Lost Hardcore
At A Glance
- Hardcore takes Lost Planet's natural challenge and squeezes out a few more drops of merciless difficulty.
Your father is dead, you're running errands for Space Pirates, the local Akrid are out to murder you at every step, and chances are the rapidly unraveling conspiracy is going to make you feel very guilty about your previous employment. There's not much of a silver lining for Wayne in Lost Planetâ„¢: Extreme Condition, and that's just how we like it.
That looks a lot like fleeing the scene. We need to talk.
The term "old school" is bandied about far too much, but Lost Planet earns its classic credentials with wave after wave of action that would make even Space Invaders proud. Like Ninja Gaiden and Gears of War® on Insane difficulty, the relentless challenge only adds more fuel to the hardcore fire. It's already mercilessly difficult, but best Lost Planet by adhering to the following challenges and earn your hardcore cred.
Lost Planet foregoes the unfortunate trend of
"accessibility" and throws the difficulty gauntlet down.
Battle from Afar
Ripping Akrid and enemy Space Pirates to shreds at close quarters makes energy management far too easy. Leave that shotgun behind and pick off your enemies from afar when you can. The race to harvest energy at battle's end will ratchet up the tension level and leave you less overall energy. Good luck.
VS Rest
Vital Suits are too often used as the "I win" button, as their high-octane weaponry makes short work of lesser enemies. Let your enemy's defeat be at the hands of more heroic action, as you scramble to annihilate the waves of enemies on foot with more basic weaponry. If you're not exhaling with sweet relief at the end of each major combat, you're just not playing right.
Get out of your walking tank and face that Akrid like a man!
Let there be no mistake, this rule also applies to bosses. Grenade launchers, rocket launchers, hand grenades, and other useful tools are all available during nearly every boss fight. Only enter your precious Vital Suit when you've exhausted all other means of defeating the boss.
Zoomed Out
Toggling through the D-pad will give you a zoomed in view for easier targeting. Last time I checked, the hardcore don't need targeting assistance, so let the farthest viewpoint be your default setting. Picking off a VS pilot with a single rifle shot is impressive under normal circumstances, but it's downright awe-inspiring if you're sitting three-hundred feet out and not zoomed in.
They All Die
Lost Planet veterans understand that the enemies are more obstacles than anything else. You can leave hundreds of enemies unscathed in your wake and still finish a level. Well, the average player can, but you can't. Hardcore gamers can't abide a living enemy, and if a single Akrid, Space Pirate, or other enemy still draws breath when you cross the finish line, you're falling down on the job, my friend.
The Worm Shall Fall
A friend of mine was having some difficulties with the infamous Lost Planet worm in mission three, and I was scandalized to learn that after consulting a strategy guide, he discovered that you can bypass the worm completely and just high-tail it to the plant on the north-side of the level.
Some people just don't listen.
I hope I speak for all the hardcore faithful when I say that running from a boss is the last thing you would consider as the natural course. There's a reason why Worm Hunter is a 50 point achievement in Lost Planet, and that's because you can kill it.
Lost Planet delivers on classic action gameplay with a unique twist and next-gen visuals only rivaled by Gears of War. Better yet, Lost Planet foregoes the unfortunate trend of "accessibility" and throws the difficulty gauntlet down. Luckily, the hardcore gamer is only too happy to pick it up and declare their dominance.
Article by Hardcore
