Capcom sure knows how to do an action game. That's the first thing that popped into my head when adding Lost Planet: Extreme Condition to my list of simple Capcom action games like Mega Man, Final Fight and Dead Rising that just seem perfectly tuned for hitting and/or killing stuff.

The single-player demo at X06 was unfortunately the same one available on Xbox Live for months now, but a new multiplayer mode showed off how much better things can get with human opponents. It's basically a kill-or-be-killed deathmatch situation, but managing your health and heat energy as you fight adds a slight twist to the team-based standoffs. The play area seemed a little too large and barren for eight player deathmatch, but the open space allowed plenty of opportunity to double back and sneak up on unsuspecting opponents.

Once you do find your target, tight, responsive controls make aiming a breeze and using the shoulder buttons to do quick 90 degree turns really helps with manuevering in the heat of the fight. Climbing into a vital suit and blasting away at the suddenly small-seeming opposition is great fun too, but the suit's plodding pace makes this less than viable as a long term strategy.

The multiplayer mode seems like a solid addition to what is shaping up to be yet another impressive Capcom action game. Now how about giving us some more single player demo levels, huh?

Previously: Lost Planet single player impressions from E3