Can you save a collapsed Earth in the midst of unprecedented despair? Play Review of "Earth Defense Forces 6" about the battle between EDF and invading organisms.

On August 25, 2022, "Earth Defense Forces 6," the latest installment in the "Earth Defense Forces" series, was released. This title is a direct sequel to the 3D action shooting game "Earth Defense Forces 5" and takes place on Earth after the attack of an alien life form called "Primer" has been repelled. We had the opportunity to play the early stages of this title and will focus on the worldview, atmosphere, and the four military branches that players can choose from.

Note that all images used in the article were taken with a PS4 Pro.

On an Earth that has lost 90% of its population, the protagonists continue to fight without a destination

The year is 2022. The Earth is attacked by Primer, an invader from outer space, and the "EDF (Earth Defense Force)" is deployed to fight back. After fighting the Primer for about two years, the human race successfully repelled the attack. However, 90% of the total population was lost in the battle against the primers, and the social system and civilization were on the verge of collapse. This film takes place three years later.

Cities around the world have already collapsed and are infested with aliens and invasive species left behind by the primer. The invasive creatures are so prolific that they must be cleaned up as soon as possible, but with only 10% of the world's population, there is no way to do anything about it. The situation is as if it had already been done from the beginning.

The unit to which the protagonist belongs is made up of researchers, cooks, truck drivers, and others whose backgrounds have nothing to do with fighting, and it is very different from the conventional EDF, which was well staffed and equipped. For example, the "combat frame," a boarding weapon, was a biped in the last war, but in this work, a truck is used as a stepping stone to the battlefield. On the other hand, the film also points to the current situation in which the situation cannot be solved without such a measure, and a sense of despair oozes from various aspects, including the worldview, the individual, and the organization.

Although the players are in a more dire situation than in past titles, the real appeal of "Chikyu Boeigun" is to fight against the enemy without fear, and this is no different in this title. The variety of assault rifles, rocket launchers, and other weapons used to kick the crap out of hordes of enemies is a good balance between the sense of desperation unique to this title and the exhilaration familiar from "Chikyu Boeigun".

The conversations and radio communications among the members of the team are also a feature of this work. The players' attitude of never giving up, no matter how hard they are cornered, raises their morale in the face of hopeless battles.

While the game is about kicking the enemy to the curb, tactics are also essential.

There are five difficulty levels in this game: EASY, NORMAL, HARD, HARDEST, and INFERNO. Each difficulty level has different enemy attack power, durability, and intensity of attacks. At first, EASY to HARD were available for challenge, and HARDEST was not released even if HARD of the same mission was completed. It may be a requirement to reach the ending once.

With EASY or NORMAL, you can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of kicking the crap out of enemies, as I mentioned earlier. It is tough to rush into enemies without thinking, but as long as you keep your distance while attacking and recovering recovery items dropped by defeated enemies, you will not get stuck in the game.

On the hardest level, a more strategic play style is required. You will have more things to think about, such as how many recovery items to leave behind, or which terrain to take when a swarm of enemies arrives. The strength and aggressiveness of the enemies have also increased, so it is not just a matter of being a warrior. I myself sometimes chose to play on hard in the early stages of the game, but I often got beaten up because I could not allocate recovery items properly.

As mentioned in the game, I recommend playing on NORMAL first. The physical strength in this game is called "armor value," and if it reaches zero, the character you are controlling will be disabled in battle. To increase the maximum value, it is necessary to collect "armor" items obtained from defeated enemies, so the player must start with a low physical strength in the beginning. So, if you suddenly challenge the game on HARD, you will be quickly turned back. In this respect, NORMAL has a good balance between the player's strength and the enemy's strength.

However, the higher the difficulty level, the easier it is to obtain weapons of higher rank. It is recommended to start out on NORMAL, and after improving your armor and weapons, challenge the early missions again on higher difficulty levels.

Four distinct play styles

In each mission, players can choose one of the following military disciplines: "Ranger," "Air Raider," "Wing Diver," and "Fencer. Broadly speaking, the Ranger is for beginners, the Wing Diver and Air Raider are for intermediate players, and the Fencer is for advanced players.

Rangers are infantrymen and can use a variety of weapons, including assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles, with varying power and range. They also have excellent movement speed and can move a little faster with a dash. The game is ideal for learning the basic movements of the game, as there are no peculiarities in movement or performance.

