Buy Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair

Earth Defense Force 2017 hit North America in the first year of the Xbox 360's lifespan. For a game that was released on what was new hardware at the time, it looked rather ancient, but  it found a cult following because of its split-screen cooperative play and the Dynasty Warriors-style approach to eliminating alien bugs and robots. Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon was the first time that PlayStation 3 owners in North America saw what the fuss was all about, but the original developers weren't at the helm.

It wasn't until the multi-platform release of Earth Defense Force 2025 that players on both platforms saw the original development team's vision. Unfortunately, the game sported some pretty bad frame rates and even suffered from a lock-up or two. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is a change to the original Japanese numbering system and is a remastered version of 2025, so performance issues won't mar the game experience.

Story is never a big part of these games, but the one in EDF 4.1 does just enough to set the mood. Seven years have passed since the Ravagers, a group of aliens comprised of robots and giant bugs, invaded Earth and were defeated by a group known as the Earth Defense Force. Since then, the planet has been at peace — but new reports of giant insects have cropped up. In addition, another alien invasion is underway, so the EDF mobilizes again to exterminate the threat.

Although the story is meant to be flimsy, you can't help but feel that much of the dialogue crosses the line from camp to stupidity. There's a professor who seems more interested in naming the new aliens than telling you anything useful. He also tends to be overly dramatic when new information hits. It isn't until you're more than a few missions into the game that you find the press heard about the invasion and is upset the military wasn't more forthcoming. Given the chaos, it seems pretty dumb that any press outlet would ignore large insects crawling up buildings and chewing humans. Again, this is simply one part of the game where you're better served by ignoring the story altogether.

The gameplay loop is pretty straightforward. Throughout the 89 levels, you and the rest of the EDF squad are sent all over the country to wipe out the Ravagers. On one hand, this means that there aren't any escort missions or quests to protect structures. On the other hand, if you are playing for long stretches, the game can feel monotonous since you're simply wiping out countless alien hordes.

While that sounds bad, the game does tons of things to keep it interesting, even if the environments blend into one another after a while. For starters, the enemies vary wildly in type and size. You may start by fighting ants — some spit acid while others grab and shake you violently — but you'll soon fight giant spiders, wasps and dragons. Enemies aren't just organic, as you'll soon tangle with small scout ships, large troop transports, shielded tanks, and giant mechs. The introduction of these foes is well paced but overwhelming in a positive way, resulting in encounters that feel fresh once the player starts to get comfortable.

EDF 4.1 throws classes into the mix, which were first introduced via the western-developed Insect Armageddon. You can play as one of four classes that can be changed between levels. The Ranger class is a simple foot soldier. Wing Divers have lower overall health, but they can fly at great heights and distances. They also have energy weapons that tap into the jetpack reserve energy. Fencers are the heavy class, capable of carrying an immense amount of firepower at all times. Unfortunately, that also makes them the slowest of all class types. The final class is the Air Raider, a support class that can carry up to three weapons meant for long-range combat. His real strength is his support role, since he can call in airstrikes and vehicles. The only drawback is that the vehicles are meant for only his class and the Ranger class, and there are lengthy cooldown times for airstrikes.

If you were to name one aspect that keeps people coming back, it would be the loot drops. For the most part, fallen foes either drop health packs to refill a player's health or armor packs to boost their health at the beginning of the next level. Weapon drops are more coveted since you have no idea which gun you'll get until you complete the current level. Anything from sniper rifles to missile launchers and inflatable chibi decoys can be had, and each class has access to over 175 unique guns. Furthermore, specific guns are only available at certain difficulty levels, so there is a reason to repeat stages.

Altogether, the experience is rather solid, especially when you come to grips with some of the quirks. Buildings may not break apart piece by piece, but you can take down any of them with a good deal of rocket shots. Weapons can take down anything, so going after flying alien drones with a machine gun is completely plausible. The physics system seems to heavily favor ragdoll, since you can fling corpses a good distance with your ordnance. Although you have to reload your weapons, only a few weapons have limited ammo, so conservation is low on the list of priorities. It's fun to treat this like an older game and handle things all on your own, but it feels better with AI soldiers that you can recruit since they have better reactions times and feel like they're contributing to the fight.

