I acquired my pre-release key for Earth Protection Drive 6 on Monday of this week. Are you aware what number of missions these video games usually have? We’re speaking round 40 hours, a minimum of, and I’m fortunate to be awake for that many hours in per week.

The advertising and marketing supplies even say that that is the largest one but when it comes to mission rely. I’d say that I consider it, however it’s actually exhausting to inform. The narrative pacing is so uneven in these video games that it’s exhausting to say what a part of the arc (if there may be one) you’re even at. Huge unhealthy baddies get launched after which taken away till later. Tremendous weapons are developed after which disappear. It’s exhausting to get a deal with.

Which may sound like a grievance, however there’s quite a bit about Earth Protection Drive that you just simply take as-is. They’re removed from essentially the most refined video games, and any try and push them extra in that course would threaten their attraction and enchantment. So that you both settle for all of the tough bits and simply take pleasure in blasting ants into orbit, otherwise you don’t. Earth Protection Drive 6 doesn’t change that one bit.

Earth Protection Drive 6 (PS4, PS5, PC [Reviewed])
Developer: Sandlot Video games
Writer: D3Publisher
Launched: July 25, 2024
MSRP: $59.99

EDF 5 restarted the collection’ continuity for, like, the fifth time if we embrace the video games that weren’t developed by Sandlot. EDF 6 continues from there. It picks up a number of years after the invasion depicted within the earlier sport, and issues completely suck. The world is in ruins and humanity is totally failing in any effort to try to re-establish society.

The setup is completely different, inserting you in crumbling cities preventing off the remnants of the aliens who had been left behind, however it will likely be excruciatingly acquainted in the event you performed any of the earlier video games. You begin off with a tiny arsenal, preventing small teams of simple enemies, and issues develop from there. In the event you’ve been enjoying since 2007’s Earth Protection Drive 2017 like I’ve, the opening missions the place you’re simply taking out a number of ants with a peashooter may have gotten actually boring by now.

Additionally, undoubtedly skip the tutorial. It has a prologue the place you and a scientist dressed like a banker get moved to a brand new navy base. The commanding officer provides you this massively lengthy and boring speech. Then you definately’re given a fast rundown of some extraordinarily apparent controls. The one info that could be barely vital is that you just play as the identical protagonist because the earlier sport, and the person dressed as an accountant used to make weapons.

As soon as once more, you’ve gotten 4 courses. There’s the simple Ranger, the shapely Wing Diver, the supportive Air Raider, and the mechanized Fencer. Each has a very completely different playstyle, which is very helpful in multiplayer. Nevertheless, the EDF video games have by no means actually had a lot technique to them, so whereas every really feel and play fairly completely different, the distinction isn’t vastly impactful.

You’re as soon as once more preventing ants, which ultimately give method into weirder enemies. There are many new foes to face off with, however it’s the identical circulation.

The narrative is surprisingly compelling. Story shouldn’t be one thing you usually play EDF video games for, contemplating quite a lot of it’s advised by scratchy, one-sided radio conversations with fantastically over-acted voiceovers. It’s simply as clumsy in Earth Protection Drive 6, and whereas it’s not precisely nicely advised, it twists in ways in which I didn’t anticipate. I’m virtually on edge questioning what will occur subsequent.

Then again, I can’t stress sufficient how a lot EDF 6 is like EDF 5. The graphical upgrades are so minor that you just won’t even discover them. It nonetheless seems like a PS3 sport with a 4K texture pack.

In truth, if I needed to identify a single new function that was added, I might solely let you know that there’s a brand new sub-weapon slot. In fact, new weapons and monsters have been added, however that’s simply what you’d anticipate from a continuation. If EDF 6 wasn’t such a large sport, I’d say it ought to have simply been an enlargement pack.

I’ll get deeper into issues once I’m prepared to present you a full evaluation, however that’s the warning I wish to give in the event you’re desperate to click on the acquisition button on Earth Protection Drive 6. In the event you didn’t end EDF 5, you aren’t lacking a lot in the event you simply return and play that as a substitute. In the event you did end EDF 5, and need extra, then it is a protected buy. Earth Protection Drive 6 is assuredly extra Earth Protection Drive.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}