Xbox 360: Lost Planet, Trial Point Map Review
Hive Complex and Trial Point are two new downloadable content maps for Capcom's Lost Planet on the Xbox 360. The two map pack costs 400 MS points. This review focuses on one map, Trial Point.
Set high in an skyscraper, Trial Point is a big departure from anything seen in Lost Planet yet. Its Die Hard on steroids and this map has all the cliche office building features such as air vents and lift shafts, all excellently rendered.
A huge and detailed city vista makes an excellent backdrop to much of the gameplay and can be seen though windows, walkways, and an outside area on top of a section of building under contruction. Here the gameplay takes a vertical twist with containers, plaforms and stairs leading to the top. Elsewhere polished marble floors are well rendered with great relections and sunlight streams through large windows with complex frames casting arrays of soft edged shadows.
Good use has been made of destructable scenery. Glass doors can be shot or broken using your grappling hook while grills can be blasted open giving you access to air vents which can be crawled through to reach further sections of the building. In other areas, inevitable explosions from fighting will set off sprinklers.
Action wise this is not a rifle map (although many will still play it this way). Instead its mostly close-up combat in rooms, corridoors and along walkways - a great chance for some grenade exchanges between you and the enemy. I found it particularly enjoyable for post grab.
I hope you enjoy my gameplay video. I did't get chance to visit all areas of the map and in the final section stumble upon a 'dead area' where no players are present. Thank goodness for video editing. The default weapon is the rocket launcher and the game mode is post grab.