It may not have the buzz of Gears of War or the controversy of Crackdown, but Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is an intense and immersive shooter. You play as Wayne, a futuristic soldier on a snow-covered planet, who just witnessed his father's killing by giant bug-like alien critters known as the Akrid (think of over-the-top creatures from Starship Troopers). After being knocked unconscious in battle, Wayne awakens to three rebel Snow Pirates -- Luca, Yuri and Rick -- who ask for his help in getting rid of the Akrid. Motivated by revenge, you must use your rare skill at piloting Vital Suits (VS), robotic assault vehicles with incredible firepower, against the enemy.

One of your first missions is to destroy Akrid pods that produce these gruesome aliens. While navigating mountains, taking cover in huge warehouses and other indoor locations, you blast these crawling or flying creatures with all kinds of high-tech weaponry. Once they've perished, you collect the thermal energy they leave behind, which is used as your life support system and a source of fuel for the VS. Even better than the single-player campaign, four online head-to-head modes allow you play with up to 15 others via Microsoft's Xbox Live service ($49.99 a year). The Team Elimination mode pits two opposing factions over huge maps to see who will be the last ones standing.

Lost Planet does suffer from a few shortcomings, such as a relatively short single-player campaign and a story that can get a little convoluted. But you don't need to follow the weak plot to have a great time running and gunning.