The Secret Genius of Earth Defense Force's Storytelling - Building Character

Get Earth Defense Force 4.1 for Steam here!: www.humblebundle.com/store/ea...
Earth Defense Force is a game that has a reputation of not having a story, or at least not one worth talking about, so why exactly am I talking about it? Today I put the often overlooked narrative design of Sandlot's Giant Insect squashing simulation under the magnifying glass to see if there is anything we can learn and why EDF might have something in common with professional wrestling.
Special Thanks to Michael Hillard for creating the EDF Jazz!
The EDF Jazz Song: • The EDF Jazz Singers
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Disclaimer: The following documentary is intended for the purpose of educating viewers on game design by examining and critiquing a work of art. Any views, experiences, criticisms, and opinions are my own and are intended to be subjective. This video may also contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Its purpose and design are intended to be used under "fair use". If you are the copyright owner and you believe the content found in this video has been used in an unauthorized manner, or have any questions or concerns regarding the content found in this video, feel free to contact me at [e-mail]
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[@XxTaiMTxX]

I am one of those players that needs a reason to be shooting things. It isn't enough to just slap me into a field and ask me to slaughter stuff for XP or money or whatever. I need a larger goal. I picked up EDF from the "Games With Gold" program on Xbox after having played the US version of the game (which wasn't bad, but was annoying in that it was basically not a completed game and it left the story hanging). EDF has given me the perfect reason to always be shooting the enemies I'm shooting. The radio chatter is something I've generally always paid attention to, even though I've basically only ever played these games in multiplayer. My friends and I will laugh at the cornball dialogue, but if you're listening to the dialogue, you can feel the tonal shift. Not just in the game, but in the players. There is a point somewhere around the midpoint of the games. There's a mission that shows this off pretty immediately. This mission is different for each game. For EDF 2025, this mission is the one with the giant empty and destroyed city at dusk. You have a sniper team meant to support you and kill all the bugs before they get to you. This works... for a little while. But, the bugs keep getting closer and closer. Players playing more "intelligently" attempt to keep the snipers alive as their attacks are pretty powerful and hit multiple enemies. So, you charge forward and draw as much fire as you can. Except... the enemies don't quit coming. The sniper team is pretty much always wiped out. Then, it's just you. You and like 300 spiders and red ants. The tone of the game has shifted and so has the tone of the players. There's no more "making fun of the cheesey dialogue" beyond this point usually. Usually, it all turns into, "this is what we have to do to win the level and kill them all." The "victory lap" mentality of previous levels is replaced with "this is a very real threat and we can't be screwing around anymore". The music, the narrative, and the levels switch over the tone immediately. it's so clever and subtle that you don't even notice it. The dropships stay further and further out of range and begin moving to keep you from killing them. The Deroys attempt to stay away from you while pelting you with their legs and trying to keep you stunlocked. Giant insects with their highly damaging attacks begin appearing in multiples on the surface where there is no terrain to cheese them. The enemy appears in such crazy high numbers that your only options are to attempt to "take them out" slowly and constantly, utilizing the whole map to avoid damage. Then the ceilings show up. Enemies that can blast you anywhere and render all cover pointless. The only "cover" you get is to just kill the guns on a section of map so that you take LESS incoming gunfire. The game shifts the player over into "desperation" at the same time the narrative shifts over. Where players would once keep enemies alive to snag all the goodies and get their unlocks and more armor... That's dangerous to do now. Players aren't "farming" the levels as much anymore. They're taking "breaks" in the middle of the carnage to grab the pickups because they now need the health as well. They're looking for ways to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible to minimize threat.| EDF carries this off flawlessly in my experience. This is the narrative. The players are so engrossed in it that they are as desperate as the voices on the comms chatter. Because the game is communicating to you the exact same thing the voices are. You've had "easy" missions up until now. Now, you're dealing with the terrible consequences of that.

[@PhattBudz]

there is a story in the funny big bug game? i just like shooting the funny big bugs.

[@xxdagrimreaperxx5803]

@@PhattBudz There are two types of people.

[@lichylickyrick8864]

I experienced this when I was playing Global Defence Force years ago on my PS2, basically it's the mid-point of the game, and you've come this far during the invasions, now it's the showdown between you and the mothership, ofc you ended up bringing down the huge thing off the sky. Afterward, for a few missions, you're tasked to eliminate the remaining bugs/aliens, until suddenly the biggest UFO you'll ever seen in your entire life appeared out of nowhere while you're cleaning what's left of the invaders, it seriously shocked me as a kid when this happens, knowing I had to fight this thing. At this point in the game onward, the threats are ramping up, it actually felt hopeless, no more joking around, or else the earth wouldn't survive this time.

