EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 is a third-person shooter where you play as a soldier as the last bastion of defense for humanity. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Review Overview
What is EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6?
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 is a third-person action shooter where you are a soldier of humanity’s last line of defense, the Earth Defense Force (EDF). With different playable classes each having their own exclusive loadout and their own way to effectively play the game, you must defend Earth by using whatever’s available for the safety of all humanity.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 features:
⚫︎ Long offline campaign with more than 100 missions available
⚫︎ 2-Player offline split screen
⚫︎ Online multiplayer
⚫︎ Variety of playable classes, usable vehicles, weapons, and much more!
⚫︎ Continuation of EDF5’s story, set years after the fifth installment
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6's gameplay and story.
 EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 |
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 Steam |
 Epic |
 PlayStation |
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EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Stupid, Chaotic, Fun Long Campaign Variety of Classes |
Dated Graphics Recycled Missions Voice Acting is Mostly a Miss |
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Overall - 74/100
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 is a reminder of how shooters used to be moneymakers as an arcade game. It’s unapologetically more EDF, serving as a sequel to both improve on its previous release and continue its story. There’s nothing quite like EDF in terms of enjoyable gameplay, but it should be noted that the game recycled quite a lot from the previous release and is actually a re-release of its Japan-exclusive release back in 2022. With its engaging gameplay, wacky graphics, and lengthy campaign that allows for multiplayer, it’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and one that lets the enjoyment speak for itself.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Story - 7/10
EDF6 is a direct sequel to the previous game’s story. While, in summary, it’s more of the same where humanity defends itself after suffering heavy losses, this time things will be different. It’s a lengthy campaign, and one that you may not pay attention to as much as the story plays more like a B-movie plot than a mainstream action one. It’s not the main highlight of the game, but you will be playing through the campaign a lot to grind out those upgrades and new weapons.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Gameplay - 10/10
The gameplay is simple; shoot anything that isn’t human and save humanity from the brink of extinction. With four different classes to choose from, multiple weapons and vehicles to use, and even multiplayer options to support four players online or in a split-screen co-op, EDF6 sports the largest collection of missions, weapons, and offerings to date. Improving the familiar gameplay for maximum enjoyment and giving that classic EDF enjoyment that only it can give.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Visuals - 7/10
Since the game supports older generation consoles like PS4 and Xbox One, the graphics are pretty dated. There’s not much else to say other than that the game definitely does not look like a modern day release, and with good reason, since the game is a re-release of the original Japanese version that was released back in 2022. One could argue that the game’s visuals are unique and wacky and are intentional to lighten the game’s pretty gruesome imagery.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Audio -7/10
The game’s audio design is also pretty dated, and the voice acting gets the biggest hit among everything else. Without sugarcoating it, the game’s voice acting isn’t quite up to par with what you expect for a $60 game. It’s choppy, inconsistent, and sometimes even quite funny when you hear it in action. With a lengthy campaign, you’ll be hearing the character voices quite a lot, and while we found it quite comedic, not everyone may find it this way.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Value for Money - 6/10
For a $60 game, EDF6 offers a ton of content, a lot of variety in how you play the game with its unique class system and weaponry, and more. Players might not like the game’s aesthetic and audio design, as it does feel like the game has already aged before releasing, but the gameplay speaks for itself. It’s a testament to the franchise for standing so long to create six releases despite looking and sounding archaic.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Review: Defending Earth, One Chaotic Mission at a Time
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE has been a franchise that has stood the test of time, often regarded as a cult-classic arcade shooter that’s well known for its gameplay and wacky alien and monster design. The series’ sixth iteration was finally released in the West after two years, and unsurprisingly, it’s really more of the same as its’ predecessor, as it was touted as one of the best games of the series. With several QoL improvements made to the gameplay and some of its classes, EDF6 promises the same chaotic shooting gameplay and more of its wacky story and enemies.
This is a minor spoiler warning regarding the game’s story, and it might be wise to skip this section if you’re invested in the game’s story.
The story picks up three years after the events of the previous game, where humanity won by the skin of its teeth, with only 10% of the population getting through the war. Without spoiling much of the game’s story, the game will revisit the previous war and have several timelines wherein the characters will keep replaying the war to lessen the casualties made in each run. It could be said that longtime fans are more invested in the story, as it might not interest newer players to play through the older games in the franchise.
The visuals and audio design of the game aren’t the main highlights, as it could be said that it may even be intentional that the game looks dated and wacky to lighten the mood of the game’s already heavy themes. Aesthetic-wise, the game looks like it came from older anime series focusing on apocalyptic designs following the aftermath of years of heavy fighting. Seeing the different designs of both the settings, characters, monsters, and more makes it obvious that the graphics were definitely not one of the main points that they wanted to showcase.
As for the audio design, the voice acting is the lowlight that’ll be obvious throughout your playthrough, especially since you’ll be hearing quite a bit of dialogue during the campaign. If you frame it differently, you can make the comparison between Helldivers and Starship Troopers, where the themes of war are muddled by the exaggerated performances done by the voice actors. It’s not an uncommon juxtaposition made in different films and media, but EDF does quite a good job at making its identity subtly different from the rest.
EDF’s main highlight that has gotten it through six different iterations has always been the chaotic and arcade-y gameplay. For newer players, it plays similar to something like Helldivers and Monster Hunter combined, where it’s a mission-based structure and you will be mobbed by different monsters and aliens. It’s a different kind of polish that you would expect and look for as opposed to something more modern like Helldivers, as the game doesn’t change too much from its previous releases, where they kept the similar third-person shooter gameplay with changes to balancing and other QoL improvements as well.
