Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

A game that you really have to play to understand just how annoying an ant can really be.

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"Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon" is a third-person shooter game where players fight off hordes of giant insects and robots in a futuristic city. Players can choose from four different character classes, each with their own unique weapons and abilities. The game features a variety of game modes, including campaign, survival, and multiplayer, providing a challenging and exciting experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 622 reviews

gameplay23 positive mentions

grinding39 negative mentions

Fun and chaotic gameplay with a unique take on the EDF formula.
Variety of classes and weapons that allow for different playstyles.
Destructible environments and large-scale battles create an engaging experience.

Repetitive missions and gameplay can become tedious over time.
Limited number of missions and a short campaign length.
Graphics and sound design are not up to modern standards, and the game can feel dated.

story
186 mentions
10 % positive mentions
81 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story in "Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon" is generally viewed as weak and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its brevity and repetitive mission structure. With only 15 missions, the narrative feels rushed and underdeveloped, often relying on clichéd dialogue and a serious tone that contrasts with the franchise's typical campy charm. While some players appreciate the humorous banter and B-movie vibe, the overall consensus is that the game prioritizes gameplay over storytelling, leaving the plot feeling secondary and unsatisfying.
- “If you're unfamiliar with Earth Defense Force, the concept is simple - you're living out the plot of a B-movie where Earth is being invaded by a billion bugs, aliens, robots, and kaiju.”
- “The game is not really heavy on story, but the setting, gameplay, and trying out your guns makes it just an insane fun experience.”
- “The story is simple, and the dialogue is purposely cheesy (cheesy good).”
- “The story is about as corny and badly written as with every other EDF game, and the gameplay is pretty much as you'd expect from an EDF game, albeit you probably won't end up using most of the vehicles that are provided as the enemies tend to destroy them quicker than they are useful.”
- “That’s not a lot of time to really develop a story, yet there are at least two or three missions with almost no development of the plot, and one mission near the end that tells the player to just 'go look in another place' right before the big climax? It’s not that the game doesn’t have the time to develop the narrative, it’s that it never uses the time it has.”
- “The campaign is made out of 15 short missions that take at most 30 minutes each, and unfortunately, after beating the main campaign, the story remains totally static.”
gameplay
90 mentions
26 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simple, repetitive mechanics, focusing on shooting hordes of giant insects and completing linear missions. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable and offers some fun moments, it suffers from a lack of variety in objectives and enemy design, leading to a grindy experience that can feel shallow over time. The four character classes provide some differentiation, but overall, the gameplay is seen as iterative and less engaging compared to other entries in the series, with many players recommending the main EDF titles for a more fulfilling experience.
- “The gameplay is simple but satisfying.”
- “It is beloved by its fans for its fun, frantic gameplay, the ridiculous scale of many of the battles, the ludicrous variety of weapons, and the endearingly camp tone of its story and presentation.”
- “Great on keyboard or controller, this title offers tons of variety, tons of replayability, and an almost fully destructible environment that offers fans of any style of action gameplay options.”
- “I found the gameplay to be very repetitive and clunky; either you can blast through all the enemies or they blast you instead.”
- “The core of the gameplay is there, but the entire thing takes place in a single location, the zany variety of weapons is missing, and the classes haven't really found their feet mechanically yet, leaving wing divers feeling fast but weak, fencers too slow to live, and air raiders are mostly useless.”
- “The missions are linear, sending you from point to point, either defending an area, destroying spawn points, or fighting a boss, all of which are essentially the same mechanic of 'point and shoot'.”
graphics
69 mentions
26 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Insect Armageddon" are generally considered dated and mediocre, with many reviewers noting that they are a step up from previous entries but still lack the polish of modern titles. While some appreciate the gritty aesthetic and the ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware, others criticize the bland environments and limited graphical options. Overall, the visuals serve their purpose in supporting the chaotic gameplay, but they are not the main draw of the game.
- “But this game has been revamped to bring the player into a modern 3D world with realistic graphics.”
- “The graphics look great, the voice acting is believable and entertaining, the swarms of enemies are extremely dynamic in their movement and serve to never let there be a boring moment.”
- “There’s nothing here that’s going to win an award for looks, but you also get a sky filled with enemies and that’s what makes the game feel like an epic battle to fight off an invading force, and in that way the graphics work well for the type of game they are going for.”
- “The graphics leave something to be desired, but the gameplay is great.”
- “Dated but passable graphics.”
- “Unfortunately, it lacks immersion, gameplay, graphics, optimization, sound, weapon quality, enemy AI, and general quality, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.”
grinding
40 mentions
0 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with many players noting that it becomes excessively tedious, especially at higher levels where significant time investment is required to progress. While some find the gameplay enjoyable enough to overlook the grind, others feel that the repetitive nature of missions and the slow experience gain detracts from the overall experience, making it a major downside for those aiming for 100% completion. Overall, the grinding is described as a significant hurdle that can lead to boredom and frustration, particularly in the later stages of the game.
- “The problem with this game is the required grinding to make any progress.”
- “However, mainline EDF doesn't lock its weapons behind a tedious level system - getting your first 2 ranks in any class doesn't take that long, but after that, it becomes a slog, even when playing on higher difficulties, which net you more points.”
- “The campaign itself feels short and pointless without a real ending, and the gameplay is entirely reliant on grinding if you wish to experience anything but the base content.”
humor
24 mentions
96 % positive mentions
