It's rare that a game gets panned and, upon reading about it, I realize it's the perfect game for me. Earth Defense Force (EDF) 2017 is a bit of a clunker, with unrealistic physics, repetitive enemies, and a terrible vehicle mechanic. Folks accustomed to the first-person smoothness of Halo or the gritty action of Gears of War would most certainly turn up their nose at EDF.
But I loved every single level of it.
You've probably guessed what the plot is: flying saucers invade and deposit hordes of giant ants, spiders, robots, and Godzillas--sorry, "Dino-mechs"--onto the Earth's surface in an attempt to take over the word, Independence Day-style. You are Storm 1, EDF's premiere ground soldier. You and a bunch of your hapless fellow soldiers are tasked with repelling alien invaders several times your size with nothing but handheld weapons. Remember Starship Troopers? It's like that.
With apologies to Winston Churchill: You fight on the seas and oceans, you fight in the air, you defend your planet, whatever the cost may be. You fight on the beaches, you fight on the landing grounds, you fight in the fields and in the streets, you fight in the hills...and you never, ever surrender. From Aliens-style bug hunts in cramped tunnels to bitter Children of Men-style warfare in ruined cities, EDF drops you into every environment imaginable, puts a gun in your hands, points you at a giant monster and asks you to take it on mano-a-giant monstero.
The enemies are glorious to behold. The giant robots are 1950s style automatons reminiscent of the Iron Giant, clunking their way through city streets with gigantic beam weapons, one eye, and weird rope-like limbs. The giant dinosaurs breathe atomic fire and smash through buildings and troops.
And then there are the bugs. Lots and lots and lots of bugs. The giant ants squirt acid or bite, swarming in an erratic pattern just like their tiny brethren. The giant spiders, a combination of tarantula and wolf spider, jump AND spit webs. As if this weren't bad enough, sometimes EDF throws all of these types of enemies at you at once.
The other major part of the game are the weapons. There are intelligent miniguns that track monsters just like in the extended cut of Aliens, bullets that ricochet off of the walls, flame throwers, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, acid sprayers, time release mines, rocket launchers, guided missiles, and of course shotguns. Each has a reload time, although you rarely run out of ammo, and a range and damage, so there's plenty of variety. The more enemies you kill, the more weapons and armor you pick up. There are also vehicles, including tanks, helicopters, hoverbikes, and mechs, but the controls are clunky.
EDF revels in its size. Everything is destructible, from bikes and cars on the street to skyscrapers. And they can all be taken out with one well-placed (or poorly placed) missile. Bugs run up the buildings and attack from above--but if you shoot one of the buildings down, the bugs just float to the ground without a scratch. In fact, there's really no penalty for falling (including blowing up the building you're standing on). I destroyed quite a few buildings and struggled to run out of the falling shadow, only to watch the rubble fall right through Storm 1.
On the other hand, the UFOs that fly overhead are also a destructible part of the scenery. As a result, there's a massive sense of scale as you fire rockets at the giant spaceships floating above you; it's exhilarating to watch one of the UFOs crash to the ground after several well-placed shots. And since the things are so darned big, they often fall on TOP of you.
The AI is dumb as rocks, of course. While there are occasional bosses, this game is mostly about blowing up the entire scenery. Sure, Storm 1 leads the EDF troops once their captain dies. And the dialogue really is hilarious: it's been structured so that they talk in vague terms about the enemy to increase the applicability of spoken phrases. Here's a typical snippet of dialogue:
"Where's the enemy?"
"The enemy is out of range!"
"Are you scared?"
"Shut up!"
This silliness adds up to the perfect B-movie dialogue. Even better, the troops are almost of no help whatsoever and actually a threat--though buildings fall through them, your troops can be hit by friendly fire. I killed off the entire platoon several times when an idiot EDF soldier ran in front of my rocket launcher.
About the only unforgivable flaw is that the game's difficulty levels are widely variable. I beat some levels with ease on hard while others were impossible. Unfortunately, EDF does not count beating a level on hard difficulty as beating it on normal difficulty. Since EDF awards points on Xbox live only upon completing every level on one difficulty, switching back and forth between normal and hard levels meant I ended up with no credit for beating the game at all.
You have to be a certain kind of person to appreciate EDF. If you've ever enjoyed THEM!, Tarantula, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, Aliens, Independence Day, War of the Worlds, or if you just happen to like blowing things up but suck at games like Gears of War and Halo...then grab your rocket launcher, soldier, because the EDF needs you!
