Earth Defense Force 5 Vs Earth Defense Force 6

What do you do when Alien forces finally invade Earth, and they don't come in peace as expected? Well, you call the Earth Defense Force, virtually, of course. Earth Defense Force is an arcade shooter franchise brought to life by D3 Publisher. The series' success lies in its gameplay, where you'll face various enemies, from magnified creepy crawlies to dragons and drones. And it doesn't stop there. Since its debut, the games have grown to greater visual spectacle heights with their B-movie aesthetics.

The studio recently announced the release of a new entry into the series, Earth Defense Force 6. Of course, we assume it'll stick to tradition with the gameplay, but can it match up to Earth Defense 5? Let's find out below in Earth Defense Force 5 vs Earth Defense Force 6.

What is Earth Defense Force 5?

Earth Defense Force 5 picks things up from Earth Defense Force 4.1 as the fifth main installment in the series. To get a visual idea of the game, picture your childhood. Now, if you were the type of kid who liked playing with figurines and going to an imaginary war, imagine lining up your figurines against the insects and other hoodlums in your backyard. But instead of their minuscule size, it's a rendition of Honey I Shrunk the Kids, where the insects are 100 times your size.

Earth Defense Force 5, like the others before, gives you an armageddon experience where you and your mates set off on a bug hunt. Dont expect a storyline but plenty of action. However, the game gives you a backstory. You start as a civilian and stumble into an EDF outpost attacked by giant bugs. This is the motivation you need to join EDF and start blasting the oversized monstrosities into oblivion.

What is Earth Defense Force 6?

Earth Defense Force 6 continues the narrative, but this time in a future where mankind has won the war against the bugs. But three years later, the annoying arachnopods return triumphantly and continue their reign of terror. So, who do you call? EDF! EDF! EDF!

In the sixth mainline entry, you step into the boots of a brave EDF soldier unleashing hell on Earth against the monstrosities. The game is out in Japan on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. And some good news to gamers worldwide: your wait is almost over. The sequel will land on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC in Spring 2024.

The game's description on its Steam page reads, “The year is 2024 AD. Mankind has won the long battle against the unknown invaders. The enemy Primers are now gone, and peace has returned to Mother Earth. However, the population has shrunk to 10%, and the world is on the verge of collapse. The survivors fought against the remaining threats while trying their best to continue their recovery. Three years passed in the year 2027. In a new world without hope, the time has come to once again resist the fate of the Earth.

Steam further narrates the central story of the game. In this sequel, players will finally have a revelation of the invader's identity. Nevertheless, the invader continues to torment and cause havoc on Earth. Taking the role of an EDF soldier, your task is to lead humanity into finding happiness. For the success of your quest, you'll need to enter the battleground dressed in courage and wisdom.

Gameplay

Ideally, the gameplay for all titles in the series is the same. In Earth Defense Force 5, you start by settling on one of the four classes and picking a loadout. Each class features a distinct playstyle, and the loadouts are customizable. Unfortunately, you have to make this choice before each of the 110 missions in the game.

Moreover, the objective is simple: kill anything extraterrestrial. But it can be overwhelming when battling creatures ten times your size. Plus, you can easily run into trouble if you fail to pick the right gear for each mission. For instance, you may encounter a skyship, and without a proper weapon to blow it up, you stand disadvantaged. However, the game provides plenty of resources on its map, which you can experiment with. To acquire these, you must drop the baddies who drop armor, health, and weapon pickups.

Comparatively, Earth Defense Force 6 retains the four classes. The developer, however, explicitly stated that this is the largest game in the history of the series. The game will feature more weapons and missions than ever before. Plus, you can now tag-team with your friend who is miles away since the game will support online and offline co-op play.

Moreover, the game will feature new enemies, including Giant Androids, Kruul Capsules, which are octopus-like-aliens, and many more. So far, this is all we could get on the western release. But if the Japan version is anything to go by, we could expect a DLC drop with new weapons and missions.

Verdict

So there you have it. If you are an EDF fan, you know the Earth Defense Force games have progressively improved. Although games in the series are not precisely AAA material, they are an absolute blast. Earth Defense Force 5 is a solid shooter game, coupled with a few rough edges, but it's nothing to ruin your experience.

In contrast, Earth Defense Force 6 promises more depth with added missions and weapons. It is safe to assume that the game will improve on its predecessor's shortfalls, so we could be in for a wholesome shooter experience. However, if you can't wait for the Western release, don't let localization hold you back. You can still play the game in Japanese and probably learn a new language while at it.

While the developers released Earth Defense Force 6's launch for Spring of 2024, we are still awaiting their announcement of its exact official launch dates. In the meantime, check back with us for extensive reviews and updates on the game as it unravels.

So, what's your take? Have you picked a favorite yet? Will you pick up a copy of Earth Defense Force 6 when it drops? Let us know your thoughts on our socials here.