The Mech is just a transport system to travel the cold surface of EDN III and is used for little more. With the gamepad triggers (this game is best played with pad) you control the arms of the machine to fight or defend yourself because you have no weapons. When you mount the Mech the view is in first person, from the inside. There are two ways to play Lost Planet 3: on foot and by Mech. But after a few hours of play you unlock the 'fast travel' mode and the game becomes much lighter on its feet. In the first part of the game you are forced to travel on foot (or by Mech) here, there and everywhere, feeling frustrated at how long it takes to complete missions, go back and be assigned other tasks.

You can improve both the Mech and your equipment at the central base, which you have to visit pretty often. Quite the opposite, they're a minor nuisance as you advance to an adventure that is arguably more interesting. I'm still not sure if this is on purpose or accidental but either way, battles with the Akrid aren't very satsifying. With the Mech battles are pretty rough and tough, and when you walk the enemies move in such a twitchy manner that you end up wasting more ammo than you wanted. In any case, the battle with the Akrid isn't as intense as in previous Lost Planet versions. Although, if by chance the monsters manage to break your machine it doesn't really matter, the Mech will auto repair after one minute.

You also have to fight the Akrid from a machine that is not designed for war. You must take care of the Mech on your walks through E.D.N. The formula of playing on foot and by Mech, which means you can come and go freely (according to the zone), works quite well.

The graphics and the work done with the snowstorms contribute to this feeling. Furthermore, although the map is not labyrinthine, level design can be quite disorientating. This approach to the adventure is unprecedented in the series and genuinely looks good. It initially has blocked divisions that will unlock following Mech improvements or as missions are completed. That is, you can complete them while you work towards your main goals and they exist primarily to improve your skills or earn you money. The main tasks occur in order, while in parallel you are offered sub-missions that remain active all the time. Although the structure of play is one step away from a sandbox game it is still a linear adventure.

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