Earth Defense Force 5

EDF is back and as mad as ever. The changes from the previous game are relatively subtle and the grind is certainly still present but no series delivers the sort of insane moments that this one does and EDF5 does it better than ever.

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.

As campy and over-the-top as ever, Earth Defense Force 5 remains the best not-Starship Troopers shooter we'll see. EDF still remains a niche title without amazing production values, but there's a definite charm to hunting down thousands of insects with your friends.

The highest compliment I can give is that this game is probably the closest I'll ever get to that Starship Troopers shooter I've always wanted to play but will probably never realize. If I squint my eyes just a little bit I can make believe I've left the EDF and joined the Mobile Infantry. Welcome to the Roughnecks. Would you like to know more?

Blasting the giant alien spiders and ants into mincemeat and watching buildings and bridges crumble under the force of a well-placed explosion (and the Havok engine) is still mindlessly entertaining, at least for a while, and each class and all their weapons are fun to jump in and out of at will. The biggest bummer is that what was a unique hook in Earth Defense Force 2012 has become less inspired and not really infused by much in the way of new material. Earth Defense Force 5 is strong evidence that the series is in need of reinvention.

Familiar thrills from this no-frills series. [Issue#158, p.85]

A sci-fi third-person shooter that sets the player against massive hoards of giant monster, insects, and aliens. EDF lacks in story and contains intentionally bad dialogue, but you get to blow up lots of stuff.

Soooooo much content and all of it so satisfying! I honestly haven't had this much fun with a game in decades. And the dialogue... oh god it's so wonderful and straight-faced and perfectly ridiculous...

A great game and update from 4.1. Some of the new monsters are awesome, while others have cool new looks. The new weapon collection and upgrade system is a thing of beauty. Only complaint is the NPC's who yell very stupid comments (often repeating the same stuff) Also the new "naming" system for the monsters is both tediouse and painful.

The game doesn't really stray far from it's predecessors, fully embracing the schlock that has defined the series since it's inception. But now the technical shortcomings have started to truly grate and show their age. Getting stuck on the geometry, enemy bodies lasting forever and blocking your shots (always fun to kill yourself cuz a corpse falls on your rocket), some truly TERRIBLE RNG needed upgrade weapons make this game more of a drag to play solo then the others. But with some friends it's still good fun.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Indestructible spider webs, pathetic gutter trash. Please just save your money on this one