release maps" lever a little too early, and chances are the map pack will soon vanish into the ether once more.

For what it's worth, the pack is currently priced at 400 ($5). We suppose you could be sneaky and buy it early, but if you really wanted the maps you've probably pre-ordered already, right?

[Thanks, Joey]

#clips The male pirates of Lost Planet 2 multiplayer are generally covered head-to-toe in protective body armor. The females? Not so much. Someone's going to lose an underboob. More »

#captivate2010 Lost Planet 2 isn't just a third-person shooter with a robust storyline and oodles of online gameplay options, it's also a game with a quirky sense of humor. More »

There's a whole gang of playable content to get excited about in this week's European PSN update, such as Lead and Gold, After Burner Climax, the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo and UNO on the PSP. However, we'd make a strong case that the highlight of this most recent batch of additions isn't playable at all. We're speaking, of course, of the Sonic The Hedgehog comic from Archie Comics. Think we're joking? Look, right there, on the cover: "The World's Most Way Past Cool Comic!" How can you say no to that?

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Previously available only as a gift from Capcom or embedded inside blocks of ice, the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo is now accessible to all on Xbox Live Gold subscribers (it is multiplayer demo, after all). The demo allows up to 16 players to go at it on the game's Turbulent Jungle map. Two different game modes are available: Elimination and Post Grab, both of which were also seen in the original Lost Planet.

Lost Planet 2's multiplayer showed promise when we took it for a spin last month, so be sure to give the demo a try. And don't forget, grabbing the demo goes toward a good cause.


Xbox.com: Add Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

Hello PlayStation Blog! Beginning with today’s PlayStation Store Update, the Lost Planet 2 Multiplayer Demo will be available on PSN. Get together with up to 16 players, grab some weapons, jump in a vital suit and compete in Elimination, Team Elimination, or Data post Grab modes. This is just a sample of the various modes and ten maps you’ll be able to play when the full game ships on May 11.

But wait, there is more! Downloading the demo does more than just let you get a first taste at Lost Planet 2. Capcom has started an exciting charity campaign called, “Kill Big for Charity”. We are partnering with Music for Relief, a non-profit organization dedicated to disaster relief and disaster risk mitigation, to contribute $20,000 to charity if one million demos are downloaded across both PSN and XBL before May 5, 2010. An additional $5,000 will be added to the pot if an extra 500,000 demo downloads can be achieved.

To celebrate the launch of Lost Planet 2, we will be throwing a tournament on May 6 in Los Angeles. Select members of our community, Capcom Unity, will compete in the tournament with celebrities and press members. For information and how to enter, visit the details page on Capcom Unity.

The winning team in the tournament will choose which Music for Relief program will receive the donation. Help us achieve our goal by downloading the demo and spreading the word to your friends today!

#demo Join me and countless Japanese players online today, with the wide-release of the latest Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo. More »

Click to enlarge During its Captivate 2010 media event last week, Capcom revealed two additional multiplayer maps for Lost Planet 2. On top of the 10 maps included on the game disc, this pair of DLC maps will be used as a pre-order incentive (apparently exclusive to GameStop) and will also be made available for all owners of the game to purchase at an unspecified point in time after the game's release.

The maps, "Helix" (pictured above) and "Back to the Island," are (according to G4) said to feature the ability to swim (well, tread water, at least) with the former taking place underwater at the NEVEC ocean research facility. The latter, a remake of a map from the original game, sounds like it starts off on the beach of Island 902, carries on into the jungle, and then eventually winds up underground after players open a mysterious hatch. It's a lost planet, after all.

#captivate10 Lost Planet was all about the snow and ice. Lost Planet 2 mixes things up a bit with some jungle combat. But it wasn't until I checked out the Lost Planet 2 map pack Capcom is selling that the game hooked my interest. More »

Former pre-order bonus only maps to be available to all, for a price.

Former pre-order bonus only maps to be available to all, for a price.

Viral marketing is a strange beast. Example: Over the weekend, Capcom delivered several blocks of ice to eight different US cities. The catch: Each block of ice contained Lost Planet 2 merchandise and a code to get into the online multiplayer beta. The event went down this Saturday, so we're guessing that all the blocks have been found or have melted by now. Thankfully, the internet, in its unrelenting vigilance, has chronicled the event for all time. After the break, witness a small child do his damnedest to release his prize from its icy prison.

[Via That Girl's Site; Image: DJClicheDarknes]

#impressions Since the majority of my multiplayer experience in the original Lost Planet involved myself and a large group of Japanese players, it seems fitting I find myself surrounded by Japanese players in the latest Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo. More »

#screengrab E.D.N. III is thawing out in Lost Planet 2, and so are the game's cases, encased in ice blocks on Massachusetts Ave. in Boston. As seen by Kotaku reader Edward D. More »

#contest This Saturday eight cities will be bombarded with 2-gallon ice cubes, inside each will be tons of Lost Planet 2 loot. More »

[Famitsu] A handful of Lost Planet 2 screenshots from Famitsu have revealed the game will borrow the stars of two more franchises: Frank West from Dead Rising and the Scaly Knife-Gun Dude from Monster Hunter, the latter being exclusive to the PS3 version of the game. For those of you keeping track, these two join Gears of War's Marcus and Dom (who will only appear in the 360 version), Resident Evil's Wesker, and What's His Face from Lost Planet 2 in the fight against the calamitous, towering Akrid.

Though most of these crossovers seem pretty out of place, we're betting the dude from Monster Hunter will be right at home bringing down monsters the size of football stadiums. That kind of thing is right in his wheelhouse.

PS3 version gets exclusive Monster Hunter costume. First look here.

Two hit franchises collide. We talk with their makers to find out how it all happened.

