Many games are released in different editions. Collectors Edition, Ultimate Edition, Barnyard Edition, whatever. Usually these editions involve different packaging, a bonus comic book or artwork, or maybe even a figurine. After a game has been released and sells well, it may even be re-released in a "Game of the Year" Edition, or in the case of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the COLONIES EDITION. There have been a few changes to the game since its original release, but are those changes enough to tempt new consumers? Read the full review below to find out!

Single Player / Story Mode
The Campaign mode has remained identical to the original Lost Planet, which received mediocre reviews, but which I enjoyed. It isn't the most logical story, or the greatest voice acting, but it's pretty decent. All the missions involve getting somewhere, killing Akrid bugs or NEVEC guards along the way, and fighting a boss using whatever weapons you've collected along the way. You'll spend 8-10 hours playing the main story line, which will train you pretty well for multiplayer and the other single player modes.

Score Attack and Trial Battle Mode are new to the COLONIES EDITION of Lost Planet, and provide some new ways to increase your Xbox LIVE ranking. Score Attack lets you replay any level in the game on any difficulty, and you earn points for every enemy you kill and every data point you activate. Trial Battle Mode sends you through 5 rounds of mission bosses, and the speed at which you kill the enemy determines which boss you will fight next. If you die at any point while fighting the bosses, you have to start over at the beginning. Weapons and health (T-ENG) that you gather during the battle will carry over to the next round, so plan carefully on how you'll defeat each boss.

Multiplayer
The primary differences between the original Lost Planet and the COLONIES EDITION are in the multiplayer. In fact, the two games are considered completely unique in single and multi-player. If you own the original Lost Planet you will not be able to play with someone who owns the COLONIES EDITION, and vice versa. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION has also been released for the PC, and Capcom has made the Xbox 360 version compatible with the new PC version, so when you play online, you may actually be fighting against someone who is using a keyboard and mouse.

There are a few new online modes that have been made available in the COLONIES EDITION of Lost Planet. Akrid Hunter pits humans versus the large giant bugs, but other players control the Akrid. The games I played were rarely even sided, as there's no way outside of this multiplayer game type to practice playing with the Akrid. Oftentimes the Akrid players would kill themselves by falling off a ledge or into a pit, resulting in an easy win for the human players. Other times the Akrid players could camp the human spawn point and wipe out the players almost as soon as they appeared. The Akrid would slowly be hurt, but if the match was only 10 minutes, this might not be enough time to secure a win. Playing as the Akrid can be fun, and can really rack up your kills if you're trying to get the 5000 kills achievement. Make a misstep though, and you might give an easy win to your opponent.

VS Annihilator is another new mode where each team has one person playing in one of the large robotic suits called a VS, and the objective is to destroy the other team's VS. You might consider it something like a "VIP" mission, where you protect one person on the team, but in this case that one person has rocket launchers and energy weapons that can take out a small town. Since both teams have a mechanical warrior, it comes down to strategy and finding a way to help destroy the enemy mech while keeping yours safe.

The CounterGrab game has both teams trying to maintain control of a data post. Since activating the data post for your team takes 10-15 seconds, you really have to coordinate how to defend the area from the opposition. On games where everyone starts with a rocket launcher, this can be pretty tricky, but a well-executed game can be a thing of beauty... or frustration if you're on the opposing team.

The Akrid eggs make an appearance in multiplayer for the first time in COLONIES EDITION, with an explosive game of keep away known as Egg Bandit. Both teams fight for control of the egg, and can take it wherever they choose. Hiding with the egg can be tricky though, especially as data posts are activated and the egg appears on the radar.

Conclusion
The re-release of Lost Planet is a fairly significant upgrade over the original. New single-player modes, more multi-player maps, and even new multi-player game types really help flesh out the game. Unfortunately, owners of the initial release of Lost Planet cannot download the new maps, or even play on the original maps against someone who owns the COLONIES EDITION. For only $30, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION is a pretty good value if you're looking for a decent shooter with mechs and interesting multi-player games, but if you already have the original, you won't find the new version worth the extra money. You could always trade in your copy (for $5 at GameStop at the time this review was published) and purchase the COLONIES EDITION, but only if you want to play as the Akrid and wipe out all your friends.

Other Links:
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION Image Gallery