-8 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of campy dialogue, funny banter among characters, and absurd situations, often drawing comparisons to films like "Starship Troopers." While some players find the humor hit-or-miss, with cringeworthy moments and a lack of depth in storytelling, others appreciate the lighthearted tone and comedic commentary during gameplay, particularly in the chaotic destruction of enemies and environments. Overall, the humor is present but varies in effectiveness, appealing to those who enjoy a more tongue-in-cheek approach to military action.
- “The game has funny banter between the mission commander, the intelligence officer, and a pilot.”
- “Chuckle as the pilot regales you with calm, nearly deadpan humor despite constantly being a few seconds away from death by flying car, robot wasp, or giant bomb at any given time.”
- “You fight hundreds of giant bugs and aliens with hilariously overpowered weapons, and are capable of destroying every single building and object on the map with no negative consequences!”
- “Your squadmates chime in with very cringey things to say, and it's not even funny; you'll involuntarily sigh when you hear them.”
- “The attempts at humor feel forced and fall flat, leaving me more annoyed than amused.”
- “The jokes are so predictable and stale that they take away from the overall experience.”
replayability
17 mentions
41 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its diverse classes, extensive weapon options, and various difficulty levels, although some players note that higher difficulties do not introduce new content. While the main campaign is relatively short, the presence of unlockables and multiplayer modes encourages players to return. Overall, the combination of distinct gameplay styles and a destructible environment contributes to a highly replayable experience.
- “Wacky shoot'em up action with many classes and a ton of replay value.”
- “The main campaign is short but with many unlockables and leveling, the replay value of trying various weapons and armors, and online mode makes it worth coming back once in a while.”
- “Great on keyboard or controller, this title offers tons of variety, tons of replayability, and an almost fully destructible environment that offers fans of any style of action gameplay options.”
- “And the difficulty levels of the game, which are supposedly what gives it more replayability, do literally nothing but multiply all the stats of the mobs by 3. That's it; no new enemies, no new attacks, no new weapons, no new vehicles. Long story short, out of 6 vehicles, 4 of them are turrets, and arguably the mech is a turret with legs.”
- “I will admit that I had more fun with 2017 and 4.1 (Japan 1st, then PS4, soon PC) as they had many more levels, more variety, and more replayability in acquiring stuff.”
- “The four different classes that you can play as all feel fairly distinct from one another and help pad out the replayability of the otherwise criminally rushed campaign.”
music
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while many praise the soundtrack as action-packed and a highlight of the experience, others find it too quiet and overshadowed by sound effects. Some users appreciate the lighthearted, B-movie feel of the original game's songs, but note that the sound mixing can be problematic, requiring adjustments to balance the audio levels. Overall, the soundtrack is generally well-regarded, though improvements in volume and mixing are suggested.
- “Now for something positive: the sound effects and music are very good.”
- “The soundtrack is probably the best part about this game.”
- “The soundtrack adds to the titanic struggle feeling to overcome the enemy horde.”
- “Some of the machine guns sound flat to me, and the music is really quiet; you can barely hear it even if you turn it up.”
- “While EDF 4.1 has very generic rock music that's easy to forget, Insect Armageddon's soundtrack is much more action-packed, fast-paced, and dramatic.”
- “In addition, the sound mix is strange; the shooting and music seem to be too loud, so I had to turn those down.”
optimization
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, offering stable frame rates and improved graphical fidelity compared to previous titles, though it sacrifices the sheer number of enemies on-screen. Players can achieve a smooth experience by unlocking the FPS, and while some minor performance issues persist, the game remains playable and enjoyable.
- “The game was much more optimized; it was never unplayable and maintained stable frame rates, unlike previous titles.”
- “While previous entries in the series focused on massive numbers of large enemies on-screen at once, at the cost of graphical fidelity and performance, Insect Armageddon goes the opposite route - the graphics are prettier and the performance is more stable.”
- “While previous entries in the series focused on massive numbers of large enemies on-screen at once, at the cost of graphical fidelity and performance, Insect Armageddon goes the opposite route - the graphics are prettier and the performance is more stable, but there are much fewer enemies to fight at any given moment and they are nowhere near as titanic in size as they could get in EDF proper.”
- “The game never crashed on me, and once you unlock the FPS by downloading a single file and replacing it in the installation folder, you're looking at a very smooth, consistent performance.”
- “For some crazy bug-blasting action, the game is good value, despite a few performance issues and a lackluster ending if you only beat it on normal (and hard and very hard are challenging).”
stability
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting minor glitches and rendering issues that are not game-breaking, while others describe it as a "buggy mess" with significant flaws affecting gameplay. Overall, players may need to troubleshoot before fully enjoying the experience, as stability issues seem to persist.
- “So be ready to spend some time troubleshooting the game before you actually get to play.”
- “Not great, deeply flawed, and buggy for a long time (the radar function was enabled by default for the longest time, removing the need for the support unit's special ability), but satisfyingly shallow and fun.”
- “Buggy mess”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its starship trooper-esque setting and effective recreation of a B-movie style, which many players enjoyed. However, some reviewers noted that the experience is diminished by its short length and a lack of the campy elements that are essential to the EDF experience.
- “The game perfectly recreated a B-movie style and atmosphere that I enjoyed.”
- “It has a good Starship Troopers-esque setting and atmosphere.”
- “The campy atmosphere is essential to the EDF experience.”
- “Unfortunately for this game, it is quite short and lacks the campy atmosphere that makes up a good 50% of the EDF experience.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate games that feature lovable characters with heartwarming backstories, as these elements enhance emotional engagement and create a deeper connection to the narrative.
- “The game features lovable characters with heartwarming backstories that truly resonate with players.”
- “The emotional depth of the story left me in tears, making me feel deeply connected to the characters.”
- “Every moment in the game is filled with emotional weight, drawing players into a rich narrative experience.”