Review - Earth Defence Force 6

Developer: Sandlot Games

Publisher: D3Publisher

Available On: PlayStation 4/5 & PC

Review Console: PlayStation 5

Earth Defence Force is a franchise I’ve skipped for a handful of years. To be blunt, it looked lame. Nothing about it had me clamouring for a controller. It wasn’t impressive, seeming like a blatant Starship Troopers ripoff. In my head, I thought it would be just another crap bootleg but the shouts of praise continued. I think I heard it described as being the epitome of dumb fun - it didn’t take itself seriously, focusing on delivering a delightful romp. Needless to say, the peer pressure eventually won and my virgin voyage was the voxel centric EDF: World Brothers. I admit, I enjoyed what I played, enough to want to cover the 6th, but there’s pause.

Earth Defence Force 6 is the latest addition to what I see as the flagship series of D3Publisher. Granted, it isn’t much of a heavy hitter and prior entries regularly had mediocre scores. Be that as it may, it maintains a presence and for that alone, I’m compelled to give it that old college try. I mean, EDF: World Brothers was decent, so…

THERE’S A PLOT!?

EDF isn’t known for having sweeping narratives. In fact, it’s non-existent in prior entries, but for this 6th instalment, we’re dipping our toes into the kool-aid. It tries to be robust with its telling. What we actually get, though, won’t be turning any heads with depth. Frankly, it’s as basic as a Pokémon without an evolution. Still, I’ve got to applaud the ambitious approach and how it wants to introduce time travel. It doesn’t succeed, mind you, but it gave me the motivation to proceed until the credits. I was legitimately intrigued, not due to the quality, but a morbid curiosity for what the hell was happening. It was cooking, and good or bad, I was keen to see it done.

I suppose in that way, it could be construed as being unpredictable. I mean, it’s a valid conclusion since I didn’t know what to expect. Again, it’s devoid of any substance but it has to be said; the ride to the finish gets wild. I, however, can’t say the same for dialogue. It’s the opposite, landing snug in a generic and bland soufflé. Yeah, it tries hitting your funny bone but fails miserably - I adore stupid humour and even I didn’t grin. As a whole, it quickly became evident that EDF is built on gameplay. No one has a perceived notion that a gripping tale awaits. That said, I’m a sucker for exposition, even if weak. It might not rock my socks, but it’s tangible, at least.

PEW, PEW, PEW!

After devoting 50+ hours, I feel comfortable enough to compare EDF to Mosou. It scratches the same itch with how mindless the violence is. I’m shooting down a tsunami of pests charging towards my character. It’s oddly satisfying to watch as the lifeless corpses are riddled with bullets. I do believe that if y’all have a phobia of bugs, you need not apply. It’s littered with the creepy crawlers, from ants, bumble bees, to spiders. It gave me goosebumps whenever I got a closeup of their pincers. With unlimited ammo at my disposal, it made slaughtering the insects a breeze. As a bonus, none can be classed damage sponges because they crumble fast. The real trouble begins afterwards.

Sure, it’s fun to cosplay as an exterminator but there’s the small matter of tedium. It’s rampant, stemming from the objects that enemies drop. The particular items in question are green and red canisters. The former gives me weapons for my arsenal to mess with. The latter will grant me armour that adds to my max health. Both are crucial but where it starts to get hairy is that I don’t obtain them automatically. No, I have to manually do so. It breaks up the natural flow of action because of the constant detours. It’s such a hassle having to trek to every corner of the map. Oh, I can dash, but it doesn’t mitigate the feeling. It still felt like my time was being actively disrespected by EDF.

YOU GOT A PARTNER!?

In this day and age, Online Multiplayer is essentially a default inclusion. Naturally, EDF 6 has it, as well as a local two player co-op mode. It allows me to get my best mates together and go hunting humanoid frogs. The manner in which it functions is standard, but it highlights a gripe. After completing lots of missions, I’ll be face-to-face with a foe meant to be tackled with comrades. If I go it alone, a balance faux pas appears. See, there’s a set of steps leading to its demise but they’re best suited for a group. If I engage as a Single Pringle, the battle simply overstays its welcome. It’s a direction choice that makes combat a slog. I bring this up because it occurs quite frequently during the late stages, and it’s aggravating.

