Earth Defense Force 2017
Encyclopedia
Earth Defense Force 2017, known in Japan as is a third-person shooter
developed by Sandlot
, and published by D3 Publisher
, for the Xbox 360
. It is the follow-up to Global Defence Force, and is the first game in the series (as well as the first game based on D3's Simple series
of budget games) to be released to North America
. EDF 3 was the best selling Games on Demand game in Japan for 2009.
EDF ground forces are formed around three basic groups; Scout Teams, Ranger Teams, and Storm Teams, which fulfill recon
, infantry
, and special ops functions, respectively. They are supplied with the latest weapons and equipment, and have hundreds of thousands of soldiers stationed on every continent.
In the year 2017, first contact is made when hundreds of UFOs proceed to hover over every major city across the globe, led by a massive mothership positioned over Tokyo, Japan. The aliens, dubbed Ravagers, initially make no aggressive action towards humanity. As the EDF is mobilized, giant acid spitting insects resembling ants begin to appear and attack humans. The protagonist is an unnamed Captain in Storm 1, a Japanese unit regarded as the best in the EDF, and helps exterminate the ants in Tokyo. Soon after, the UFOs start releasing more ants onto the ground, proving their hostile intentions. An air assault is attempted on the mothership, but is utterly destroyed by alien gunships. Giant mecha
and spider
-like insects are added to the fray, which contribute to already heavy losses. After weeks of brutal urban warfare, the surviving EDF forces abandon the cities and begin a guerrilla campaign in the rural areas.
While patrolling the Japanese countryside, Storm 1 is informed by command that an extensive alien nest is being built underground. From this nest, the Ravagers will be able to spawn an infinite number of bugs and bypass EDF defenses. Intelligence provided by Scout Teams shows that a single alien Queen is at the center of the nest, and its destruction will stop the production of the rapidly multiplying bugs. Storm 1 assaults the nest with the help of all available Ranger Teams, and successfully kills the Queen.
A few days later, Storm 1 assists a Scout Team with monitoring the mothership, which has landed on the Japanese coast and appears dormant, damaged, and defenseless. Oddly, it is observed sucking in huge amounts of air and releasing carbon dioxide, implying that the ship is more than a synthetic machine, and may be the hive
intelligence controlling the Ravagers . Command orders the Teams to assault the mothership with heavy weapons, but it re-activates and wipes out the Scout Team.
Before the Ravager mothership retreats, it drops a massive four-legged mecha on the coast, which uses a powerful plasma cannon to assault EDF positions. Storm 1 destroys the mecha before it can cause too much harm, and later neutralizes several cyborg creatures of Godzilla
proportions. While the Japanese contingent of the EDF continues to hold out, the rest of the world is soon overrun and enslaved. Japan stands as the last unoccupied territory.
All remaining insects and mechs on the ground make a beeline to the bombed-out ruins of Tokyo, where the mothership has stopped to repair and arm an enormous cannon, capable of destroying anything in its path. The remaining EDF forces move to block the Ravager advance so Storm 1 can destroy the mothership. In a climactic battle, Storm 1 focuses fire on the weak spots the cannon has revealed, and the mothership crashes to the ground, exploding in a huge fireball. The remaining Ravager forces become disorganized and flee.
The Earth Defense Force begins operations to free the occupied areas of Earth, and by 2019, the last of the Ravagers are wiped out. With the planet finally liberated, a collective chant of "EDF! EDF!" is heard across the globe.
To fight these alien forces the player can access over 150 weapons in the game, ranging from assault rifles and sniper rifles to rocket launchers, grenades and laser weapons. Only two weapons may be selected for each mission. Some levels also contain vehicles which can be commandeered; a tank
, a helicopter
, a hoverbike and a bipedal mecha
are available. The game takes place across 53 levels featuring destructible environments, taking place in settings such as cities and underground caves. There is no penalty for collateral damage that is inflicted on the environment by the player, for instance buildings will crumble after sustaining a single hit from a rocket launcher or grenade. Other EDF soldiers can be recruited or followed, and attack enemies on sight, as well as provide radio chatter.
There are five difficulty levels. More effective weapons are dropped by the enemies in the game at the higher difficulty levels, encouraging players to repeat the missions. In addition to weapons, armor enhancements which function as permanent maximum health bonuses are dropped along with healing items.
in his 9/10 Eurogamer
review; the game's strong emphasis on arcade-style gameplay, with massively destructive weapons and hordes of enemies, suggests that this may have been the driving philosophy behind its design. Some outlets however, have claimed that the game pales in comparison to its predecessor, which had a larger range of enemies, missions, weapons and a second playable character.
Earth Defense Force 2017 holds a Game Rankings
score of 70.67%.
was released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 5, 2011.
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
developed by Sandlot
Sandlot (video game developer)
Sandlot is a Japanese video game developer that is known for its very unusual and inventive control and gameplay mechanics. The company was founded in March of 2001 and is composed of former employees from Human Entertainment.-PlayStation 2:...
, and published by D3 Publisher
D3 Publisher
D3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...
, for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is the follow-up to Global Defence Force, and is the first game in the series (as well as the first game based on D3's Simple series
Simple series
The Simple series are a number of series of budget-priced console games, published by Japanese company D3 Publisher and developed by a variety of companies, covering many systems...
of budget games) to be released to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. EDF 3 was the best selling Games on Demand game in Japan for 2009.
