The second Lost Planet map pack hits Xbox Live this Friday, giving LP players a chance to enrich their game by a whopping two maps to the tune of 400 MS Points. That's $2.50 a map for those playing along with the home game, and while I do think that's a bit steep, the maps do look really good.

First up, Hive Complex:

Looks like a sniper paradise to me, though I tend to see things from a snipy point of view when looking at Lost Planet. I suppose there are plenty of places for you to hide from snipers as well, so there you go.

Trial Point:

A modern-day office complex in Lost Planet? You'd figure a swanky place like that could afford central heating and we could all finally take off our parkas. Budget cuts perhaps? An odd choice, going against the game theme like that, though it certainly opens things up for later maps. How about parkas in the old west? Oooo, my freezer. They should totally do a giant model of the inside of my freezer, complete with an ice maker hazard. They wouldn't have to work too hard on textures, as I can't identify half the things in there anyway.

Not a bad couple of maps. Perhaps not $5 worth of maps, but a combination of impulsiveness and peer pressure can work wonders when it comes to adding value to downloadable content. Look for the new pack to hit XBL early Friday morning. Michael Fahey