Speaking of missions, the available amount is insane. Like I already noted, I’ve committed 50+ hours and am still trucking along. I can also revisit those that I wish to, whenever I please. It’s perfect because there are certain levels built sublimely for collecting those green and red boxes. They’ll consist of entire walls of enemies, waiting to be picked apart. If you’re worried about length, don’t be. Depending on the structure of the assignment, it varies. It might take 10 minutes to beat, or if I’m locked into a tassel with those foes I touched on above, it may last half an hour or so. Also, and to address the elephant in the room, it’s going to be repetitive. I didn’t mind but the minimal variation may bother folks.

AM I IN MATHS CLASS?!

Look, I’m a Millennial which means I haven’t set foot into a school for a decade and a half. The knowledge I once had has dispersed into the wind. That said, it’s baffling to see that the damage output of a gun isn’t represented by a solid number. Instead, it’s a maths formula. While I expected to see 120, Earth Defence Force 6 decides to get fancy, throwing in a 40 x 3. I can’t fathom the purpose behind using an equation over straightforward answers. It complicates a facet that shouldn’t be. Oh, but EDF 6 gets even cuter with it, tossing in algebra. I’ll be given keywords in need of replacing but the catch is, I’ve no damn clue what the values even are - what constitutes what. I have to rely on trial and error.

There’s no sugarcoating how needlessly convoluted this system is. It’s redundant, leaving me scratching my head. I know it’s probably because it’s trying to be quirky but it fails on every account. In no world can I grasp having to do multiplication or division just to see if what I’m doing can sufficiently defeat whatever I encountered. Sure, I’m being unreasonably snippy but that’s due to how it robs me of what I desire the most. I can’t begin to articulate how enthused I get from seeing a visual representation of getting more beefier. I want that information in a concise and clean fashion.

Luckily, the cogs that turn the other mechanics do tickle my taint. For example, I love the idea of having weapons split into categories. One group might be long range, whereas another is optimal for kamikaze tactics. For the best chance at victory, I have to outfit myself in the proper gear. If I’m being tasked with destroying soaring ships, then I need to ensure my ammunition can reach. When you think about it, there’s an element of strategy and I dig that. Sadly, the pesky need for trial and error returns. The tiny summary before accepting doesn’t efficiently note what’s ahead. I’ve got to jump in blind, retreating if I’ve grabbed the wrong stuff, piling on that tedium factor.

KIND OF A LOOKER!

If we’re discussing the graphics, it’s a double-edged sword. When it concerns the environments, they look quite drab. The decaying buildings are destructible, and that’s fun, but the textures are so painfully plain. From an art perspective, it’s not pushing the PS5 to new heights. Clipping is basically a feature, too. The avatars also won’t amaze much. Hell, they’ve got the look of general assets. The good news is that the bumble bees and spiders make up for that. The ants could bear a tinge more of detail but as a whole, they still gave me chills. A lot of passion has been poured into making them realistic. I’m also rather amused by the effort put into realizing the curvature of a female butt.

RING OUT THE EXPLOSIONS!

Frankly, this OST has no right being as dope as it is. I’m not saying that it’s immaculate but the tunes are definitely jamming. You do have to tweak the volume through options to make it crisper, but when you do, you’re greeted by awesome instrumentals. They have a rocking vibe that fit the alien theme so well. I wasn’t anticipating it going so hard but hey, I’m thoroughly impressed - the synthetic sounds are mint. What isn’t stellar are the voices. Sure, they have their moments, but they usually fall into the so bad, it’s sort of decent territory. It doesn’t add anything to immersion and I’ll often shut it off, but it’s a thing. Regardless, the audio isn’t terrible.

AND THE BUGGY VERDICT IS…

Earth Defence Force 6 is my first actual foray into the mainline series and you know, it’s a win. It’s evident it caters to a very specific niche, and it nails it. It’s not meant to appeal to every person. It won’t appeal to every soul, but for me, as a member of the intended audience, I’d call it a tarnished hidden gem. It retains the magic I felt in EDF: World Brothers, but there’s a couple of hiccups that prove to be hindrances. I still don’t understand the need for maths when trying to pin the power behind a weapon. Automation when it comes to retrieving items would eliminate the tedium I talked about earlier. In the end, a patch can fix these qualms and that’s why I can recommend EDF 6, but at a discount.

EARTH DEFENCE FORCE IS RECOMMENDED!

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.