Lost Planet squared. That's what Capcom want us to call their latest dip into the universe of E.D.N. III, snow pirates and giant bugs.

Taking place ten years after the original third-person action shooter Lost Planet, the frozen planet of E.D.N. III has thawed. Warring factions are fighting each other and the supersized Akrid bugs for control of the planet's thermal energy, which is used to power just about everything.

Lost Planet 2, producer Jun Takeuchi says, is bigger in nearly every way, but is it better? With Akrid so big you can climb into them and shoot your way out, more Vital Suits, more weapons, more factions and no more life-robbing sub-zero temperatures, how can Capcom go wrong? Let's see.

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Cooperative Play: Lost Planet 2 doesn't just allow you to play through the six episode campaign with a friend, it nearly requires it. Not only does the game support local two-player split screen gaming, but you can also go online and bring in up to three players to help you through the campaign. And there are plenty of interesting cooperative moments in the game. You can, for instance, have a buddy repair your armored Vital Suit while battling, or rely on them to unfold a three person shield to provide mobile cover. There's even a Vital Suit that can hold three people: One controlling the mechanized suit and two in shoulder-seated gunnery positions. Great fun. Bigger Weapons, Bigger Bugs: The developers of Lost Planet 2 say the "2" after their game's name actually means it's squared—squared because everything about the game is bigger. The two things that seemed to grow most this time around are the planet's hostile insect Akrid and the absurdly large guns you use to squish them. The weapons have gotten so big this time around you'll need two trains to carry some or a space station to fire them off. And the Akrid are so large that you can crawl inside them and battle your way through their intestines, taking out their vital organs and smaller Akrid, while your coop buddies continue to plug away at the monstrosity from the outside. These super-sized weapons and enemies add a sense of scale to Lost Planet 2 that will be hard to top. Character Design: The character design in Lost Planet 2 is so absurd, so over the top that you can't help but eventually fall in love with it. For me, that happened around the fifth episode when I was introduced to the Vagabundos and their low-rider sandbikes. These shirtless sand pirates all seem to wear spike-festooned cans on their heads with a single eye-hole to see out of. While their bizarre attitude and out of left-field jokes were refreshing, they actually aren't the most interesting looking characters in the game. You've got the Carpetbaggers, the New NEVEC soldiers, mercenaries and the Snow, Desert and Jungle Pirates, all vying for most outlandish costumes and ornate head gear. Every time you go into battle, it's a visual feast. I'm surprised any fighting gets done. Idiot AI: There's more than one reason you're going to want to play through Lost Planet 2 with a friend or friends. Playing on your own means you have to rely on up to three of the biggest idiots found in gaming. These guys will stand statue still as they absorb clip after clip of bullets. They'll refuse to help you complete mission-ending objectives that are nearly impossible to finish on your own. They'll even disappear at times, as if the three of them ran out to buy a six pack of beer, leaving you to blow the building-sized kneecaps off the latest Akrid horror to dig its way out of the ground and into your path. Cooperative gaming should be a choice, not a necessity.