The Collection - EDF: Insect Armageddon
Published by D3, developed by Vicious Cycle. Available on the Xbox 360.
When the Japanese developers of Earth Defense Force, Sandlot, announced that they would handing the series over to Western game company Vicious Cycle, we fans of the series let out a collective *gasp* and began to fret.
Americans won't get the B-grade movie humor! It'll be full of dull one-liners from macho soldiers spewing testosterone from their very pores! It won't be set in Japan!! NOOOO!
(Well, to be fair, that's what I said. I'm not sure about anyone else.)
So here it is, the dreaded Westernization of a beloved series entitled Insect Armageddon, now featuring better graphics, more weapons, and new soldiers to control. Did it lose the irrepressible charm of its predecessor?
Yes and no.
The soldiers spout one-liners, sure, but along with the hoots and hollers come gems like "Hey, Alpha! Hurry and level up, I want a new gun!" It maintains a tongue-in-cheek element to the dialog which undermines the disposable bravado that I was concerned about while still offering the gravity of the Earth being invaded by giant, carniverous bugs. Thus, the flavor of the game, while firmly in the US (New Detroit, to be exact), falls in line with the original's.
Players no longer assume the role of one grunt with a huge supply of weapons; now they can choose one of four classes to play, each with unique strengths and weaknesses AND a limitation on what weapons they have access to. I don't mind this change. I stuck with a crowd clearing grenade launcher and sniper rifle in the original, while Beemer used rocket launchers and assault rifles. We had our favorites, and our styles of play were complementary. Here, we can find this was brought to the fore as each of the soldiers (Trooper, Tactical, Jet, and Battle) have distinct play styles and unique weapons for each. You know what? I'm going to talk about them a bit.
Trooper is the most versatle of the soldiers. High ground speed, decent armor, a good selection of weapons, and, most importantly, the ability to revive fallen teammates. The old EDF forced you to hope that your co-op partner was good enough to finish the mission alone when you died; here, however, the Trooper can get you back on your feet.
The Tactical soldier utilized a variety of homing missiles, rockets, and varying deployable turrets to form a defensive line against hordes. While not as fast as the Trooper, Tactical has better armor and greater firepower.
My personal fav, Jet, uses jetpacks to speed along the battlefield on the ground or go airborne with limited flight capability. Jet has the weakest armor of all the types, and lacks the damage output of peers, but his air superiority is complemented by an assortment of grenade launchers, homing missiles, and sniper rifles.
Battle is the tank. Using the heaviest of weapons, fitted with the strongest of armor, and utterly lacking in speed, this one *is* the front line. The best part of this character is his defensive shield; not only does it block incoming projectiles, it can upgrade to be an anti-personnel device to decimate surrounding foes.
This variety is what makes co-op kick ass. I'm zipping about, spewing grenades at enemy groups, while Beemer sets up a defensive line that gives me a fall back point when I need to recharge/reload. Co-op is still in, allowing local (ie, present in the same room) players to participate via split-screen action, but now a third player can join in on that match remotely. Oddly, the game doesn't allow a 4 player (2/2) game, but there is an option for a 6 player survival mode. Hey, it's an improvement, and though it seems to be an awkward step considering the odd number of players, I'll take it as a sign of what's next.
Unlocking weapons now requires you to purchase the weapon desired after you've achieved the appropriate level of proficiency. Tier 4 weapons can't be used until you're 4th level, despite finding them earlier. This replaces the completely random drops from the first one, allowing players to choose which upgrades they want. This is a much better solution, though a bit nerfed because local co-op players no long share the weapons. In the original, one player could go through the stages, unlocking weapons as they wished, and both players would have access to them. However...
In order for two players to play, both must have a unique gamertag. If you're not familiar with the Xbox Gamertag system, think of it as a unique profile for each player. I would log in using one profile, Beemer would need a second, Robb a third, etc. If each of us must use a distinct gamertag, we can no longer share weapons. Thus, if I'm playing through the game in my spare time, I'm getting noticeably more powerful than Beemer's character whom won't have access to the neat weapons I acquired. As Beemer and I enjoyed the fully-shared equipment from the first game, we found this set up a bit disappointing. This means that I need to have yet another personal tag to play alone so that my main tag can play with Beemer and be at his level. While I understand why this system was developed the way it was, I also find that this is a notable weakness of the game's design.
Oh, and the graphics are a bit sub-par on purpose. They're not bad at all, mind you, definitely better than the first. They're just not superb. This, of course, carried over from the previous title, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Last point: It's $40. This is considered a budget title as most games are going for $60 to $70. I would like to point out that this title is perfectly enjoyable, set at the right price point, and is more entertaining than, say, that $65 Green Lantern: The Movie: The Game that's out.
