''Earth Defense Force'', known in Japan as , is a science fiction third-person shooter video game series by D3 Publisher, originating as an offshoot of the '' Simple'' series. As of 2024, it consists of eleven entries and six main installments, developed and published by various studios and publishers since 2003, primarily Sandlot. The series follows the titular Earth Defense Force (EDF), an international armed force that fights to defend Earth from alien invasions by extraterrestrials that field massive insectoids in their war against humanity. Individual ''Earth Defense Force'' releases generally receive mixed or average reviews, but the series has been lauded for its simplistic but entertaining premise and

campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aes ...

tone, and it maintains a strong

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

Premise

''Earth Defense Force'' has roughly five separate continuities as of 2024. However, in general, all entries in the series share a similar basic premise, following the Earth Defense Force (EDF), a specialized multinational

defense force The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories. Defence forces *Ambaz ...

established and supported by every country and staffed by the world's militaries, tasked with defending Earth and humanity from external threats. The vast majority of ''Earth Defense Force'' installments are set after the discovery of the Ravagers, an intelligent and organized

alien race Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...

, with the formation of the EDF sometimes explained as being a precautionary measure. The Ravagers prove to be hostile and attempt to invade Earth, deploying massive insectoids such as ants, ticks, pillbugs, beetles, hornets, and spiders to destroy Earth and exterminate humanity; this prompts the full-scale deployment of the EDF to fight back and repel the alien invasion. The series installments are mostly set during the 2017 invasion, during later invasions in 2019 and 2025, or, in different continuities such as the one introduced in ''Earth Defense Force 5'', 2022 and 2026. Several conflicts also feature alien races and enemy types distinct from the Ravagers and the insects, including the bipedal frog-like Colonists (their "resemblance" to humans based on generic characteristics such as having two eyes is a running gag), the advanced grey alien-inspired Cosmonauts, the reality-bending but

genocidal Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...

Primers, assorted robots and probes fielded by the aliens, and various

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

. The EDF largely consists of infantry units and

armored fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, ...

s, and the series entries typically depict the player as a member of either regular infantry or elite

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. The game's playable characters are represented by different character classes ("armors") that vary depending on the game, but across most entries the basic armors are the "Infantry"/"Trooper"/"Ranger", a standard all-rounded soldier wielding standard service weaponry and

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

; the "Pale Wing"/"Wing Diver"/"Jet Lifter", a female special forces

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

with a light but vulnerable

jet-powered Jet propulsion is the propulsion of an object in one direction, produced by ejecting a jet of fluid in the opposite direction. By Newton's third law, the moving body is propelled in the opposite direction to the jet. Reaction engines operating o ...

winged suit; the "Fencer", a support soldier in a heavy but slow exoskeleton wielding heavy guns, powerful swords, and usually also a ballistic shield; and the "Air Raider", a

logistical Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

technician reliant on controlling

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

drones Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

, and requisitioning usable combat vehicles such as tanks,

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...

s, helicopters, hoverbikes, and mecha.

Games

Main series

''Monster Attack'' (2003)

''Simple 2000 Series Vol. 31: The Chikyū Bōeigun'', released in Europe by Agetec as ''Monster Attack'', is the first main installment and the first game in the series overall, developed by Sandlot as part of D3 Publisher's '' Simple'' series for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

. Set in 2017, it follows an informally-organized EDF that deploys after the world's militaries are devastated by the alien invasion, to fight a pitched battle with the invaders in Tokyo.

''Global Defence Force'' (2005)

''Chikyū Bōeigun 2'', released in Europe as ''Global Defence Force'', is the second main installment, developed by Sandlot for the

. Later rereleases for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

in 2011 and the

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...

in 2014 and 2015 retitled it as ''Earth Defense Forces 2''. Set after ''Monster Attack'' in 2019, it follows the now-official EDF as they fight against another attack by massive insects, which culminates in a second alien invasion.

''Earth Defense Force 2017'' (2006)

''Chikyū Bōeigun 3'', released overseas as ''Earth Defense Force 2017'' and alternatively known as ''Earth Defense Forces 3'', is the third main installment, developed by Sandlot for the Xbox 360 and

. A rerelease of the game for the

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

was released in Japan in 2021. It was the first game in the series to be released in North America and for a non-

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

console, and includes local and online co-operative play. It essentially retells the events of the 2017 invasion depicted in ''Monster Attack'', from the perspective of Storm-1, an elite Japanese EDF unit that spearheads the fight against the aliens.

''Earth Defense Force 2025'' (2013)

''Chikyū Bōeigun 4'', released overseas as ''Earth Defense Force 2025'', is the fourth main installment, developed by Sandlot for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It features four player online co-operative play. An updated port featuring cross-region multiplayer, ''Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair'', was released for the

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

and

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

in 2015, and a

port was released in 2022. It is a direct sequel to ''Earth Defense Force 2017'' and follows the EDF's elite Storm Team during another war against a larger alien invasion in 2025.