There are two types of weapons that can be equipped, and additional equipment can be selected with the "backpack". This is a kind of support item that can be inserted between the two main weapons. The grenade was usable as far as I could tell this time. It is perfect for dealing with swarms of enemies, as it can engulf multiple enemies, and it reloads automatically, so there is no need to be distracted.

The air raider is a type of soldier who requests a support attack. After informing them of their position, they basically let the weapons attack in support. The attack is carried out by a small drone, and the attack varies depending on the type. Some drones focus on a single point, while others attack a wide area at once.

While the ability to attack from a distance makes them suitable for defending oneself, their weakness is that they have few countermeasures when approached by an enemy. Weapons that call for a drone cannot be reloaded until the drone returns, so the farther away from you the attack point is, the larger the gap becomes. Although the overall firepower is high, it is necessary to consider the timing of the attack to avoid being struck by surprise.

Like rangers, air raiders can also equip backpacks. Since air raiders are not good at close combat, backpacks are more important than rangers. Unlike the ranger, the equipment choices include the "Guard/Capsule," which protects you, and the "Life Bender," which restores allied armor and vehicle endurance values. Since there are many support systems, they seem to perform better in multiplayer than in solo play.

Wing divers are troops equipped with flying units. Its strength lies in its ability to fly through the air with its flight units, and its aerial combat combined with energy weapons. This allows for a completely different style of play from that of rangers and other military units. In addition to dodging enemy attacks, they can also scout their surroundings from the rooftops of buildings and launch attacks from the sky directly below. The weapons that can be equipped are all highly powerful, allowing the player to take down enemies one after another.

In my personal opinion, the wing diver is the most sensitive to the player's ability. The flight unit and the energy weapon, which is the main equipment, share fuel. Once the energy level runs out, the wing diver cannot fly or shoot until it is fully restored.

Furthermore, wing divers have the lowest armor value of all the armies, which makes them vulnerable to being hit. If they are targeted while their energy is depleted, they will not be able to survive, and they will have to consider this point as they move.

Nevertheless, it is refreshing to be able to fight aerial battles, and the feeling of superiority of holding the enemy at arm's length from above is an experience unique to the wing diver. Those who want to master it may want to start with the EASY missions first.

Fencers are equipped with a "powered skeleton," a reinforced exoskeleton. It is the only one of all the military units that can equip up to four weapons. The fencer's strength lies in its ability to carry powerful weapons with long reload times, such as gatling rifles and heavy cannons, and its overwhelming firepower can be used against any size of enemy, from a single target to a group of enemies. They also have the highest armor value of all the other armies, making them extremely resilient.

However, their mobility is at its lowest under normal conditions, and they are unable to move on foot. Therefore, they use "jump boosters" and "side thrusters," which are set for each weapon, to compensate for their weaknesses. Jump boosters allow them to jump upward, and side thrusters allow them to move back and forth, left and right, at high speed. However, these pieces of equipment are difficult to fine-tune, and it takes some practice to pinpoint and stop where you are aiming.

In addition, the viewpoint movement slows down when some weapons are equipped, making it difficult to focus on the enemy. The fencer must have the accuracy to accurately aim at opponents, including the sketchy movement of boosters and thrusters, as well as the technique to secure easy-to-attack points in advance.

Although the skill of the player is required, the exhilaration of mastering the fencer is unmatched by any other military discipline. I loved to use the Gatling to dispatch hordes of fencers, and I used the fencer the most during my playthrough this time.

As the latest installment in the "Chikyu Boeigun" series and a game that portrays overwhelming desperation, "Chikyu Boeigun 6" puts a lot of effort into its worldview and its depiction. The different play styles of the various military units function well, and it is nice to see that their roles do not overlap with each other. The story is also very intricate, so we hope you will play it for yourself and feel its charm.

• The story is very well written, so we hope you will play it for yourself and feel the charm of the game.
• Chikyu Boeigun 6
• Genre: 3D action shooter
• Compatibility: PS5/PS4
• Number of players: 1 or 2 players (when split-screen offline) *Online cooperative play for up to 4 players
• Release date: August 25, 2022 (Thursday)
• Price:
• Packaged version/downloadable version: 8,980 yen (tax included)
• Download Deluxe Edition: 12,100 yen (including tax)
• CERO: D (for ages 17 and up)
• Developer: Sandlot Co.
• Publisher: D3 Publisher, Inc.

©2022 SANDLOT ©2022 D3PUBLISHER