EARTH DEFENSE FORCE: WORLD BROTHERS

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 328 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE: WORLD BROTHERS Game Cover
Square earth has been blown to bits before the fighting even starts. Gather your brothers and sister to fight back! EDF! EDF! EDF!
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In "Earth Defense Force: World Brothers," players enter a parallel world where the Earth is made of digital blocks and has been shattered into pieces. They must restore peace by rescuing scattered EDF soldiers, each with unique traits, and forming a team to combat enemies. The game features block versions of characters from past EDF games, up to "Earth Defense Force 5."

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 328 reviews
story12 positive mentions
grinding21 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fun and lighthearted take on the EDF formula, with a colorful voxel art style that appeals to a wide audience.
  • The character swapping mechanic allows for diverse gameplay, enabling players to utilize different abilities and weapons in real-time.
  • The game is filled with references to previous EDF titles, making it a nostalgic experience for long-time fans of the series.
  • The mouse controls are poorly implemented, making it difficult to aim accurately, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
  • The humor and dialogue can be overly silly and cringeworthy, which may not resonate with all players and can feel forced at times.
  • The game lacks the depth and challenge of previous EDF titles, making it feel easier and less engaging for veteran players.
  • story185 mentions

    The story in "Earth Defense Force: World Brothers" is characterized by its cheesy, B-movie charm, featuring absurd plotlines such as military operations to gather ingredients for miso soup. While the narrative is lighthearted and often breaks the fourth wall, it lacks depth compared to previous titles in the series, with many missions feeling repetitive and disconnected from the overarching plot. Overall, the game embraces its silliness, providing a fun experience despite its narrative shortcomings.

    • “The story is fantastic, all the characters were pretty silly and I enjoyed most of the dialogue.”
    • “It's been a long time since a game actually had me cracking up with laughter from both the story and the action on screen.”
    • “The story and dialogue are over the top goofy and is full of references to previous games.”
    • “The story is supremely stupid; normally EDF is just kind of silly, but in this one the EDF crew mounts like 5 full-blown military operations looking for soup ingredients.”
    • “The story isn't any better or worse than previous games, but come on, nobody plays them for their B-movie scripts that are an excuse to murder aliens en masse.”
    • “The story should have kept to the B-movie style used by other games in the series.”
  • gameplay97 mentions

    The gameplay of this EDF spinoff retains the chaotic, horde-based shooting mechanics fans expect, while introducing a team system that allows players to switch between characters with unique abilities and weapons. Although it simplifies some traditional elements, such as the absence of armor and weapon crates, it offers a fresh take on the series with a voxel art style and new mechanics that enhance the overall experience. While some players may find the gameplay repetitive or less challenging than previous entries, it still provides a fun and engaging experience for both newcomers and veterans of the EDF franchise.

    • “This spinoff of the EDF series trades the PS3-esque graphics and single-character gameplay of the mainline games for a bright voxel LEGO aesthetic and a party system that lets you bring up to 4 characters from a roster of dozens, each with different weapons and abilities.”
    • “While maintaining the classic chaos and mayhem characteristic of EDF, it introduces unique mechanics that distinguish it from the mainline series.”
    • “The ability to build a team of unique brothers and sisters and switch roles on the fly, along with the addition of ultimate abilities, adds a new layer of depth and management to single-player gameplay, which adds a fresh take on killing waves of space bugs.”
    • “Gameplay feels like an early to middle PS2 or Dreamcast Capcom game, in how simple overall it is.”
    • “Gameplay is extremely repetitive and boring.”
    • “What cripples it is the lack of reinforcement in gameplay.”
  • graphics63 mentions

    The graphics of "Earth Defense Force: World Brothers" feature a bright voxel art style reminiscent of LEGO and Minecraft, which has received mixed reactions from fans. While some appreciate the playful and kid-friendly aesthetic, others feel it detracts from the series' traditional appeal, labeling it as a departure from the more realistic visuals of previous entries. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as charming and suitable for a younger audience, though they may not satisfy all long-time EDF fans.

    • “It's classic EDF but cornier, with a very different art style (looks great in my opinion).”
    • “The voxel-based art style blends perfectly with the gameplay and humor.”
    • “I also really like the bright, voxel graphic style as well.”
    • “Many EDF fans took one look at Earth Defense Force: World Brothers' voxel-style graphics and dismissed this game as a Minecraft-esque, sub-par, shameless cash grab.”
    • “We spend hundreds of £'s on a powerful GPU/CPU but end up with Lego graphics....grrrrrrrrrr.”
    • “The graphics are indicative of a game that doesn't take itself seriously, which unlike other EDFs, is a drawback.”
  • humor42 mentions

    The humor in this game is a mix of light-hearted, Saturday morning cartoon-style jokes and self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking dialogue, often poking fun at anime tropes and cultural stereotypes. While some players appreciate the silliness and character interactions, others find the humor shallow or annoying, with a few noting that it lacks the classic charm of previous titles in the series. Overall, the comedic elements can be hit or miss, appealing to those familiar with the franchise while potentially alienating newcomers.

