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The EDF Needs You!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 26 / 27
Date: August 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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!

Begins well, turns great!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Damn fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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!!!

Sleeper? I think so!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: April 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was playing through the 2nd stage of this game thinking to myself, "Why did I buy this???" when all of a sudden I see this huge tower explode and competely crash to the ground. That right there was answer enough for me! I'm a huge sucker for games with fully destructible environments and this game delivers in spades in that area. The controls are silly easy and you can tell right away that this game was designed to be nothing more than non-stop action, run and gun, shoot 'em up fun!!! For only $30 this game is a must play! It's not what you'd expect from a 360 game, but it delivers where it counts. Fun factor is off the charts on this one folks! Happy gaming!!!

Seriously fun game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: March 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Very fun, very challenging, graphics are actually pretty good. High octane action game. FUN

Possibly the sleeper hit of the year....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

There are a few things to know about this title.

1. This game does NOT support X-Box Live.
2. There are 5 levels of difficulty (Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardest, and Inferno) The higher the difficulty, the better weapons you will receive.
3. This game supports up to two players, in split screen format (Story mode and Versus Battle mode.)
4. You have the ability to destroy buildings with the heavy weapons.
5. You fight with a squad, which you cannot command. They will follow you only when the Captain is killed.

This game has it's faults like any other game (which will hopefully be corrected in a followup, which will hopefully be ported to the states.)The game boast pretty decent graphics, but don't expect anywhere near the detail of games like GOW or Halo.Why this game is a winner is that it is an extremely easy game to learn, it has a high replay value, and quite frankly, the game is enormous fun.

With a retail price of $39.99, you really can't go wrong with this title.

53 Levels Of Shooter Bliss!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I Love this game ..whats not to like ? Giant acid spitting ants swarm at you in the hundreds. Giant Spiders, Giant Queen Ants, Huge Fire breathing godzilla type monsters, Huge two legged Robots ,alien ships, alien mother ship..All cannon fodder for you to riddle with bullets. Every thing from Assault Rifles, Rocket launchers, homing missle launcher, to sticky grenade launchers all with unlimited ammo ,trust me you'll need it. At first I was like ..ehh its kinda corny and the graphics arent stellar, and the voice acting is badly translated from original Japanese catch frases . BUT nevermind all that.... THIS Third Person Shooter Game IS SERIOUSLY Fun !! Huge city skyscapers collapse under fire all around you...watch that rocket launcher...heh..my bad...anyways ...I lost alot of sleep playing this game. I couldnt get enough. SO far Ive collected 153 weapons.(somebody said there were 150 total) But I found 153. Wait till you get the AR-100 you'll own ..Theres lots of kool unique weapons . Mostly the ballistic variety. But all very usefull. You get these weapons while playing by picking up green weapon crates. Really you just walk over them and they auto pick up.At first the very hard levels ..well..there just that...VERY HARD..but as soon as you get better weapons. The enemies are much easier to take down. The harder the level difficulty you play, the betters weapons you'll will aquire. (green crates pick em up)..So that first Assault rifle wont be worth squat in the harder difficulties. I really liked this game . If your a fan of shooters , get this game. I rented it first..now I wish I wouldve bought it...HINT -If you can make it to the 8th level(TSUSAGWA) and you have a decent missle launcher ..try to beat it on the very last difficulty so you can aquire some stronger weapons ..In the beginning there's a tank go stand just to the right of the tank and keep firing your homing missle launcher ..and the two legged robots will walk towrds you they wont be able to hit you .kill all excpet one..then turn around lure him as far away from all the dropped loot ..hurry back down pick up all the green weapon boxes ..watch out for the last robot hell be walking towards you stay on the beach behind the big mound..then take him out AFTER youve collected a couple green boxes. If you have a weak (homing) missle launcher it will take a long time to kill them initially but if you stand just to right of the tank you most likely wont get hit ..AND oh yeah I almost forgot I didnt find any of the vehicles very usefull in this game ,they were too slow and sluggish and the control wasnt sharp . I beat all 53 levels on hardest difficulty on foot . Good luck. PEACE.

