Earth Defense Force 6 on PS5

To me, the Earth Defense Force series exists to deliver the perfect comfort food games. Each new installment is similar enough to the one before so that you can easily drop back in, but there’s always a new gameplay wrinkle and enemies to encounter. You always know what you’re getting with any EDF, making it exceptionally easy to lose yourself in them, which is simply the best. I had imported the Japanese release of Earth Defense Force 6 in 2022, and I happily jumped at the chance to review the English release.

For anyone who has not heard of this long-running series, Earth Defense Force is a third-person mission-based shooter. At a base level, the game is all about shooting giant enemies (typically bugs) to collect the random weapons and max health upgrades they drop so that you can take on tougher enemies/difficulties. Earth Defense Force 6 is the first game in the franchise on the PS5, and it definitely shows, as it constantly feels like there are more enemies on screen than I’ve ever seen.