Video Games

B

For Xbox 360

Rated for ages 13 and up

$59

SNOW DAY: Lost Planet was considered a guaranteed blockbuster when an action-packed demo was posted online via Xbox Live some time ago. But the full, final version of this arctic adventure gets dragged down by a weak plot and computer-controlled enemies so dumb you wonder how they manage not to shoot themselves. Still, Lost Planet does have its moments, and the scenes where you battle insectoid aliens are worth the price of admission.

COLD COMFORT: Lost Planet begins with a brief plot summary that's an interesting twist on the standard man-vs.-aliens tale. Instead of fighting back against slimy aliens trying to colonize Earth, you are the colonizer. For some reason, the first planet we decide to settle on is a brutally cold ball of ice already populated by ferocious bugs. The only way humans can survive is by killing the aliens and warming themselves with the "thermal energy" that pours out of the aliens' bullet-riddled husks.

BRAIN FREEZE: This third-person shooter is about evenly split between levels where you shoot aliens (fun!) and levels where you shoot "snow pirates" (not fun!). The pirates are humans who were stranded on the planet during an earlier, unsuccessful colonization attempt. It's not really clear why you want to kill the pirates. You have plenty of fun weapons at your disposal, though. The problem is that the pirates are dumber than a bag of hammers. If 30 of them are gathered in a room, and you blow up one of them, the rest will merrily continue on patrol, like blind and deaf lemmings.

BOTTOM LINE: Lost Planet can be a blast. Mowing down the aliens is delightful, and barrels and vehicles explode splendidly. The game's wintry wonderland is a great visual treat. But the brain-dead human foes and a story line that's almost satirical keep Lost Planet from ever fully defrosting.

Victor Godinez