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Bought this based upon reviews on Amazon and thought what the hell $20. Yes, it seems to be brainless shoot-em up in the mode of Serious Sam somewhat which I'm a fan of but damn is this thing addictive. It starts out sort of Starship Troopers corny and seems damn is this easy but damn does it build level by level. The intensity of the Hardest/Inferno levels are amazing and the vibrations on the controller so extreme the controller is about to pop out of my hands.
As others have noted this doesn't pretend to be an RPG beauty combat game but you best use some strategy as the game progresses the intensity levels are extreme. In some levels the difference between Hardest and Inferno are quite dramatic. Also, the destructibility of the surroundings is amazing while you battle and the scope and vastness of enemies are. Oh well, if you need safe escapism for a cheap $20 this is the ticket IMO.
I finished Halo3 on Legendary several times but this is a totally different creature again in the mode of the Serious Sam series IMO. Fun as hell in it's own way. I've bought so many games that sucked it's wonderful when you come across sleepers you've never heard of before.
As a follow-up --Completed at 100% levels three times and 100% weapons (171) and no second controller cheating.
TIPS ---
Do your harvesting of stamina on Level 52 "Inferno" at "normal" which is easy but the quickest way to farm stamina follow-up TIP if you don't do second controller cheating.
Farm this level without destroying either overhead ship in part two of the level once you have a high level of stamina and higher grade weapons as I accidentally discovered that you about triple the armor drops and so much health drops you can't be destroyed (on NORMAL Difficulty) you can farm stamina in a few hours that would take you a week to do with the other levels. However, don't try this tactic on Hardest or Inferno Top skill levels as there is no way to survive the onslaught use normal to harvest Armor for stamina and remember there are a finite number of drops so pick-up everything you can since it can eventually limit the number of armor drops. I completed this level on Inferno using the rotation of XEXR Turret and the Top Rocket Launcher and a ton of drop and rolls and seeking health while turrets repeatedly reload it seemed next to impossible since you cannot be close to the UFO's and need the EDF Laser rifles to help destroy the onslaught of the second part of the level or your SOL. There are 53 levels btw at 5 levels of difficulty.
Easily the most fun for $20 ever --I've been playing so long that it's amazing the details and areas to explore and different ways to win or lose. Climb up certain buildings staircases to the rooftop to snipe from a distance or go crimson level or sweeping and fight from the under the mountain road tunnel instead of the beach or hillsides it takes awhile to defeat this way but it makes some seemingly impossible levels as doable surviving strategy. I went weeks until I noticed the Tunnel and started using it as a retreat/refresh battle area.
Most posted walkthroughs are useless on Inferno difficulty level though You can throw the Walkthrough rec's out the window at Hardest and Inferno Level it becomes more of a chess match strategy and a lot of luck and stamina at times and huge timing since you'll be sapped and cannot see any health drops and it's almost as if the AI cheats from time to time. Some levels just seem impossible at Inferno and I have no desire to redo once complete like the underground segments and don't go back after once finished. Personally I find them creepy even though I've beaten them several times because you have to.
The vehicles are the worst part of the game except for the airbike for quick retreats and planting of turrets and getaways but they get destroyed extremely easy. Chopper is interesting but nearly impossible to effectively aim and destroy anything and they all get destroyed within seconds of any contact so you'll avoid them if you want to survive at the harder levels.
Anyone that fails to play this game through in Inferno difficulty just try and complete level 43 Spearhead without harvesting the Top weapons you are toast since spawning never stops while your fighting the spawned and must work your way over to the spider hidden nest and defending and use of EDF Troopers is paramount in this level as they can save your butt while working your way to destroy the spider nest.
Learning to drop and roll doubles speed of motion and one of the few survival methods against spidery webs which even drain stamina after killing the spider spiders can cheat and send webs through cavern walls at times or through a bridge underneath you or over a hillside or boulder out of firing range.
Use Airbike to leave weapons and retreat Level 23 is a favorite to use this bike throughout. The forward Spider Nest is one of the most important nests to destroy as the spiders are the most deadly here's a tip and I wish I had a map I could post.
First Jump in that Airbike quick and go forward and jump out and immediately attack the black ant nest and place turrets to defend spiders and drop and roll to the forward to the next spider nest to drop one turret and fire at the nest until it explodes DO NOT ATTACK anything forward at this point (four more nests). Refresh weapons and get back to airbike and go to the rear street so if any EDF survived follow and then go down a few streets where you can look to the other end and see the Red Ants nest. Bike forward within a block so you don't trigger the reds and leave turrets and then hop back on the bike and retreat all the way back and use rocket launchers or sniper rifles to take out the reds and trigger the turrets to defend all that get released and by the time they get back to where your at you'll refresh al weapons and work with EDF to get rid off them before attacking another nest.
