Lost Planet 3's protagonist will be a universal character everyone can relate to, Capcom says

The protagonist in Capcom's Lost Planet 3 will be more of an average Joe compared to the protagonists in previous Lost Planet games, according to developer Matt Sophos from Spark Unlimited.

Speaking to Siliconera, Sophos said that the studio wanted to create a compelling and cinematic experience where the lead character was someone that all audiences can relate to.

"He's got western trappings; he's a bearded guy like Kurt Russell in The Thing," Sophos said. "He listens to a certain style of music and has a colloquialism. Our story is based on universal themes. Jim is there on the planet to take care of his family back home. These are the kind of things that anyone can relate to, whether you're an eastern audience or a western audience."

Sophos adds that the themes and motivations of the characters in the game translate universally: there's the character who is there for a larger cause, another who is there out of greed and another who has an "intense technological curiosity." These are the kinds of characters Sophos believes help make a more believable and grounded world.

"He's got western trappings; he's a bearded guy like Kurt Russell in The Thing."

Capcom producer Andrew Szymanski says that having taken the game around the world, its themes have gotten lots of traction from international audiences, which suggests that they're on the right track with their character development.

"We've shown the game at media events in Germany, Spain and Italy — a lot of [the] time, everybody says, 'Hey, I feel like I'm watching a quasi-frontier western movie set in space."

Szymanski says players are showing that they can relate to the characters, they understand the themes, and this is important to ensure that they get a meaningful experience.

Siliconera's full interview in which the developers talk about why Spark Unlimited was chosen to make the game and Lost Planet 3's melee combat can be read here.