Earth Defense Force 6 review: All You Need is Kill

Earth Defense Force 6 review: All You Need is Kill

As a long-time fan of the Earth Defense Force series, I can’t help but be excited about the latest installment, EDF6. And let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint! This game is all about destruction and chaos, and I love every minute of it.


Around my twelfth mission in EDF6, my perception of the game shifted significantly. I usually approach games for reviewing with a blank slate; trailers are enough to prepare me. Having played Earth Defense Force titles previously, I was familiar with their signature elements: colossal insects (a nod to EDF 2025), amphibian aliens, vast environments, and quirky dialogue. I assumed another light-hearted adventure awaited. However, things turned out differently.

1. Earth Defense Force 6 serves as a direct follow-up to Earth Defense Force 5. In EDF5, humanity managed to score a significant victory against the extraterrestrial Primers and their enigmatic ruler, but this triumph was largely symbolic. Regrettably, over 90% of Earth’s population perished in the conflict, with those who survived possibly being the fortunate ones. The EDF continues its struggle, but supplies are running low, leaving soldiers desperate enough to dream about consuming colossal ants for sustenance. The dire situation becomes even bleaker when the Primers return and unveil their ultimate weapon: time travel, transporting you to a timeline that is even more grim, populated by massive robots reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, but with an absurdly comedic twist.

Earth Defense Force 6 review: All You Need is Kill

You’re not new to this fight, so you take them down. After attacking the Primer’s mothership for a final attempt to save it from destruction, the screen turns white and displays “The Earth Defense Force 6 Begins Now.” When you resume control, the menus have changed, and you’ve been sent back in time to the events of Earth Defense Force 5. However, this time, the invading aliens have new weapons. But it’s not just us who are aware of the time loop; one of your teammates, a weapons scientist, is also aware. We’re both prepared with our own advanced technology and knowledge of what’s changed. The aliens send something back in time to gain an advantage, but we eliminate it, causing the Primers to reset the timeline again. Each time, your comrades are amazed by this rookie who seems to know how to defeat everything the aliens throw at us, even though it’s his first time. It’s like a blend of All You Need is Kill and Edge of Tomorrow in the best way possible.

1. If you’ve recently returned, let me catch you up – the narrative in this game also has some interesting gameplay implications. Firstly, the pace of EDF6 is affected. When you think a scenario is ending and there’s nothing new to be done, suddenly you’re moved on to the next one. This requires you to adjust your strategies, character class, and weapon choices to cope with the fresh challenges thrown at you. Nothing in EDF6 feels repetitive or prolonged. It’s like a well-timed chorus in a song – it comes just when you want it. Secondly, this approach allows the developers (Sandlot) to recycle many assets from EDF5 without making the game feel cheap or out of place. The context plays a crucial role here.

Earth Defense Force 6 review: All You Need is Kill

When discussing EDF6, it’s essential to acknowledge its context first. Unlike many games, EDF doesn’t boast stunning visuals. It’s a budget series, and the reason becomes apparent as soon as you start playing. Instead of impressive graphics, EDF6 offers an extraordinary number of enemies on-screen simultaneously. Swarms of ants, drones in fleets, colossal motherships, kaiju reminiscent of Godzilla, not to mention giant frogs, wobbly robots with claw-like arms, and lasers, or massive spiders. Arachnophobes, be prepared! Moreover, every single object in the game, from buildings to vehicles, is destructible. If a building obstructs your line of sight, blow it up! With a rocket launcher, you’ll find solutions to most problems encountered in EDF6.

1. EDF6 might not be visually appealing, but it packs a punch in the essential areas. Fundamentally, it’s an arcade game, wearing its vintage lineage as a badge of honor while much of the industry seems to move away from this heritage. You still have four character classes to choose from:

Earth Defense Force 6 review: All You Need is Kill

1. In this game, all levels are entertaining. As you defeat adversaries, you’ll gather armor and treasures that enhance your existing weapons and unlock new ones, as well as increase your resilience. Although I usually dislike loot in video games, EDF6’s system is exceptional because it contributes to both the storyline and gameplay. Every weapon is useful in specific scenarios, and you’re constantly discovering new items to test out. It’s not always easy to predict what a mission requires, but if you fail, you can easily retry without losing everything, and some of your earned rewards will still be available during failed attempts.

When all elements align perfectly, often during enjoyable sessions with friends, EDF6 comes alive. The thrill of piloting an Air Raider’s mech to shred Machine Men armies or using a Ranger’s sniper rifle to take down saucer-shaped drones is unmatched. However, there are minor annoyances: figuring out the correct solution in certain missions can be challenging, and understanding your squadmates’ instructions and your mission objectives is crucial. At present, an Epic Games Store account is necessary for playing EDF6 on Steam – a seemingly unusual requirement that Sandlot plans to eliminate in a future update. This condition did not hinder my online gameplay, which ran smoothly, but it’s essential to be aware of this limitation for now.

EDF 6 stands out as the biggest entry in the EDF series with approximately 150 missions, not including downloadable content. This equates to around thirty-six hours of gameplay during your initial playthrough. With multiple classes and increased difficulties, there’s ample reason to return for more action. And trust us, it’s an enjoyable ride! Gather your team, relax with a beverage or three, and prepare yourself for some of the quirkiest voice acting you’ve ever encountered. Don’t let the alien frog enemies’ resemblance to humans fool you, EDF soldiers. And yes, you can still belt out those goofy battle songs. If you’re an EDF veteran, you know the deal. Newcomers, I envy you; you’re in for a treat! EDF 6 is a refreshing homage to the AA game genre during this era of excessive seriousness. It’s great to see EDF 6 making its Western debut at long last. Earth won’t save itself – join the fight: EDF! EDF! EDF!

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2024-07-30 21:28