Walker talks about everything from the new emphasis placed on story and strong scriptwriting in Lost Planet 3 to his various creative influences to how he got the gig in the first place. But I think the key takeaway from this interview is that there is true strength in this game’s story, and that while that might not be what long-time Lost Planet fans were expecting, it’s likely to appeal to them all the same. 

“So this is the thing I most want the gaming press and the internet at large to hear: past Lost Planet games and past Spark games are not the only barometers to go by. Some of the people most responsible for the creative direction of Lost Planet 3 carry the pedigree of Anachronox , a bona fide legendary cult classic. If people keep an open mind and try the game out I think they’re really gonna be in for a treat.”

Regarding that “treat” of a story, Walker professes that the writers took a much more grounded approach with LP3 than we had seen in the previous titles.

“[We aimed to] keep things grounded, believable, realistic as possible…develop a relatable protagonist who’s just an ordinary man who wants to take care of his family… no sci-fi crutches despite the setting — “science not magic” — consistent rules, no prophecies… a tangible sense of the dangerousness of this environment and the job, the feel of being on this base with this crew, sharing the daily perils, all the gallows humor that would go with that, the camaraderie, the in-jokes. It was a gift to have that kind of coherence at the top, giving us a true north when we got lost in the weeds.”

He then casts an understanding nod to the skeptics:

“I think Lost Planet means different things to different fans… and the ones for whom it meant constant frenetic action or oddball anime plotting or over-the-top co-op play, they’re having trouble getting into the rhythm of this one. But the truth is, this is the direction Oguro wanted to go, the game he wanted to make. Maybe a game belongs to its fans and it is whatever they think it is — but far as the creators are concerned, this is the truest LP game to their vision.”

I want to extend a thanks to both Adam and Orion for this interview, which I feel really highlights the core strength of LP3. I know that a lot of Unity folks have been very surprised by the new direction this game took with the series, but I also know that many of you will be pleasantly surprised once you crack open the lid on this surprisingly, refreshingly  vivid world and story. As narrative, world, and atmosphere are concerned, this game really is top tier.