I enjoyed the original Lost Planet, but I wouldn't call myself a fan. The third-person shooting was plain-vanilla at best and maddeningly frustrating at worst. The story and characters were forgettable -- really, do you remember any of it? But man, those bugs.

The giant bugs and beasties, known as Akrid, were the reason to play Lost Planet. I'm no scientist, so I can only postulate that somewhere, deep within the gamer's brain, there's a pleasure center dedicated solely to the destruction of glowing, orange weak points.

After playing through the first three "episodes" of Lost Planet 2 -- each split into several chapters -- the game seems to strike most of the same chords as the original. The formula hasn't changed much; the combat is exactly the same; and there's no real story to speak of -- the characters don't even have names!

The only notable changes in the sequel are the additions of 4-player co-op and a few, much larger Akrid. Unfortunately, I can't say whether co-op makes for an engaging gameplay experience or not, as I was unable to test it out. What I can tell you is that co-op is bound to be better than playing alone, because that isn't very fun at all. As for the bigger baddies? I'm not sure bigger is necessarily better.

Or something like that…

This week we dropped by Capcom HQ to test out multiplayer on the PS3 version of Lost Planet 2, as well as get some of your questions answered. There’s a video featuring exclusive footage and your answers below.

We also found out that Capcom is doing something pretty cool: if 1.5 million of you gamers download the upcoming multiplayer demo (available April 22nd), they’ll donate $25K to charity. Easy enough, right?

So why are we telling you this today, when the demo won’t be live for 3 weeks? Because Capcom is giving some gamers a headstart on that download (which means you may be able to start playing it now).

Head over to lostplanetcommunity.com, where you can enter to win early access to the demo. Strike out there? Stay tuned to our Twitter account; we’ll be giving out some more download codes later today.

Sure, you're probably excited to download the Lost Planet 2 demo so you can actually play the game, but did you know it will also help a good cause? Capcom has announced a new program that will see the company donate $20,000 to Music for Relief -- a non-profit organization "dedicated to providing aid to victims of natural disasters and the prevention of such disasters" -- if one million players download the Lost Planet 2 demo. If a total of 1.5 million download the demo, Capcom will donate an additional $5,000 for a total of $25,000.

In addition, Capcom will be hosting a pre-launch Lost Planet 2 party and "celebrity" tournament on May 6 in Los Angeles. Gamers will be able to sign up to attend the event -- on a first come, first serve basis -- on Capcom-Unity later this month. To win a chance to play in the tournament, however, players will have to submit tips for playing the multiplayer demo. Four winners will be chosen by Capcom to attend the tournament. The winners of the tournament will get to choose which Music for Relief cause will receive the money Capcom. Full details on the contest can be found right here.

So, get crackin' and grab your early access demo redemption code. It just might do someone some good.

#charity With Lost Planet 2 coming out next month, Capcom is in a giving mood, prepared to donate up to $25,000 to Music for Relief if PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners download the new Lost Planet 2 demo. More »

Microsoft is putting forth its best effort in the hope that Japanese consumers who want to play Lost Planet 2 won't just buy it on the PlayStation 3 systems they already have. The company has announced a Lost Planet 2 Xbox 360 bundle, coming out in Japan May 20 at a price of 24,800 yen ($265).

The set includes a 60GB Xbox 360 with a D-connector HD cable, the game, and a headset. It'll also include bonus Lost Planet content -- on a 2GB USB stick, taking advantage of the new Dashboard update that allows such drives to be used as 360 storage devices! That's certain to become a standard for special-edition Xbox 360 bundles!

#capcom On May 20, sci-fi action game Lost Planet 2 will be released in Japan. Know what that calls for? More »

Do you want early access to the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer beta? We're giving away codes -- ten for Xbox 360 owners and ten for PS3 owners -- to get early access to Capcom's upcoming online shooter. How do you enter? Simply join our Facebook page. Then, check the page beginning around 5PM ET for the entry form post. Once it's live, leave a comment on the Facebook post to enter the giveaway. Commenting on this post will NOT earn you an entry!

To enter this giveaway:

• Join the Joystiq fan page on Facebook. At around 5PM ET, leave a comment on the entry form.
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
• Limit 1 entry per person.
• The entry period ends at 5:30PM ET on Wednesday, March 31.
• At that time, we'll select 20 winners from the eligible commenters to receive a code for either the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer beta. Prize has no cash value. Make sure your privacy settings allow for direct messages to receive a code.
• For a list of complete rules, click here.

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.

Lost Planet fans can trade some bandwidth for a free in-game bonus in May.

While previewing the competitive multiplayer mode of Lost Planet 2 yesterday, we confirmed with Capcom that the game's multiplayer demo (available now to some) will feature an exclusive weapon, the "MG SP," which will carry over to the final retail version of the game on Xbox 360 and PS3, provided there's a save file from the demo on the system. Playing the demo will be the only way to unlock the gun.

A Capcom representative said the MG SP could stagger opponents with a single shot and prevent them from squeezing off shots of their own with subsequent hits -- sounds useful. As if you needed any more incentive to try the free demo.

In advance of the April 21 and 22 releases of the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, respectively, I got in a few rounds of multiplayer on 4 of the game's maps yesterday; one of which will be playable in the demo. The map, "Turbulent Jungle," was my favorite of the bunch.

Before dropping into a match, I scoped out the various character customization screens in the build I was playing. When you fire up the game for the first time you'll be prompted to create your own character, which will be used in both the campaign (which supports single-player and co-op play) and in multiplayer. Everything you unlock, earn or otherwise collect in either portion of the game will carry over to the other. Trick out a particular weapon in online multiplayer and it'll be ready for use in single player.

We ride battle-shrimp as Capcom finally lets us play some LP2 multiplayer.