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Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain (PS4)

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    #16
    Just two missions managed this morning before someone kicked off and I had to abandon.

    I replayed a night mission against ants, scorpions and spiders. While the visuals may not be top tier, there’s some carefully dramatic effects at work. The only lights on the mission cast an eerie haze in the middle distance. The image of spiders performing those huge leaps en masse, purely as silhouettes, edging ever closer, was highly atmospheric.

    My new grenade launcher (C class) does the bizzo on these easier settings. I tried the two missions as a wing diver guy and, while he’s quite slow, his movement is fluid.

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      #17
      Today’s efforts were sullied by the completion of a level in co-op, which failed to register after the network booted me out.

      Shame, because there were some manic moments. A couple of new enemies - a new type of kaiju and some organic bug thing. Both are great. My C class grenade me do is really doing the bizzo at the middle distance. My health is now up to 3400. I really like the PA gear system. It’s a breath of fresh air.

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        #18
        Played a single player game this morning and completely BOLLOCKSED up my weapon loadout. I selected a rifle and a grenade launcher. I failed to remember that, after the initial wave of dormant robot knacking, dropships appeared and dropped endless new robots.

        I flew around like a madman trying to stay alive, with about 30 robots on the map, wondering how on Earth I was going to get through the mission. Fly as high as I could when the ships were open to empty a rifle clip inside them? It didn’t seem particularly feasible. Indeed, it wasn’t. I tried it twice and just got blasted out of the sky by the robots below.

        Buildings collapsing everywhere, with explosions and gettings arl owa, I thought about quitting to select better weapons. Then, I noticed the robots thinning slightly. My ground force CPU allies must be pegging them back. Nice. Maybe I could have another run at a dropship drive-by?

        Wait. What? On the radar, one of the dropship blips was replaced by a scattering of green. What the hell?

        It was then that I realised that my CPU controlled cannon fodder distractions were, in fact, taking out the dropship with the weapons that I so sorely lacked.

        Tremendous! I passed the missions simply by surviving, while other troops did something more useful. This is a nice touch. Traditionally, EDF computer controlled allies are absolute pissflaps. Here, though, they actually bailed me out.

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          #19
          Originally posted by prinnysquad View Post
          Tremendous! I passed the missions simply by surviving, while other troops did something more useful. This is a nice touch. Traditionally, EDF computer controlled allies are absolute pissflaps. Here, though, they actually bailed me out.
          That's good, in EDF5 they are a big step up as well particularly when you keep them healthy, you can run around and pick up all the drops while they finish off the level for you.

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            #20
            Yes I’ve noticed that too. Great stuff. I can’t recall them being so critical to a major mission completion condition, though? They tend to mop up stragglers, but taking out dropships when I’m unable to? I might be wrong.

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              #21
              I've seen them hitting dropships rightly enough but a group of them firing away gets one shot in around twenty or so and probably not with a super weapon so you'd probably be waiting a few hours for them to get the job done!

              Therefore getting them to do the job for you in a critical situation might be stretching it a bit.

              Taking control of a group of Fencer's then running away from them (as they are really slow) whilst they become a target but then helping them from afar can reap good rewards as with one of the later levels on EDF5 (the best farming level for Inferno weapons) where you have a group of Fencer's, Ranger's and Wing Diver's I leave the Wing Diver's to fend for themselves but take the other two groups to pick of the attacking enemies as they home in on the ladies.

              Love the game, it's wonderful tactical bliss.

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                #22
                Finished this on split screen last night.

                There’s some decent later levels, with a few that could be called a ‘set piece’ I guess.

                Observations...

                Some of the visuals are so last-gen. various reviews are heralding this as the best-looking EDF. I don’t think it is. It depends what your parameters are. There’s some pleasant incidental effects, but the art direction is nowhere near as good. The tiny maps don’t allow it to be frantic and epic. Some of the visuals of the machinery and landscapes don’t look kitsch and cheesy. They just look naff.

                The toughness comes from the cramped areas, weapons that mix the chod with the good (so there’s always a drawback), enemy armour and piss-weak health of your character. Even a 3000 character can get mullered on easy off a few shots from a mantis.

                Structurally, it’s not as good as IA. It doesn’t feel cohesive.

                The PA system and weapon universality continues to be the best thing about it.

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                  #23
                  Originally posted by prinnysquad View Post
                  Structurally, it’s not as good as IA.
                  Ouch, that's damning! I've 1000/1000'ed Insect Armageddon but, when I look back on it, it's hard to find much to like about it. It was free with Games with Gold and I didn't bother to claim it.

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                    #24
                    I think I look back on it with more fondness than I realised.

                    I came to like the way you gradually worked your way into a city, with checkpoints along the way.

                    IR is more like the main series, but the missions are very brief. The areas are tiny and there’s a lack of unity holding it together. Like I say, it comes across as naff rather than cheesy.
                    Last edited by prinnysquad; 19-05-2019, 13:00.

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                      #25
                      Yes, I’ve enjoyed Iron Rain. It’s not a full price game, but the change of pace/scenery is refreshing.

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                        #26
                        Pebbles: your one-stop shop for in-depth analysis and opinion.

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                          #27
                          Originally posted by prinnysquad View Post
                          Finished this on split screen last night.
                          Thanks for the summary Mr P, it was probably never meant to compare with EDF mainline but people will make the comparisons anyway - I would.

                          Fairly sure I will still get this but probably not until a reduction and I'll get it on disk as well.

                          I'm still playing nothing else but EDF5 and enjoying it, loads of mileage in trying to finish as many levels as possible on Inferno and even Hardest.

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                            #28
                            Yeah. Get it cheaper. It’s not a full price game. If it wasn’t EDF I’d feel hoodwinked.

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                              #29
                              PCEarth Defense Force: Iron Rain coming to PC on October 15

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                                #30
                                God damn, I still haven't started EDF5 PC

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