Earth Defense Force 5

Even after 60 hours of bug hunting with a huge assortment of weapons and abilities, the mass bug-slaughter that EDF 5 does well is deliciously unique and keeps me coming back. It looks and feels like a throwback to a simpler age of gaming and and suffers from some unpolished technical decisions and sometimes less-than-stellar late-game balance, but the vast majority of EDF 5’s missions are energet...

Earth Defense Force 5 doesn't shake things up, but it presents a fun and highly customizable arcade shooter perfect for co-op play.

“EDF! EDF! EDF!”

Earth Defense Force 5 stands in the face of pretty much every game released these days. It’s the game that doesn’t bother trying to keep up with the Jones’ because it’s happy doing its own thing and being just what it wants to be. And that’s brilliant. And you know what else is brilliant? Shooting hundreds of enemies while listening to humorous quips. That never gets old. Never.

Video games, man. Video games are wild. One moment, you’re playing a game that uses frame-perfect jumping puzzles to turn menacing, indie platforming tropes into an allegory about fighting anxiety and self-esteem problems. The next, you’re screaming internally as you unload thousands of bullets into a distant crowd of building-sized ants. The Earth Defense Force series has long challenged what vid...

Earth Defense Force 5 is a great game for folks who don’t need any good reason for just wanting to blow up a lot of bugs with a lot of guns.

Earth Defense Force 5 doubles down on its B-movie aesthetic to create an experience that is equal parts goofy and fun. The lack of enemy variety leads to some repetition, but those who grew up with cult cinema classics will enjoy taking down this alien menace.

At last the Earth Defense Force series gets a sequel worthy of its early promise, even if there are still a few unwanted bugs left.

Let’s face it, eventually, some species of extraterrestrials are going to arrive at our planet and start kicking our collective asses. Some of us might die during the first wave of attacks – victims of unfortunate circumstances, just not seeing it coming. Then there will be those of us who run and hide, praying that they don’t have some Predator-like heat vision that can detect us pretty much anyw...

If you like watching B-movie’s with friends, but would rather play them instead, then yes, Earth Defense Force 5 is the game for you. If you just want to blow shit up, then there are more entertaining games out there.

Earth Defense Force 5 takes what the previous games in the series were known for; Classes with huge customization, large-scale battles, and a story about mankind defeating enemy forces. If you're looking for a third person shooter that you can keep coming back to for different experiences, EDF 5 will keep you entertained for hours.

Ultimately, Earth Defense Force 5 boils down to a very shallow entry in a series that I've typically enjoyed in the past. Single-player only works in short spurts, as this is a title that's meant to be enjoyed with others. I think it's time for Earth Defense Force to evolve into more than just a game that relies on nostalgia and monotonous killing. There's definitely potential here and it shines t...