It has Giant Enemy Spiders!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Earth Defense Force 2017 is actually the third in a series by the name of Chikyuu Boueigun. I'm guessing that EDF was labeled/numbered 2017 in the US to avoid any confusion, being that it's the first of the series to see the light of day stateside. With that being said, EDF is really one of it's kind. The game's practically a homage to bad sci-fi horror films from the 1960s. It contains all of the qualifications of a grade B sci-fi flick. Over the top storyline, bad acting (obviously deliberate), breathtaking monsters (Giant Enemy Spiders and Ants!) and cliched heroes.

Why is EDF such a good game you ask? The game is just so darn fun. EDF 2017 spands over fifty stages and with these stages lies nonstop shooting action. There will rarely be a moment when you find yourself scurring to find an enemy. You aren't bound to the limitations as you would be in other third-person shooters, because in EDF, you can start a mission with any two weapons in your weapon inventory of your choosing. Weapons you discover in later stages and difficulty settings are kept in your inventory forever for any stage you so desire. You're practically able to play the game any way you'd wish. You can also choose to use vehicles (during stages) as well. Granted that the mission has any looming around.

There's a good variety of enemeies and EDF doesn't hesistate to overwhelm you with them. Most instances, you and your allies will be surrounded by monsters from all angles. Truth be told, there is some occasional slowdown, noticably with excess enemies on screen at once.

To make a long story short, EDF is just an all around fun (and hilarious) game. It's the perfect game to play after a long evening to burn off steam and doesn't require a big learning curve. So you can have a friend tag along and be playing alongside you in no time. It's a just a shame that EDF didn't ship with any form of online multiplayer component (could have been magnificent). However, the funfactor here is just too grand to pass up. If you're looking for a pleasuring non-highprofile title that doesn't try to take itself too seriously, then EDF is where you'll want to be. It's a game in which everyone can play and enjoy and sells at a low retail price (that practically everyone can afford). A refreshing breath of fresh air.

Great Game not fancy

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a fun game. Not super pretty but fun. I was in the midst of Rainbow Six:Vegas when I received EDF 2017. I popped it in the drive to give it a look see and I was hooked. Vegas took a back seat until I forced myself to get back in the game before I forgot the button setup.

If you liked the Serious Sam series, especially the first two, you'll probably like this. It's a third person view but you barely have time to notice. Fun to play with a buddy too. You can replay a level at a higher difficulty level and possibly earn better weapons. Regarding the weapons, you're only allowed to carry two at a time but there is a boatload to choose from so choose carefully. Many times I have replayed a level with a different load out just to experiment.

In a nutshell: Lots of fun, swarms of monsters, all big, some huge. Good weapons. Fun to play with a buddy in co-op mode. Easy to play a casual game. Not up to the 1st tier games with their refined graphics but just plain fun.

Budget games make me Happy!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Some of the best games are the budget games (Katamari Damacy(ps2) + Raze's Hell(xbox1) are two of my favorites) This game was no different- I bought it as a just-because gift for my boyfriend and it was probably the best game either of us have purchased this summer (not that there was much competition as of now (8/11).) The gameplay and graphics are old stylisticly and there are very few buttons to learn. The enemies bleed way too much and shoot waaay too much goop- so much that sometimes you can't see past your character. The worst thing about the game is probably the video scenes in the middle of missions, where you can't look anywhere but up at the space ships dropping off the giant killer ants.
The lil guys that follow you around are hilarious with horrible voice acting, but they're so funny and cheerleader-y you can't help but love them. The constant unlocking of weapons kept us running for the little "weapon" boxes on every level- When you put the difficulty up really high the game becomes impossible unless you've worked your way there through the lower difficulties. This is definitely a game you can pop in whenever you're in the mood for something silly, shallow, and just for fun. (Also, the tortoise is the best missile/rocket ever.)

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