Even though the solo game is fun with decent AI companions to help the player, most players will flock to the multiplayer. The experience hasn't changed much from the original title, which is good since that handled multiplayer rather well. Two-player split-screen is available for those who want to play offline with a friend, and online play is possible for up to four players, either with both consoles having split-screen, four consoles supporting one player each, or some combination of both setups. Gameplay is smooth either way, and a well-rounded team can make quick work of any challenges. Co-op play is the way to play the title, as it is more fun when everyone bands together against the seemingly endless horde. The game does have a versus mode, but it is plain and many may forget it exists in the first place.

Players who have played through EDF 2025 before will notice that the level count is higher than normal. That's because there are four new stages in EDF 4.1 dedicated to a new monster in the form of a giant kaiju. Unlike the other monsters in the game, you get a chance to fight it with a giant mech of your own. The new stages aren't grouped together at the end of the game or in their own section; instead, the four encounters are spread out through the main campaign, making them feel like they were originally supposed to be part of the game. That can prove to be annoying for those who have already gone through 2025 and just want to see the new fights, but it means that new players will get a fluid experience.

In addition to the few new levels, there are a number of small, noticeable changes. Underground levels, for example, are now pitch-black with helmet light, and the occasional rocket explosion is the only thing that illuminates the area. It seems like a small change on paper, but it makes a huge difference in-game, as the atmosphere is tenser due to you not knowing where enemies could be lurking. You have a new vehicle in your possession in the form of a spider tank, which can climb walls. The new hardware also provides the game with an opportunity to put more enemies and allies on-screen, so even the opening battles feel more epic.

Interestingly, though the game is a tweaked version of the original PS3/Xbox 360 release, it isn't exactly a director's cut or ultimate definitive edition like the other HD re-releases. While a few new weapons and levels are now built into the game or part of DLC, the original three level packs that were available for the previous console generation are missing. For those who haven't played them before, they are new levels with enemies that have basically been re-colored but with updated stats. The loss is pretty significant, since those three packs offered 45 stages, a little more than half of what's available in this version. There's no word about if that's coming as DLC, but that omission is pretty disappointing.

The big question about the PS4 release is whether the new hardware results in a better graphical experience, and the answer is both yes and no. The good news is that the frame rate is higher most of the time, and the crashing that plagued the game on previous platforms is pretty much gone. The bad news is that the frame rate remains uneven, and while the title doesn't turn into a slideshow like before, it isn't the near-perfect experience that everyone was hoping for. Elsewhere, the textures have been cleaned up due to increased resolution, but they still look plain due to the simple geometry of the structures and characters. Particle effects also look rather lo-fi, making the game look more like a very late-era PS2 title than a PS3 title, let alone a PS4 one. Then again, aside from the frame rate, that's one of the series' charms, so fans won't bat an eye at the fact that the game isn't a poster child for the current console crop.

For all of the things that have changed, the bare minimum has been done to the audio. The only new things you hear are lines of dialogue generated specifically for the dark areas, the new vehicles and the new kaiju enemy. You'll also know that the lines are new since they are louder and much crisper than the rest of the dialogue. The original lines are still excellent if you don't mind their silly nature, and while having AI allies means you'll constantly hear their banter, they're still the source of some unintentional humor. Everything else is as expected, with loads of gunfire and explosions sounding solid and a soundtrack that feels adventurous and a little generic. You may not remember it once the game ends, but it sets the mood perfectly.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair isn't a game for those who want to be dazzled by graphics. It may be impressive in terms of how many enemies can be on-screen in relation to their size, but issues like screen tearing and unstable frame rate don't exactly make it showcase material. It also isn't a game for those who want a deep narrative, as the simple setup is undermined by dialogue that makes you scratch your head. It is, however, a game built on mindless fun, and it delivers that in spades, even if some may say it feels like a slog at times. There isn't much here for Earth Defense Force 2025 players, especially since it doesn't include the three previously released DLC packs, but new players will fall in love with this title almost immediately.

Score: 8.0/10