NEXT it's imperative to take out the Spider nest -If you go to the far rear end street and travel to the end of it and turn left go forward until you see a building with a brick base and turn left at that street and it will lead you into a playground area go through the playground to where the overpass is and hop off the airbike and look beyond through the buildings toward where the tallest bldg was/is and you see part of the spider nest do not go forward through the bldgs or you'll trigger them and everything else instead plant turrets around you as a defense and use a sniper or rocket launcher between those buildings and take out the spider nests and when you see it blast upwards get on the airbike to escape to an opposite end and let turrets refresh. I usually take out the red spider nest near it first from the end of that road since the onslaught of four nests with the spiders can be damn hard to survive. When you get advanced weapons it's fun strategically taking out certain areas by going up skyscrapers to the rooftops to take nests out and then escape on the airbike the airbike can be used like this on a few other areas IMO the tank and the chopper are next to useless. Most missiles become useless from a distant since the homing where you aims shuts off after four seconds and they go willy nilly until you get the final one which can be awesome to use from atop a skyscraper at the rear to clear out buildings and then the spider nest at the far end before you get killed and use the airbike to escape.
Common Rule in about every level with multiple nests or UFO's Never challenge more than one at a time since you can and usually will triger all of them.
Surrounded Level on Inferno --Use Lysander Z if you have it and XEXR turret take out the ship at the far right which is the Spider and rotate left using sniper and as you exhaust your 8 shots move forward and drop a triangle of turrets to semi protect the EDF and yourself and then let sniper recharge and start roatation going left and as the turrets are running out starting running to your right via drop and roll since the ships the the right are gone nothing is dropping in that region let the turret refresh while doing this and the EDF follow you and protecting you until you can set one turret at a time and then start taking out one ship at a time until you have one left and fight them off and harvest armour rotating turret and the sniper rifle and you'll get pretty good with the sniper rifle on this level to the point you could keep battling that one ship since it seems it cannot drop more than 4-5 enemy at a time and they become easy to cleanup but once harvest is done take out the ship since there aren't enough drops to waste your time after this but this strategy works perfectly on the most difficult level where it can seem impossible just randomly shooting.
Level 40 is great for harvesting weapons setup up defenseive turrets and then fight with EDF in the ravine and they can survive even at Inferno with turrets and assault weapons as long as you don't place them behind EDF as they destroy your EDF. Great Weapons to harvest until you need the top weapons which I got on Level 51 and 52.
Level 43 can be a PITA. At Inferno Level if you have the Lysander Z Attack first black spider nest forward dropping a turret for defense in that zone and then retreat to the right side hills where there on no enemies and let the EDF fight the onslaught and as you get to the hillsides and start taking out the nests of the black and then red ants and drop turrets to protect you if EDF gets destroyed since the entire onslaught will be after you then as you retreat over the hills toward the beachside it gives you time to refresh turrets and then you can take out at least one of the Robots and the second if you have time but keep retreating to that beachside and use the entire beach as a defense area and if a robot has survived take him out as it's tough to survive them plus the spiders keep dropping and rolling right across beach until you reach the underground tunnel taking out spiders with turrets and your sniper rifle and work your way inside the tunnel where you can recharge all turrets and sniper rifle and walk to the other end to the ravine be careful here since the spiders can send webs through the bridge from an area you can't shoot and suck you dry of stamina pronto I drop as fast as I can and drop a turret layout triangle quickly and drop and roll in view of the nest and use the sniper rifle to take it out and once the nest is gone it's a matter of turrets and sniper work of what's left always dropping and rolling and watching the radar if you stand still and the web hits it can be tough to get away spiders have sneaky AI where they can position themselves in areas you may not be able to shoot and you can drain of stamina even after killing them.
Fight Level 51 Convergence retreating to the rear and dropping turrets defensively and attack one ship at a time and then fight off its drops with turrets and the robots that release also. Like Surprise Level -Don't rush into battle here. Patiently take out segments so as to not trigger multiple attacks or it's SOL time at Inferno difficulty.
Take out the Spider UFO first to the front Right it'll take them longer to reach where you are and provide more chance to survive. Strategically take out one set at a time and all their drops since if they release their cargo in multiples forget about it man on the hardest and Inferno level. The EDF will help defend but won't last long on this level. Before attacking any UFO double check ammo and make sure you are full on both accounts and the turrets are your defense items and about the only way to use two weapons at a time.