    • “The humor is wonderfully stereotyped on nationalities (no political correctness here), and has the lightest tone of the series with quips from your operator and your chosen soldiers galore.”
    • “The game's humor style, rather than the traditional self-aware but serious-toned b-movie cliche romp that is normal EDF humor, is an occasionally 4th-wall breaking totally silly style that pokes fun at some anime tropes and cliches.”
    • “Dialog and story are all still very much cheesy, but in a more meta style, where characters are commenting on the craziness of what's happening and breaking the fourth wall with comments like 'oh this is one of those 'see how tough the enemy is' battles where the creature can't be killed.'”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its cheerful and catchy nature, featuring a mix of classic tracks from previous EDF titles and new compositions that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the dynamic soundtrack that changes with character swaps, adding a layer of immersion and nostalgia. While some critiques mention the music can be overbearing at times, overall, it contributes positively to the game's fun and absurd atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack, as usual, is A+++ with tons of songs from past EDF games included along with another fun feature many may not notice!”
    • “You notice that when you switch characters, the stage music changes to match them (like when you switch to Dracula, you hear an organ start up).”
    • “Tons of fun with the character swapping and catchy soundtrack.”
    • “The music is cheerful, the characters are largely cheerful, the weapons are as absurd as ever, but instead of playing the same character and collecting a big fistful of different weapons, you wind up collecting different characters instead, and you run four at a time and can switch between them as you see fit.”
    • “While the EDF songs are back, they are just a copy from 4.1.”
    • “The style they've used has been done to death at this point, the music is beyond overbearing (though it suits the visual style perfectly), the menus are somehow worse for keyboard/mouse than they were in Iron Rain and the whole thing reeks of corporate inclusivity.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    The grinding aspect in EDF: World Brothers has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the streamlined farming system that reduces the need for repetitive mission runs, while others find it tedious due to the limited character rescues per level and the necessity to grind for armor and weapons. Although the game is less chaotic and offers a more approachable experience, many feel it sacrifices the decision-making and excitement of previous titles, leading to a grindy experience that can feel like a padding mechanism. Overall, while the grind is present, it is perceived as more manageable, albeit still somewhat tedious.

    • “Last character (there are 3 'unique' subtypes of everyone (alpha/beta/gamma)) took longer to find than doing all 60 missions on all 5 difficulties. Koala gamma just wouldn't show up even after the other 2 were maxed out, so I had to grind armor for several hours after the rest of the game was 'done'.”
    • “It’s short and grindy, and manages to cut out the decision-making that makes EDF special.”
    • “While Yukes made some great choices here, the insistence on not actually improving game mechanics or quality of life features is the bane of my existence and ultimately kills my enjoyment of EDF games. Having to run around giant maps to pick up armor and weapons makes grinding so much worse.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, "World Brothers" is praised for its solid optimization, running smoothly without frame drops even during online play, and offering more graphic options than previous titles. Players report flawless performance on high-end systems, though some mouse issues and pacing concerns may affect solo gameplay experience. The new mechanics for character acquisition and armor progression based on match performance are also well-received.

    • “World Brothers uses UE4, and while the graphic options aren't as granular as one would like, there are more options here than in the Sandlot titles, and the general performance itself is good.”
    • “Most well-optimized EDF there is, zero lag even on online play, and the new mechanic of getting characters is awesome.”
    • “Computer performance on an RTX 2060 has been flawless with everything at maximum at 2560 x 1080.”
    • “Instead, armor is given based on performance in the match, and you are given three random (sometimes, only one) teammates to rescue every mission.”
    • “Gaining armor for your characters seems to be automatic as you're no longer collecting armor crates from the field and it's based on performance.”
    • “Before each mission, you can now select a team of up to 4 squadmates that you can swap between at any time during the mission, and instead of just collecting new weapons and armor like in the other games, you instead find and rescue new characters you can take into battle, and armor is earned based on performance instead of collecting it.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players reporting smooth performance and no significant bugs during gameplay. However, alt-tabbing can lead to UI glitches, and online play may experience some bugs, though these issues do not detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “Other than that, the game runs great and I have not encountered any bugs in my first 6 hours.”
    • “When you alt-tab, it can cause glitches with the UI, making your mouse pointer out of place.”
    • “Progress is much easier than in previous games and encourages replaying with friends, even if the online experience is a little buggy.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of seriousness and goofiness, with many players noting that it features genuinely emotional moments. However, those without a prior attachment to the EDF series may want to explore gameplay videos before making a purchase.

    • “It took itself seriously, and was equal parts goofy and serious, with a lot of moments in 4.1 being genuinely emotional.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers has been criticized by fans, who view its voxel-style graphics as indicative of a low-quality, cash-grab experience, suggesting that the game is only worth a fraction of its price, around £10.

    • “Many EDF fans took one look at Earth Defense Force: World Brothers' voxel-style graphics and dismissed this game as a Minecraft-esque, sub-par, shameless cash grab.”
    • “Sadly but honestly, it's only worth £10; it's a cheap EDF cash grab.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players note that the game's mechanics enhance replayability by allowing for different character dynamics, which can improve the experience with characters that may not have been appealing at first.

    • “This also adds replay value and may make a character you initially don't like work a little better.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies available.”
    • “This game lacks the replayability factor; once you've completed it, there's little incentive to return.”
    • “The story is linear and doesn't change much with different choices, making multiple playthroughs feel redundant.”
    • “While the gameplay is enjoyable, the lack of diverse outcomes means I don't feel motivated to replay it.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging and entertaining writing, appealing particularly to fans of cheesy and "so bad it's good" content.

    • “As a lover of EDF, cheesy things, and 'so bad it's good' experiences, I can only give this game's writing and atmosphere the highest of thumbs up.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
4-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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