Review: Earth Defense Force 2025

Posted on February 23, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360

Developer: Sandlot

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1-2 (Online 1-4)

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Score: B+ (85%)

“The Bugs Are BACK!” and man, were they missed! As a longtime fan of the series since its 2003 debut on the Japanese PlayStation 2 (as part of D3Publisher’s Simple 2000 series of budget priced games), I’ll just go ahead and say that warts and all, Earth Defense Force 2025 is developer Sandlot’s best game to date. While the PS3 version still needs a wee bit more optimization (it’s developer Sandlot’s first game on the hardware) both it and the Xbox 360 version bring 85 offline solo or co-op missions, an additional 9 online missions, four classes (two new to the series) and well over 700 weapons split between the different classes.

There’s also paid DLC that adds some brutal offline/online missions with redesigned enemy types (but no new weapons as the main game has more than enough). The sheer amount of content and escalating challenge will test even the most hardcore shooter fan, but the game’s campy tone and solid yet not quite flawless visuals won’t be for every taste. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of old “B” sci-fi flicks from Japan and the US and games where you can blow the crap out of nearly everything on most maps, this one’s not only got your name on it, it’s going to make sure you’re not leaving home for a while once you fire this up… Continue reading →

Earth Defense Force 2025 In Stores Today: Yes, You Need This Game (Just In Case)…

Posted on February 18, 2014 by geelw

Ha. On the way back from Toy Fair, I spied not one, but TWO different UPS trucks a few blocks from my place. That means ONE of them has my copy of Earth Defense Force 2025, but neither truck will arrive here for about an hour (booo!), meaning I’ll be sitting here waiting to pounce on the driver as soon as he rings the doorbell downstairs. I think I SHOULD just go down and wait for him, but that’s bad to do because it looks as if I’m stalking him or am some sort of addict lurking around waiting for the man (cue The Velvet Underground in the background). And if that game isn’t in today’s delivery? Well, I guess I’ll live… but the rest of that ice cream in the freezer is going to have a pretty bad evening… (Dun-Dun-DUNNNNN!)

Back in a bit…

Wow. Just as I was typing that “Back in a bit”, the doorbell DID ring and yes indeed, I got my bugs in a box! Okay, so much for productivity tonight, but I am going to set an alarm to let me know when I need to stop playing and get some sleep. I do have a few meetings tomorrow that I can’t be late for and nope, they won’t believe me when I say I was killing giant bugs all night!

Things to Do When the Real World Stinks (One)…

Posted on July 24, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, Game Empire HD!)

OK, I actually didn’t do anything TOO productive today other than blow through 34 missions in Earth Defense Force 4 and take a bunch of notes for my review. Ive got a long way to go, as the game has got 94 missions total (eek), four character classes and five difficulty levels. I most likely won’t solo the entire game through ALL the difficulty levels before starting my review, as EDF games are made for seriously long play time. I’m probably going to complete Easy and Normal, but I’ve already played some missions on Hard and Hardest just to see how tough they are (they’re tough, but beatable), but haven’t gone near any Inferno maps yet because I need my sanity for the rest of the week. Which so far consists of a meeting to see a new game tomorrow, a screening I may or may not attend (it’s a bit last minute) and a bunch of stuff I need to write up from this week and last.

Er, that’s about it… I guess. Oh, right – I’ll add a few Random Film reviews in a bit. I haven’t watched anything in a few days, so I’m thinking I need a decent old comedy or really bad “B” movie to get back on track. My brain is still packed with mud a little from reality and I made the silly mistake of watching the news this evening (blech… too much crap going on in that real world and too many crazies at the wheel all driving off different cliffs). I’d go bake a pie or something, but I haven’t done that in oh, maybe a dozen years or so, I have no ingredients and I’d probably end up eating the whole thing once it cooled. Who doesn’t like pie?

Earth Defense Force 4 Gameplay: More Pest Control With Wing Diver

Posted on July 13, 2013 by geelw

(thanks again, GameEmpireHD!)

The fine folks over at Game Empire HD are really going crazy with the EDF 4 gameplay videos. My own copy of the game is still on the way, so I’ve been keeping an eyeball on their YouTube page and taking notes galore on some of the tougher stages. Everyone has their own play style and in fact, EDF games encourage you to experiment with those random weapon drops until you get comfortable blasting bugs to bits with different gear you’ve collected. Of the four classes, the Wing Diver (or Pale Wing, or Pale Wing Diver if you really want to get formal) is the most agile thanks to her ability to fly and some of her really powerful close and ranged weapons. The tradeoffs are a very low starting armor and many weapons relying on the same energy source as her flight pack, so managing your energy is key in making sure you live to the end of a mission.

While this is my favorite class, I may not play the game through the first time with the lady. In the previous EDF games she’s appeared in (EDF 2/EDF 2 Portable and EDF 3 Portable), once you get some of her better to best weapons, she’s pretty untouchable save for confined spaces such as caves and tunnels where she can be damaged more easily by some of her own ordinance. I have the feeling I’ll go for the old reliable EDF Trooper for a bit until I get one of the Bound Shot weapons (which fire “bouncing” rounds – great for clearing out tunnels packed with giant spiders and ants and does double duty outdoors against large robots) than perhaps poke around with the new Fencer class before going with the winged one. That Air Raider I’ll save for last, as he seems to be the most challenging to use (although there are already a few exploits for the character). OK, back to playing vulture near my mailbox. I may be scaring the postman away, but he knows I get a lot of stuff sent this way so he can take the glaring and third degree when I don’t get a package I’m expecting…

Earth Defense Force 4 Gameplay Videos: Bigger, Better, Faster, MORE.