SURPRISE Level on Inferno Skill --OK when starting do not think in terms of shooting anyone for the first few minutes visually think of the map and your goal is to get to the diagonal opposite of where you are and boy it takes a long time to get their drop and roll to left as far as you can go and then take that street forward to it's very end and let the EDF fight these guys. That far diagonal end becomes you defense fight zone and it's importance on Inferno Level is the triggering that Monster Size Robot with Lasers it can be next to impossible to survive on Inferno once he's triggered yet when you start your battle from that end and he gets triggered he follows a pattern where he turns forward left and then walks to the diagonal other end where his lasers rarely touch and drain you and it gives you more time to refresh turrets since he's dropping enemies from further away also. If you get sucked into fighting with the EDF and stay to that right forward side you'll find yourself cussing up a storm on Inferno level. As you destroy that UFOs 2-3 drops of spiders and ships then you can take on the overhead ships from a distance with a sniper or rocket launcher and it becomes easy. On easier levels this can be done many ways but IMO this is the best solution on Inferno and Hardest to beat this. On easier levels one may be able to work a quicker way but on Inferno it's next to impossible to make your way going forward over the nests much like real combat often fighting while retreating and strategically is far smarter than trying to be John Wayne it's one of the ways to survive Inferno Levels as head on rarely works.
MARCH --Inferno Level Double XEXR Turrets strategically placed to defend the EDFs while you retreat and watch the radar and refresh turrets while three zones send spiders. There is an airbike that can used for quick retreat to refresh turrets if needed not much time to harvest here since everything is a spider.
WRATH --All Levels but especially Inferno/Hardest. Learn the onslaught types and if you can make it to the final wave try and make sure your far forward diagonal end and when that third wave released view straight down that street (east) and it's imperative that you have a rocket launcher and take these spiders out first from that long distance since they will hide behind other enemies your fighting and throw their webs and you may not be able to hit them and they drain you quick spiders first is a rule.
The AI is amazing on Inferno and can get you really ticked --the spiders will attach to things under you or even the kings will hide from your weapons. Spiders always go first in this game or else you will. The EDF forces are Starship Trooper Corny and Stupid though they come in handy as a sacrifice when needed. Once you master the game it then becomes a challenge using EDF and helping they survive and they can help you defeat somewhat impossible areas if used properly Inferno Level especially on the second part with their Laser rifles if your back with them If your to forward they cannot help much.
Final Level --Two Lysander Z's have worked for me each time but still not easy for sure at times it's impossible to even see the target but constant drop and roll away from the onslaught is about the only way and peeking at the opening and making sure you have ammo refreshed when it does stand still and your SOL.
These will be the superstar weapons that lead to 100% and the Genocide Weapon
ZEXR Launcher (Turrets enable dual weapons but one must drop and roll to time long reloads and avoid being killed)
ZEXR-GUN (MVP Weapon for many levels Use two sets for the "MARCH" level of Inferno)
Stingray MF Rocket Launcher
MEX Emerald is quite Fun until Inferno Levels
Lysander Z Sniper (Use two and rotate on level 53 Starship for quicker damage and have high stamina to get 100%) Perhaps the most difficult weapon to harvest I've gotten it on Inferno Level and Convergence Levels
AF99St AF100 Assault Weapons
Prominence M2 Missle Launcher
Stampede XM Grenade Launcher
All Levels gets you the Genocide weapon which is like carrying a hand held NUKE and often will kill you if you aren't aiming at a distance but damn it's amazing except for the fact it does nothing to the Nests or the UFO's for whatever reason. You'll find yourself using perhaps only 10% of the weapons as 90% of them are useless once you get to the hardest and Inferno level.
Enjoy!
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Recently purchased this game, and for a $20 B-rated game it is quite fun actually! Best played co-op for maximum damage on the enormous bugs and robots. Pretty addicting game, worth the buy.
Honest reviews on Earth Defense Force 2017 - Xbox 360
When I popped this game in my 360, I thought the characters looked goofy and it seemed like a basic first gen XBOX shooter. Then the perfectly short missions began to dazzle me with memories of ancient B grade horror movies, fantastic fight scenes and addictive gameplay. This is not only the least expensive 360 game out right now, it is the most fun. No question.
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Very fun game...spent 8hrs in a row with buddies on split-screen co-op...its been way too long since a game has compelled all the guys to get together for a fun night of gaming...EDF 2017 was that game to do it!!!
