EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 WINGDIVER THE SHOOTER
- April 25, 2018
- Clouds
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamTraining Mode, free downloadable content including 60 short, action-packed missions, What's Training Mode? Take on Pale Team's training simulations in the form of quick missions! Blaze through fast-paced stages with a wide variety of objectives, from rescuing civilians like you couldn't in the main game and fighting alongside the Rangers! Spawned from the war for existence itself between the R…
Reviews
- The game captures the fun and chaotic essence of the EDF series, providing enjoyable gameplay with familiar mechanics.
- It offers a decent amount of replayability through multiple difficulty levels and the ability to grind for weapons and armor.
- At a discounted price, it can be a fun diversion for fans of the EDF franchise and bullet hell shooters.
- The game is very short, with only six missions, which may not justify the full price for many players.
- The hitbox mechanics are poorly designed, making dodging projectiles frustrating and often unfair.
- There is no local co-op mode, which is a significant drawback given the multiplayer nature of other EDF games.
- story29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in this game is largely considered unimportant, with many players noting that it follows a familiar and simplistic narrative typical of the EDF series. The campaign consists of only six missions, which can be completed quickly, and while there are additional training missions available through free DLC, the overall content feels limited. Players emphasize that the focus is more on gameplay mechanics and weapon progression rather than a compelling story.
“The story is amusing, and basically the same as every other EDF, but doesn't really matter.”
“It is worth mentioning that free DLC was released for this game, a 'training mode' which adds several unique short missions for the player to complete like fighting bosses with a fixed weapon loadout, ring checkpoint courses, rescuing civilians and fellow EDF soldiers, and more.”
“Playing through these unlocks some weapons as well and the missions are noticeably tougher than the main game.”
“It's a game you don't care about story, music, character design, or even graphics.”
“There's no singing, there are long unskippable boring cutscenes, and the intro story was done entirely with still images.”
“Unfortunately, the game ends long before you get to even the 1/3 or 1/2 point of that structure... worse even when you consider you have maybe 10 or so missions total.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a mix of challenging mechanics, including a larger-than-expected hitbox and a boost dodge mechanic that can mitigate damage but may lead to overheating. Players appreciate the weapon variety and the introduction of new mechanics like dashing, which adds depth to the bullet-hell experience reminiscent of previous EDF titles. However, the overall difficulty can be a barrier for some, suggesting a need for a more accessible mode for those focused on gameplay.
“The basic idea of the game (a bullet-hell shooter with the weapons and energy-management mechanics of a wing diver; and the enemies from EDF) works well.”
“You can avoid all of the hitbox issues with the use of the dodge-boost mechanic.”
“The weapon variety is great; I really like some of the weapons such as the Lazr and Geist, and you can mix them up a lot for different gameplay.”
“There's a lot of cheap hits even with the boost dodge mechanic, and sometimes you have to choose between overheating (practically immobile and unable to fire, which is a death sentence in most situations) or taking a hit or two.”
“Your hitbox is way bigger than it has any right to be (even bigger than your model!), making a lot of patterns overly precise to avoid without abusing the boost mechanic.”
“It's basically a rails shooter from a top-down perspective, using the mechanics of the EDF wing diver.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is generally seen as manageable and enjoyable, offering plenty of replayability through difficulty progression and farming for armor and weapons. While some players note it can be grindy, especially for permanent upgrades, the streamlined drop system and shorter mission lengths make the experience less tedious compared to previous titles in the series. Overall, players recommend starting on easier modes to effectively farm for desired gear while enjoying the action.
“It's a bit grindy, so start out on easy mode and work your way up.”
“This looks cool as all heck, but the experience I had (insanely unfair hit-boxes) basically communicated to me that this game is all about grinding for permanent upgrades.”
“Well, the charm is there since the dialogue got even cheesier and like the main series of EDF games, it's built around grinding to beat the harder difficulties.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as modern yet simplistic, with some reviewers noting a resemblance to PS1 and PS2 era visuals. While the game features 3D graphics suitable for a shooter, it lacks customization options, which can lead to performance issues on older hardware. Overall, the graphics are functional but not a standout aspect of the experience.
“Fast game with modern-day graphics and easy controls that moves from location A to B to C and so on.”
“A good shooting game with 3D graphics.”
“It's a game you don't care about story, music, character design, or even graphics.”
“There aren't really any graphics options at all, which means playing this on my older laptop was painful in some areas.”
“You like shooters, you like EDF, you don't mind archaic graphics, and the game is on deep sale?”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being surprisingly good, enhancing the overall experience with a fantastic soundtrack and dramatic voice lines that complement the action. While some players feel the game lacks depth in story and design, the engaging voice acting and solid presentation contribute positively to the arcade-style shoot'em'up atmosphere. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, adding to the fun and chaotic gameplay.
“I love this game, the music and dramatic voice lines are epic.”
“You get to shoot a metric ton of gigantic ants and other creatures, listen to bad and by bad I mean very, very good voice acting and listen to a fantastic soundtrack while all the crazy action takes place on the screen.”
“The presentation overall is solid, it looks like 4.1, the music is surprisingly good for an EDF game and the dub feels different but it's still cheesy and fun.”
“It's a game you don't care about story, music, character design, or even graphics.”
“This may apply to most arcade-styled shoot 'em ups out there, but those are usually better crafted with more enemies, music tracks, thought-out weapons, enemy patterns, and bullet patterns.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its challenging difficulty levels, armor and weapon grinding, and remixed stages that alter enemy waves. However, some players feel that the ability to become overly powerful diminishes the challenge and, consequently, the replay value.
“Plenty of replayability through climbing the difficulties and grinding for armor and weapons.”
“Its replayability comes from clearing the higher difficulty stages and acquiring a stronger arsenal, similar to the mainline EDF games, and unlocking a remixed version of the original six levels which change the enemy waves.”
“It adds a great deal of replayability to this game.”
“Its replayability comes from clearing the higher difficulty stages and acquiring a stronger arsenal, similar to the mainline EDF games, and unlocking a remixed version of the original 6 levels which change the enemy waves.”
“During the end of my playthroughs, I had way too much health and could just stand still during bosses and still win, which is an issue and hurts replayability.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that character development is largely overlooked in the game, with players expressing indifference towards the story, character design, and overall narrative engagement.
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
“I found the characters to be one-dimensional, lacking any real growth or depth throughout the story.”
“There is little to no character progression, which makes the overall experience feel stagnant and unengaging.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, with users highlighting its performance as "ungodly optimized," indicating a smooth and efficient experience across various systems.
“Ungodly optimized.”
“The optimization is absolutely terrible.”
“The game runs like a slug, even on high-end hardware.”
“I can't believe how poorly optimized this game is; it's frustrating.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as the abrupt quitting of full-screen mode when the player is hit, which can lead to feelings of annoyance and disengagement.
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is seen as a mixed bag; while it offers some amusing moments, many reviewers feel it ultimately falls short of its potential, leaving a sense of wasted opportunity in blending loot-based combat with the genre.