''Earth Defense Force 5'' (2017)

''Chikyū Bōeigun 5'', released overseas as ''Earth Defense Force 5'', is the fifth main installment, developed by Sandlot for the

and

. It was announced at TGS 2016, released in Japan in 2017, and released in North America and Europe in 2018. It is a reboot of the series and follows the EDF, a private military company in this continuity, as they fight to repel a massive alien invasion in 2022.

''Earth Defense Force 6'' (2022)

''Chikyū Bōeigun 6'', released overseas as ''Earth Defense Force 6'', is the sixth main installment developed by Sandlot for the

PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...

, and Windows. It was released in Japan in 2022, and was released in North America and Europe in spring 2024. It currently has the most missions of any entry in the series, with almost 150 missions not counting expansion content. Set three years after ''Earth Defense Force 5'', when the Primers return to a battered Earth and render the planet nearly uninhabitable and humanity almost extinct, the game follows the EDF's remnants as they use a Primer

time portal Time portals are doorways in time, employed in various fiction genres, especially science fiction and fantasy, to Time travel, transport characters to the past or future. They differ from Time travel, time machines in being a permanent or semi-p ...

to time travel back to the events of ''Earth Defense Force 5'' to prevent humanity's defeat, but interference from the Primers causes a time loop as both vie to change the course of history.

Spin-offs

''Global Defence Force Tactics'' (2006)

''Chikyū Bōeigun: Tactics'', released in Europe as ''Global Defence Force Tactics'', is a turn-based strategy game developed by thinkArts for the

. It is set after the events of ''Global Defence Force'' and is essentially a continuation of its plot from a command perspective instead of the on-the-ground perspective of the main installments.

''Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon'' (2011)

''Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon'' is a spin-off developed by

Vicious Cycle Software Vicious Cycle Software was an American video game developer, video game development company based in Morrisville, North Carolina. History Vicious Cycle was founded in 2000 by Eric Peterson, Dave Ellis (game designer), Dave Ellis, Marc Racine an ...

for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and

. It was the first game in the series to be developed outside Japan and also the first to feature online co-op. It is essentially an "Americanized" rendition of the ''Earth Defense Force'' series, and follows American EDF forces as they defend the United States from aliens and insects, presented as a non-canon "side story" to ''Earth Defense Force 2017''.

''Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain'' (2019)

''Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain'' is a spin-off developed by Yuke's for the

and

. Announced at TGS 2017, it is a non-canon spin-off story intended for Western audiences (similar to ''Insect Armageddon'') with little relation to Sandlot's entries and an overall presentation intended to be "more serious than the series’ traditional campy tone." Set in an alternate 2040 following years of conflict since the first alien invasion in 2028, the game follows the now-downtrodden EDF's Blast Team as they attempt to fight back against a world largely claimed by the aliens and insects, while also clashing with the Kindred Rebellion, a rebel army composed of disillusioned EDF soldiers.

''Earth Defense Force: World Brothers'' (2020)

''Earth Defense Force: World Brothers'' is a voxel graphics spin-off developed by Yuke's for the

, and

. It was released in Japan in 2020 in Japan and in North America and Europe in 2021. It features character-switching gameplay unique for the series, allowing the player to control a squad of four characters. ''World Brothers'' features a more light-hearted plot and tone than the rest of the series, and is intended as an homage to the series as a whole, featuring characters and references from previous entries. The plot revolves around the EDF's fight against aliens who manage to physically shatter Earth into multiple pieces, cutting off the EDF's divisions and preventing aid and resupplies. Unbeknownst to them, the aliens are under mind control by the Dark Tyrant, an evil entity seeking to destroy Earth; in a twist on the series' usual premise, the EDF tries to free the aliens and insects to team up with them against the Dark Tyrant.

''Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2'' (2024)

''Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2'' is a voxel graphics spin-off developed by Yuke's for the

, and

. It is slated to release in late 2024. The game features a similar plot to the original ''World Brothers'', with the EDF investigating another shattering of Earth, this time caused by the Gaiark, an entity within the planet itself.

Reception

Despite generally mixed reviews, the ''Earth Defense Force'' series, particularly from ''Earth Defense Force 2017'' and onwards, has been described as having a cult following. Joe Juba of '' Game Informer'' defined ''Earth Defense Force 2017'' as a cult classic, stating that "the developers at Sandlot clearly want to tell a story about humanity's struggle against giant invading ants and robots, and the passion for that story shines through despite its technical shortcomings"; in reviewing ''Earth Defense Force 5'' five years later, he similarly opined that the series has "always had a single-minded commitment to one simple truth: It's fun to use weird weapons to blast lots of aliens." Though

James Stephanie Sterling James Stephanie Sterling, also known as Jim Sterling, is an English-American freelance video game journalist, critic, pundit, YouTuber, and professional wrestler. Before becoming independent in September 2014, they were the review editor for ...

gave ''Earth Defense Force 2025'' a negative review, she did acknowledge that the series "has managed to earn itself a fierce cult following through audacity alone".

Notes

References

External links

* {{Sandlot Video games about alien invasions Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises Military science fiction video games Sandlot games Third-person shooters Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2003 Video games about insects