Earth’s broken cities serve as my canvas, and primer blood is my paint.
Earth Defense Force 6
Platform: PC, also on PlayStation
Developer: Sandlot
Publisher: D3Publisher
Release date: July 25th, 2024
Price: $59.99 via digital download, $53.99 launch discount price
Availability: Steam
The video game industry mostly produces two types of games: low-budget independent games and high-budget blockbusters. Regretfully, in an overly divisive environment, the kind of ambitious endeavors produced by mid-sized studios have grown fewer and farther between. However, it wasn’t always the case. The mainstream Earth Defense Force series has been maintained for more than twenty years by Sandlot, an Osaka-based developer that employs roughly twenty-five people.
For years, Sandlot’s EDF series has portrayed a massive alien invasion in which railroad car-sized insects dart over skyscrapers and defenders retaliate with bombs the size of warehouses. However, Sandlot’s visual ambitions for portraying post-apocalyptic destruction have never quite lived up to the game’s visual appeal. The outcomes evoke the allure of the Godzilla movies from the Shōwa era, where the sense of size is breathtaking and the visual effects seem excuseably fake. You can mock the aggressors who appear plastic all you want, but you might be missing out on some of the most effective counterprogramming out there. Nothing compares to the excitement of repelling a swarm of furious adversaries, whether by yourself or with allies.
A little narrative but an extensive campaign
Earth Defense Force 6 doesn’t waste too much of its playtime on exposition, just like its predecessors. You re-enlist in the EDF after causing the invaders to retreat five years ago, as described in two missions. Naturally, they’ve reassembled within a plot that continues where EDF 5 left off, incorporating time travel while maintaining your allies’ ridiculous dialogue. Yes, the franchise has always featured corny dialogue. This time around, though, the motley militia begins to feel sympathy for the attackers, and it’s difficult to determine if the game is parodying anti-immigrant sentiment or embarrassing progressive ideology. In any case, I wish the subtitles weren’t superimposed directly below the screen’s center.
Earth Defense Force 6 takes on its true shape during the third mission, when thousands of mutant frogs brandishing guns skulk in the distance until realize your crew is there and begin to aim at you. And this is where EDF 6 shows you how to create a hook that will likely hold your attention throughout. It’s fascinating as ever to use a normal issue rifle to eliminate the horrible army of amphibians, especially when body pieces fly off the animals. However, the more unusual weaponry are the true draw. Your favorite type of weapon is probably in the game, whether you prefer lock-on rockets, long-range sniper rifles, or incendiary bombs that can be tossed a mile away. An additional button for your special weapons has been added this time out, giving your load out a little more variety.
Yes, you will still need to exercise caution. One of the underappreciated aspects of EDF is the AI, and the aliens in the game have a dangerous propensity to divert your attention as stragglers surround you. Undoubtedly, another risky temptation is the frequent drops of armor and gacha-style weapons from defeated adversaries. It’s concerning to learn that Sandlot is aware that you will encounter opposition when trying to obtain a new firearm.
An Equivalent Class Structure
Earth Defense Force 6 wisely sticks to the complementary classes from the first game. The long-standing all-arounder in the series, the Ranger, will be your suggested starting point. Demonstrating a well-rounded strategy for eliminating creatures, they possess an extensive selection of weapons. The Valkyries of the game are the all-female Wing Divers, who share an energy pool for both flight and lasers. They play the hit-and-run game well. The resident support class, known as raiders, have the ability to call out turrets, vehicles, and air strikes. Lastly, there are Fencers, tank-type creatures who move slowly but have one of the strongest blows in the game. However, because of their slow speed, teammates will need to make sure they’re not surrounded.
Tradition dictates that you care only a little bit about keeping Earth’s buildings safe. When you come across a structure that is teeming with monsters, it can still be quite thrilling to destroy it with a missile and eliminate a swarm of adversaries in the process. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any advancement in vehicle control. Helicopters and tanks are therefore powerful weapons, but they are also cumbersome, with the former having similar aiming issues as the latter. Similarly, the player’s control is intermittently taken away to concentrate on a mission event, which is still very annoying.
Things That Can Be Pardoned
However, for the most part, these small infractions are part of the EDF experience and are probably forgotten while facing off against the gun-wielding giant frogs and the invading aliens. The components of the game merge together seamlessly when played with others you met online. When a game has strong net-code, a well-thought-out class structure, and levels that gradually introduce new opponents and rewards, problems usually fade into the background. The game scales well, which is pleasing, and Earth Defense Force 6 still has a lot of fun whether you play single-player or split screen. That is, until some late-game, checkpoint-free objectives have players struggle to balance the odds against an overwhelming attack.
An evaluation of Earth Defense Force 6 would be incomplete if it did not address a contentious issue: in order to play online, users of the Steam edition must log into Epic Games Services. I’m not looking forward to going through the Games for Windows Live debacle again, as many of the Steam games that originally required a second sign-in through Microsoft’s servers required manual patching or stopped working when the program was canceled. In split-screen or single-player games, EDF 6 automatically establishes a single instance of handshaking with Epic’s servers. But in order to play online, you’ll need to check in and have an Epic Games account. However, the condition is unnecessary because users on PCs and PlayStations cannot play together. Furthermore, D3Publisher ought to have informed users of the requirement before to the game’s release, at the absolute least.
Operational Tempo: Move Forward at Your Normal Pace
The Earth Defense Force’s strategy of employing a wide range of weaponry to combat legions of grotesque creatures continues to work. However, it’s disappointing to see that EDF 6 hasn’t addressed some of the persistent issues from the last game, particularly if you were expecting some vehicular mayhem. However, there are a few noteworthy features that could keep you interested throughout the roughly 150 missions, such as damage readouts for weapons and a distinct button for supplementary weapons. In contrast to my character’s reckless actions, the developers take their time. Thus, the most satisfied fans of the franchise will be the most recent entry, as will die-hard EDF veterans and those who have just watched it with interest.
The review code for Earth Defense Force 6 was obtained from the publisher and used on the PC.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 80%
Controls – 60%
Aesthetics – 70%
Content – 80%
Accessibility – 80%
Value – 75%
74%
GOOD
Summary: The sixth Earth Defense Force mainline is still strong in opposition but lacking in creativity. Yes, the action is still hilarious, with each stage pitting a group of resilient warriors against hundreds of adversaries. Much of the game hasn’t changed, yet the frantic firefights still exist. You may want to postpone enlisting if you’re hoping for innovation. It’s time for another comfortable and pleasantly campy bug hunt, everyone else.