The main aspect of the gameplay that attracts players are the different classes that are available to them as soon as you play the game. You can pick between four distinct classes, each with their own unique ways to play the game. These classes also differ in difficulty, as each class may have a different control scheme, like the Fencer having a different movement scheme as opposed to the basic Ranger. Each is outfitted with their own unique weapons as well, which adds to the variety of the game, as you will be expected to upgrade and switch classes as you see fit.
Overall, EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 is an amazing third-person arcade shooter that lets the gameplay carry the game’s identity. If you’re not particular about a game’s graphics and audio design to the game’s overall enjoyment, then EDF6 may be worth a shot, as the game easily has more than 30 hours of content to go through just by playing the campaign alone, and adding the fact that you can play with friends on higher difficulty levels may make the purchase worth it just for that aspect.
Pros of EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6
| Things EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Got Right |
|---|
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Stupid, Chaotic, Fun Long Campaign Variety of Classes |
Stupid, Chaotic, Fun
EDF has always been known for its chaotic shooter gameplay, and with its sixth iteration, it’s more of the same, but with a few tweaks to improve QoL. For example, some classes like the Ranger and Wing Diver have specific “backpack” equipment slots for throwable items. Most mission objectives are similar, with you going up against almost impossible hordes of monsters and aliens and having to eliminate them with weapons of your choice. It’s chaotic, stupid, but most of all, fun. Not everything needs a compelling story, sometimes all you need is a target and a whole lot of ammunition.
Long Campaign
With EDF6 having more than 140 missions, it actually eclipses its previous iteration by about 50% more. It’s a lengthy campaign with lots of alien hunting and monster exterminating, and could easily last you up to more than 40 hours of content just by doing the campaign alone. The best part about this is that you can play multiplayer as well, and you could have up to four people in one lobby just playing through the game’s campaign.
Variety of Classes
It’s no secret that EDF has different classes with vastly different playstyles. The Ranger is more of a basic soldier type, where you could equip various weapons like launchers, shotguns, and more. The Wing Diver has a jet pack, allowing you to fly distances as well as the use of energy weapons that are exclusive to them. The Air Raider makes use of drones and the ability to call in air support when needed. Lastly, the Fencer are armored soldiers with an exoskeleton that allows them to use heavy weaponry.
Each class has their own unique twist to them, ranging from the basic Ranger to the specialized Fencer that has its own control scheme when it comes to moving and shooting. The variety of classes also allows you to pick the more advantageous class in specific missions, as some missions will need heavier firepower than others, while some might need stronger air presence as opposed to running on the ground.
Cons of EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6
| Things That EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Can Improve |
|---|
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Dated Graphics Recycled Missions Voice Acting is Mostly a Miss |
Dated Graphics
The franchise has never been known to have amazing graphics, and to add to that, the game was actually released back in 2022 as a Japan exclusive. The visuals are very dated, but the game isn’t really made to look great, but to play great instead. If the graphics bother you, then this might be a deal breaker for some, as the game really doesn’t look visually appealing.
Recycled Missions
This is a minor spoiler warning regarding the game’s story, and it might be wise to skip this section if you’re invested in the game’s story.
While EDF6 has more than 140 main missions, some of these are actually recycled from the previous game due to the time travel portion where you actually revisit the war that just ended. The game actually recycled some of EDF5’s main missions since you’ll be time travelling back to the war and changing the outcome from then on. This may be more of a problem for longtime fans who’ve wanted something new and different from its previous iteration, as this may be a disappointment that you’re just playing through EDF5 again.
Voice Acting is Mostly a Miss
EDF6’s voice acting is very inconsistent and choppy. It’s not meant to be the highlight of the game itself, as it’s really there for more comedic effect. This is especially true when hearing the game’s various emotes and voice lines that you can use as a player. While the story isn’t as much of a highlight as more of a blooper, it may be grating to hear the game’s voice acting chops for a good 30-50 hours, especially when it isn’t really up to par with some of the more cinematic games with the same price.
Is EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Worth It?
Wait for a Sale, Then Defend Humanity Again
For $60, the game is a pretty steep investment, especially if you’re not very invested in the series. It’s a game for the series’ longtime fans, and while the gameplay is superb, everything else might be a deal breaker for newer players. The amount of content is justified for the price that the game is currently being sold at, but if having good graphics, a compelling story, and great voice acting is important to you, then you might want to skip this game. If, however, you’re interested in a chaotic shooter and gear progression by completing higher difficulties, then this is the game for you.
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| Steam |
Epic |
PlayStation |
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| $59.99 | |||||
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 FAQ
Is EDF 6 a re-release?
Yes. This current release of EDF is a re-release of the game’s original Japan-only release back in 2022. Now with localized subtitles and voice acting, it also includes several voice packs and subtitles.
How long does it take to finish EDF 6?
Based on experience, the game will easily take you 40-50 hours for the main story alone. If you plan on getting the DLC, you will be adding 10-20 hours depending on skill since the DLC will be more difficult than the main campaign.
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EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Product Information
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| Title | EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | July 25, 2024 |
| Developer | SANDLOT |
| Publisher | D3PUBLISHER |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam, Epic Game Store), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 |
| Genre | Action, Shooter |
| Number of Players | Offline Local Co-op(1-2), Online (1-4) |
| Rating | ESRB M 17+ |
| Official Website | EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 Official Website |