Story
In 2013, radio waves from deep space are picked up by scientists, proving to humans that they were not alone in the universe. The Earth Defense Force, a unified multinational military sponsored by nearly every country, is founded a few years later, in case the aliens prove to be hostile.EDF ground forces are formed around three basic groups; Scout Teams, Ranger Teams, and Storm Teams, which fulfill recon
Recon
Recon may refer to:*Re-Con, alias of Mike Di Scala, a UK dance music producer*RECON , the River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network*Reconnaissance, a military term for gathering information...
, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, and special ops functions, respectively. They are supplied with the latest weapons and equipment, and have hundreds of thousands of soldiers stationed on every continent.
In the year 2017, first contact is made when hundreds of UFOs proceed to hover over every major city across the globe, led by a massive mothership positioned over Tokyo, Japan. The aliens, dubbed Ravagers, initially make no aggressive action towards humanity. As the EDF is mobilized, giant acid spitting insects resembling ants begin to appear and attack humans. The protagonist is an unnamed Captain in Storm 1, a Japanese unit regarded as the best in the EDF, and helps exterminate the ants in Tokyo. Soon after, the UFOs start releasing more ants onto the ground, proving their hostile intentions. An air assault is attempted on the mothership, but is utterly destroyed by alien gunships. Giant mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
-like insects are added to the fray, which contribute to already heavy losses. After weeks of brutal urban warfare, the surviving EDF forces abandon the cities and begin a guerrilla campaign in the rural areas.
While patrolling the Japanese countryside, Storm 1 is informed by command that an extensive alien nest is being built underground. From this nest, the Ravagers will be able to spawn an infinite number of bugs and bypass EDF defenses. Intelligence provided by Scout Teams shows that a single alien Queen is at the center of the nest, and its destruction will stop the production of the rapidly multiplying bugs. Storm 1 assaults the nest with the help of all available Ranger Teams, and successfully kills the Queen.
A few days later, Storm 1 assists a Scout Team with monitoring the mothership, which has landed on the Japanese coast and appears dormant, damaged, and defenseless. Oddly, it is observed sucking in huge amounts of air and releasing carbon dioxide, implying that the ship is more than a synthetic machine, and may be the hive
Hive
A hive may refer to a beehive, an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species live and raise their young.Hive may also refer to:-Arts:* The Hives, a Swedish rock band* Hive , a DJ and producer in the drum and bass music genre...
intelligence controlling the Ravagers . Command orders the Teams to assault the mothership with heavy weapons, but it re-activates and wipes out the Scout Team.
Before the Ravager mothership retreats, it drops a massive four-legged mecha on the coast, which uses a powerful plasma cannon to assault EDF positions. Storm 1 destroys the mecha before it can cause too much harm, and later neutralizes several cyborg creatures of Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
proportions. While the Japanese contingent of the EDF continues to hold out, the rest of the world is soon overrun and enslaved. Japan stands as the last unoccupied territory.
All remaining insects and mechs on the ground make a beeline to the bombed-out ruins of Tokyo, where the mothership has stopped to repair and arm an enormous cannon, capable of destroying anything in its path. The remaining EDF forces move to block the Ravager advance so Storm 1 can destroy the mothership. In a climactic battle, Storm 1 focuses fire on the weak spots the cannon has revealed, and the mothership crashes to the ground, exploding in a huge fireball. The remaining Ravager forces become disorganized and flee.
The Earth Defense Force begins operations to free the occupied areas of Earth, and by 2019, the last of the Ravagers are wiped out. With the planet finally liberated, a collective chant of "EDF! EDF!" is heard across the globe.
Gameplay
The player takes control of an EDF soldier who is part of the elite unit Storm 1.To fight these alien forces the player can access over 150 weapons in the game, ranging from assault rifles and sniper rifles to rocket launchers, grenades and laser weapons. Only two weapons may be selected for each mission. Some levels also contain vehicles which can be commandeered; a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
, a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, a hoverbike and a bipedal mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
are available. The game takes place across 53 levels featuring destructible environments, taking place in settings such as cities and underground caves. There is no penalty for collateral damage that is inflicted on the environment by the player, for instance buildings will crumble after sustaining a single hit from a rocket launcher or grenade. Other EDF soldiers can be recruited or followed, and attack enemies on sight, as well as provide radio chatter.
There are five difficulty levels. More effective weapons are dropped by the enemies in the game at the higher difficulty levels, encouraging players to repeat the missions. In addition to weapons, armor enhancements which function as permanent maximum health bonuses are dropped along with healing items.
Reception
Reviewers pointed out the game suffered from relatively poor graphics, a lack of many standard features and characteristically poor voice acting. However, the game still received solid reviews from western critics, whose general consensus was that the game is "inexplicably fun". Some advocate it as a "gamers' game" with nothing in the way of the pure game, like Kieron GillenKieron Gillen
Kieron Gillen is a British computer games and music journalist, as well as a comic book author. Gillen has worked for many years as a video game journalist and has, more recently, worked on various comics. He is perhaps best known for his creator-owned comic Phonogram, created with artist Jamie...
in his 9/10 Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
review; the game's strong emphasis on arcade-style gameplay, with massively destructive weapons and hordes of enemies, suggests that this may have been the driving philosophy behind its design. Some outlets however, have claimed that the game pales in comparison to its predecessor, which had a larger range of enemies, missions, weapons and a second playable character.
Earth Defense Force 2017 holds a Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
score of 70.67%.
Sequel
Earth Defense Force: Insect ArmageddonEarth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is a third-person shooter developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and published by D3 Publisher, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Earth Defense Force 2017.-Story:...
was released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 5, 2011.