Rating - I give it four flaming rats (out of five.)
When the Japanese developers of Earth Defense Force, Sandlot, announced that they would handing the series over to Western game company Vicious Cycle, we fans of the series let out a collective *gasp* and began to fret.
Americans won't get the B-grade movie humor! It'll be full of dull one-liners from macho soldiers spewing testosterone from their very pores! It won't be set in Japan!! NOOOO!
(Well, to be fair, that's what I said. I'm not sure about anyone else.)
So here it is, the dreaded Westernization of a beloved series entitled Insect Armageddon, now featuring better graphics, more weapons, and new soldiers to control. Did it lose the irrepressible charm of its predecessor?
Yes and no.
The soldiers spout one-liners, sure, but along with the hoots and hollers come gems like "Hey, Alpha! Hurry and level up, I want a new gun!" It maintains a tongue-in-cheek element to the dialog which undermines the disposable bravado that I was concerned about while still offering the gravity of the Earth being invaded by giant, carniverous bugs. Thus, the flavor of the game, while firmly in the US (New Detroit, to be exact), falls in line with the original's.
Players no longer assume the role of one grunt with a huge supply of weapons; now they can choose one of four classes to play, each with unique strengths and weaknesses AND a limitation on what weapons they have access to. I don't mind this change. I stuck with a crowd clearing grenade launcher and sniper rifle in the original, while Beemer used rocket launchers and assault rifles. We had our favorites, and our styles of play were complementary. Here, we can find this was brought to the fore as each of the soldiers (Trooper, Tactical, Jet, and Battle) have distinct play styles and unique weapons for each. You know what? I'm going to talk about them a bit.
Trooper is the most versatle of the soldiers. High ground speed, decent armor, a good selection of weapons, and, most importantly, the ability to revive fallen teammates. The old EDF forced you to hope that your co-op partner was good enough to finish the mission alone when you died; here, however, the Trooper can get you back on your feet.
The Tactical soldier utilized a variety of homing missiles, rockets, and varying deployable turrets to form a defensive line against hordes. While not as fast as the Trooper, Tactical has better armor and greater firepower.
My personal fav, Jet, uses jetpacks to speed along the battlefield on the ground or go airborne with limited flight capability. Jet has the weakest armor of all the types, and lacks the damage output of peers, but his air superiority is complemented by an assortment of grenade launchers, homing missiles, and sniper rifles.
Battle is the tank. Using the heaviest of weapons, fitted with the strongest of armor, and utterly lacking in speed, this one *is* the front line. The best part of this character is his defensive shield; not only does it block incoming projectiles, it can upgrade to be an anti-personnel device to decimate surrounding foes.
This variety is what makes co-op kick ass. I'm zipping about, spewing grenades at enemy groups, while Beemer sets up a defensive line that gives me a fall back point when I need to recharge/reload. Co-op is still in, allowing local (ie, present in the same room) players to participate via split-screen action, but now a third player can join in on that match remotely. Oddly, the game doesn't allow a 4 player (2/2) game, but there is an option for a 6 player survival mode. Hey, it's an improvement, and though it seems to be an awkward step considering the odd number of players, I'll take it as a sign of what's next.
Unlocking weapons now requires you to purchase the weapon desired after you've achieved the appropriate level of proficiency. Tier 4 weapons can't be used until you're 4th level, despite finding them earlier. This replaces the completely random drops from the first one, allowing players to choose which upgrades they want. This is a much better solution, though a bit nerfed because local co-op players no long share the weapons. In the original, one player could go through the stages, unlocking weapons as they wished, and both players would have access to them. However...
In order for two players to play, both must have a unique gamertag. If you're not familiar with the Xbox Gamertag system, think of it as a unique profile for each player. I would log in using one profile, Beemer would need a second, Robb a third, etc. If each of us must use a distinct gamertag, we can no longer share weapons. Thus, if I'm playing through the game in my spare time, I'm getting noticeably more powerful than Beemer's character whom won't have access to the neat weapons I acquired. As Beemer and I enjoyed the fully-shared equipment from the first game, we found this set up a bit disappointing. This means that I need to have yet another personal tag to play alone so that my main tag can play with Beemer and be at his level. While I understand why this system was developed the way it was, I also find that this is a notable weakness of the game's design.
Oh, and the graphics are a bit sub-par on purpose. They're not bad at all, mind you, definitely better than the first. They're just not superb. This, of course, carried over from the previous title, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Last point: It's $40. This is considered a budget title as most games are going for $60 to $70. I would like to point out that this title is perfectly enjoyable, set at the right price point, and is more entertaining than, say, that $65 Green Lantern: The Movie: The Game that's out.
Rating - I give it four flaming rats (out of five.)