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, GameEmpireHD!)

My own copy of the game is in transit from Play-Asia, but there are some folks who picked up the game in Japan and are posting videos galore to show off some of the new features and the updated visuals. Here are a few from Game Empire HD that range from short to medium lengths and show a few of the classes in action. I’m a bit more methodical in how I play an EDF game, so seeing all those pickups left lying around at the end of those stages is a bit distressing. Then again, I’m gathering the person playing is trying to blast through the game as quickly as possible just to get as many videos up as possible.

That said, I did notice all of the videos posted so far are played on Normal mode. Personally, I always blaze through Easy first when playing an EDF game just to get it out of the way, earn a bunch of armor and new weapons plus whatever bonus is gained for completing the game on that difficulty level. That and it’s the best way to see what’s coming on the harder difficulties without struggling with too much dropped on my head at once. OK, I think I have about a week or so to wait, so let the countdown commence…

Earth Defense Force 4 Launch TV Spots: July 4 is Business As Usual in Japan…

Posted on July 4, 2013 by geelw

Today’s the big day for some gamers in Japan as Earth Defense Force 4 is out and getting furiously played by many. Those of us who’ve imported copies will be waiting patiently around their mailboxes like vultures for our copies to show up and it’ll be hiding away from the sun for a bit as we plow through the game and see what developer Sandlot has done with the series in the five or so years since they last worked on a home console EDF game.

From some poking around on GameFaqs, a few users who live in Japan and have the game are loving the changes so far (a good sign) and combined with the positive Famitsu scores (a 34/40 average), this one looks like a keeper.

Of course, when the game hits US shores next year, you WON’T be seeing these wacky Japanese ads for it at all, so I’m doing my civic duty as an EDF patriot and running them here.

I don’t know what D3Publisher of America’s ad plans are, as they generally don’t run a ton of ads for their games anyway, but it would be nice to see some sort of equally oddball campaign here that’s inexpensive yet equally amusing and effective.

Impressions of the import to come in a bit – I’m going to go get my vulture outfit out of storage and go hang out downstairs…

New Earth Defense Force 4 Trailer: Volunteer Bug-Blasting Army Seeks New Recruits!

Posted on June 28, 2013 by geelw

And here’s another Earth Defense Force 4 video straight from D3Publisher in Japan with yet another laughable yet free verse-like *biiiiiing!* translation job below the jump. This seems to be a recruitment advertisement of sorts and yes, I’ve signed up already (well, I have a copy of the import coming soon). The game has gotten some pretty solid Famitsu scores (9/8/8/9 for 34 out of a possible 40 points, the best scores of any EDF game in the series), meaning it should hopefully do well once it’s localized for the US and Europe. Of course, those who don’t import have to wait until next February (yikes!), but I guess that gives you all time to get through that stack of holiday titles you’re planning to buy or ave gifted…

Continue reading →

NEW Earth Defense Force 4 Japanese TV Spot: Bugs, ‘Bots and Beatniks…

Posted on June 21, 2013 by geelw

If figures. As I’m about to drag my weary bones into bed, D3Publisher in Japan drops this crazy TV ad for Earth Defense Force 4 and of course, it’s my duty to drop it in your lap as well before I drop into dreamland. Sorry about it landing in your cereal, though. Next time, keep that bowl on a table, you. Anyway, I’m too pooped to go poke around to see if another site has translated the description text, so you get some free jazz Bing Translation mess to decipher at your peril below the jump. All you need now is a set of bongo drums, a beret, a microphone and perhaps a hot cup of java and you’re all set to read some “beat” lingo that’s baffling, baby!

Er, “Scoodly Oodly, wah, wah, wah?” (+5 XP for getting that slice of near obscurity)…

Enjoy and good night, er morning!

Continue reading →

E3 2013: Earth Defense Force 2015 Trailer 2: Loaded With Bugs, But Better For It!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by geelw

Here’s the second translated trailer to D3Publisher of America’s upcoming EDF sequel. It’s nice to see these rolling out in English, as they’re funnier when you can understand the campy dialog delivered with relish. I think D3 copy/pasted old press info into the YouTube description, as they note a 2013 release when the game seems to have gotten a February 4, 2014 launch date already on a few sites and Namco Bandai’s European YouTube page. Oops. Well, if it changes to this year, I’ll be a lot happier, but let’s see if this gets corrected (before I dance around the room too much again)…

E3 2013: Earth Defense Force 2025 Air Raider Trailer: Nice, But That EU Release Date Bugs Me A Bit…

Posted on June 11, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm… I was hoping D3Publisher of America wouldn’t disappoint and in respect to getting this Japanese trailer localized and running with the full-on Solid Snake parody thing working – they nailed it. On the other hand, Namco Bandai has announced that the release date for Earth Defense Force 2025 in Europe is (eek!) February 2014 (!), so I need to bug D3Publisher of America to see if the US version of this is arriving sooner as the Japanese import hits on July 4, 2013 and like the old days of 16 and 32-bit games, that’s a long wait for some fans. Well, us crazier EDF fans import anyway AND end up buying the versions in our respective territories (that PS3 being region free is a wonderful thing, kids!), but still… I need to practice up for the impending invasion! I guess another replay of Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable it is, then…