I know that Earth Defense Force 4.1 was £19.99 in the PSN sale a few weeks ago, but as someone who constantly has to worry about their inadequate hard disk space, it’s hard to recommend PS4 games even if they are on sale. And whilst a lot of gamers have gone digital only with this generation, I however am still an advocate of physical media – especially when it’s not that much more expensive than the digital variant. And so it proves to be the case that mere days after Earth Defense Force 4.1 is no longer on special offer, that the physical version can be bought for an even cheaper price. A pretty good deal (all things considering) – especially considering that CEX still charge £25 for a second hand copy – although if you find that the game doesn’t live up to expectations, then you can always trade it in for £16 Exchange or £11 Cash.
So what of the game itself? Well, if you’ve played any of Sandlot’s previous takes in the franchise, then you’ll know what to expect. And true to form, 4.1 follows series convention by playing out as a third person arcade shooter that doesn’t take itself too seriously whilst taking inspiration from B-Movies such as Starship Troopers.
Whilst a number of people have complained about Sandlot’s games often having a lack of polish as well as low production values, this is something that the company has earnestly sought to rectify with its latest Earth Defense Force title. And whilst cynics would argue that 4.1 adds nothing new by being a mere HD remastered cash-in, fans however would be quick to argue that the PS4 exclusive is the definitive version of the XBox 360 sleeper hit Earth Defense Force 2017. Indeed, by taking advantage of the substantially more powerful hardware, 4.1 serves as a complete re-imagining of 2017 and offers improved visuals (that run at 1080p and 60 frames per second), 50% more content, and gameplay tweaks that gamers can experience solo, over couch co-op, or online with up to three other friends.
If you’ve ever wanted to commit yourself to mindless pursuits that include blowing up buildings and giant bugs, as well as taking out robots in epic fire-fights, then Earth Defense Force 4.1 is most certainly for you. Hardcore Gamer (in their review) stated that “Earth Defense Force 4.1 is finally the game the series has always tried to be“, and Mark from CGR also had a lot of nice things to say about the game (as you can see from the video below):
Now repeat after me… “EDF”!