Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon

[fuse]

I've only ever played the game in English once at a friends, but I remember snorting at a shout of "THE ALIENS ARE BEATING OFF HUMANS". Seemed like quite a strange way to take over a planet.

Also, this article on Dtoid seems to capture perfectly what I want in a sequel.

[prinnysquad]

It's a good article, with great suggestions.

I'd add more suggestions based on the lavish qualities of EDF2, with many superior, or imaginative, features:

There was two different types of walker, at least 4 types of ufo, many more insects (flying ants, centipede, armoured beetles), more environments, and another playable character (which totally changes the gameplay, tactics and weapons).

EDF2 also had more EPIC scale. The final ufo in EDF 2 dwarfs the one in 2017, and I prefer it. The one in 2017 has more blam blam excitement maybe, but it often felt a bit flukeish when you defeated it. The EDF2 final ufo was city-size and you had to chip away at from the outskirts inwards. You ground it down. It just felt monstrously epic rather than brutally vicious. There's also the mother of all Godzillas to fight (that slows the screen down to about 5fps), that mutha of a centipede, and that massive ant hive. The one thing in 2017 that can hold a candle to EDF2 in terms of epic scale is the four-legged walker.

EDF2 felt more insect based, more organic, with a nice line in technology. Even some of the walkers flailed around like living organisms.
2017 felt very tech-based and robot-y.

I'd like to see a return to EDF2 stylings and ambition, or at least more of a balance.

I think a lot of people who have only played 2017 don't realise just how damn EPIC EDF2 was, how inventive it was, and how much of a step down content-wise 2017 was. 2017 is more streamlined, but it had nothing to match flying into a swarm of flying ants, laser firing, with Pale Wing. Or firing a rocket at the centipede, seeing it writhing as bits broke off into individual sections, with the segment at the front having a big eye that followed you round the screen. Or some of the beach attacks!

Proper psyched for this.

[QualityChimp]

There's a new website up for Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon.

But don't get too excited, it's just a banner of the title and a link to the ESRB.

Surprisingly it's not rated yet...

[fuse]

Not idea if it's a reliable source, but this chap is reporting that it's being handled by "Vicious Cycle" as opposed to Sandlot. Also that it's 360 + PS3, online co-op, up to 6-person multi, jetpacks are back, over 150 weapons, and four upgradeable armour sets.

[Kaladron]

He's telling the truth. Press release and screenshots went out a few hours ago. I'm quite disappointed that it's not Sandlot. But hey! Jetpacks are back.

[PeteJ]

And here are those screens:

The Earth Defense Force 2017, released on Xbox 360 back in March of 2007, was the videogame equivalent to a so-bad-it's-good horror movie. The visuals were bland, levels were uninspired, and the framerate was all over the place. And yet, we had an absolute blast fending off hordes of alien invaders with a friend. Despite its low-budget production values and bargain bin aesthetic, Earth Defense Force was a lot of fun. Today D3 Publisher announced a sequel called Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, and this time it's coming to both the 360 and PlayStation 3.

Earth Defense Force is a cooperative arcade shooter that gets your blood flowing by throwing thousands of giant bugs at you. Over 150 weapons will help you to squash the invasion -- and the entire city of New Detroit thanks to the destructible environments. Now up to three players can battle through the campaign online (the first EDF only allowed for two). There will also be a Survival mode for six players.

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon will be released next spring. It's being developed by Vicious Cycle, the studio behind the Matt Hazard games.

Thankfully the trailer looks good - http://uk.ign.com/videos/2010/09/17/...geddon-trailer

[abigsmurf]

Wow, even a company that specialises in shovelware is outsourcing to Western devs

[Sketcz]

Wait, if the original developers aren't involved, then I'm no longer interested.

What's with Japanese devcos handing over all development to the west - they're turning into a nation of solely publishers and money providers.

[Anpanman]

Glad it's coming to PS3 will pick this one up.

[vanpeebles]

Sandlot will be getting an email telling them to suck my cock.

[prinnysquad]

It looks f-ing twatty. Totally charmless bollocksware. Sub-Blacksite wank. The spindly spider looks ok but the rest of it looks like low standard drab, dour toss. Those insects are tiny. The developers seem to have completely missed the point.

Where's the razor blades?

I'm crestfallen.

[vanpeebles]

Just how ****e are the Japanese at games at the moment? Terrible news.

[prinnysquad]

Charmless, just so charmless.

It doesn't look like GOOD **** anymore. Just PLAIN ****.

Ants look rubbish. A teaser trailer should show 80 on screen at once. I bet these ones have fancy lighting effects and death animations. I bet they don't fly off like polystyrene, and I bet they most definitely don't fill the screen. I bet the number on screen has been reduced in a misguided attempt to improve the framerate. Which is the least important aspect of the game - I don't give a **** about a low framerate - I want 80 ants charging at me. That's what makes it so special. Not frigging framerate. I know I'm presuming a lot here, but it's all about laying down the cuss early doors, hoping to be proved wrong.

[donpepperoni]

Definite change in style from the others, which does get me a bit worried because as you say, it doesn't look like you could have a screenfull of those sort of textures running towards you :/

I'll reserve judgement til it arrives, but I must admit the outsourcing and "gritty" screens have me a little disappointed.

[Flabio]

What's with Japanese devcos handing over all development to the west

The realisation that they're some way behind western devs in the level of technical competence required to push the HD consoles.

It seems rather than bring in people to get them up to speed, they'd rather just outsource and keep their own people on the DS3 and PSP2.

It's really painful to see how far behind a lot of Japanese developers have fallen in the last few years.