[@faceless2387]

Basically the Gameplay is the Story

[@ARStudios2000]

@@lichylickyrick8864 I was playing it on emulator and when that happened the first time to me, I was actually shocked I was expecting a surprise swarm of ants. Maybe spiders. I wasn't expecting a whole new ass ship that dwarfed the previous one, and a new enemy type. That caught me offguard

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

The best way to kind of summarize EDF 4.1: In this game, you are the hero, so powerful that you can wipe out armies of giant insects and robots and dragons. The problem is, you can only do so *wherever you are* and the enemy is attacking *everywhere you aren't.* Even if the enemy can't kill you, it will kill everyone except for you. And they can, because you're the hero, and as such *no one else can stop them.* It takes the "Only the Protagonist can save the day" mentality, and uses it against you.

[@ZynetESLD]

That's...oh my god...that's actually genius...that's an incredible way of taking the chosen one idea, and having it be the thing that leads to your downfall. You are the hero, the chosen one, the prophesied to solve all the problems. But, you can't. They are everywhere. And you can't be everything everywhere all at once. You go in all gung ho, thinking, "YES. ITS TIME TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I CAN DO!!!" But, despite you claiming a victory, you've lost far more. And, it just keeps happening. You begin to see, the hero cannot solve all problems. Because at the end of the day, they are one being. And they cannot be everywhere at once. Imagine that being something used to transition from a high octane action game, into a real psychological horror, that starts to drain the world of its color, fun and more. You lose power, you become weaker, and you take more pain. You are less action filled, trying to gut your foes in rapid succession for points. In fact, by this point, your HUD is practically gone. The score count, the fun visuals, the stylish animations, the over the top violence, it's gone. you're barely hanging on, and your attacks are weaker. The animations, are far more desperate and filled with pain. Its gruesome, and cringeworthy to witness. A pain that you cant help but watch. Having to do barbaric, if not monstrous actions just to survive. And, in the end, you do defeat the enemy. But, you did not succeed in your mission. Everyone and everything is dead. And you are filled with the harshest reality. The you did what all heroes are supposed to do. Defeat those who seek to defeat them. But, not all can complete their mission. Isolated, Alone, Guilt ridden, and forced to confront that they could have never truly won, and saved the day. They did everything right, and it would never be enough. You cannot win by yourself. You hyper focus on one point and everything else is forgotten. You need comradery, friendship, allies, and brotherhood. Connections, unity and teamwork, to truly push through and make it through. Together, we are stronger than any hero spoken of in scroll, text, carving or passage.

[@nathanhepworth-smith9021]

FUCKING BARS WTF

[@igodreamer7096]

Indeed. Interesting summary, my friend.

[@watermelongaming3698]

Honestly, it's kinda like the original Halo trilogy in the regard. Master Chief is built different, but humanity is ultimately losing and only ends up winning because the Covenant has a civil war. The real main difference is that in EDF, YOU are part of those massive battles. YOU take part in what are normally cutscenes or backgrounds. Instead of watching a massive military charge, you actively take part in it. Seeing one of the main ships explode in a cutscene in Halo? F*ck it, FIGHT THE MOTHERSHIP YOURSELF in EDF with nothing but ground troops!

[@quinncowden2711]

I mean, that's Halo Reach. You lose every fight you aren't in, your teammates are killed one by one, until it's just you.

[@KingFossilFER]

There is a main character, Storm Team. Some NPCs do comment on how its the same team who took down the ravagers' first invasion, earning them a legendary status yet they are unaware you are right next to them as they mention it.

[@SoberDwarf]

That's a good point, though I would argue that's not so much a 'character' in the traditional sense as much as it is using world-building, lore and good storytelling to really drive home the overall narrative of the game and sort of exemplifying your contributions as a player. It never really builds Storm Team as a central role or ever gets into their motivations or personal stories. It's more just an idea or concept of a character.

[@DrNaz]

@@SoberDwarf it makes it better that you end up saving everyone being just a random soldier /team. Not a hero, just a regular guy.

[@philflorence590]

Storm Team is a Legend. Not in the sense of "Oh my God, you guys are soo cool!", but in the actual legend sense. Storm Team are the mythical men and women who you talk about around a campfire, telling insane stories about how they singlehandedly stopped the destruction of an entire city. Despite facing swarms of bugs, drones, dragons, Hectors and Duroys all at the same time. For you, even just a few bugs could overwhelm you. But Storm Team, they can do anything.

[@BAGELMENSK]

"Why did you get married?" "Couldn't help it!" Better, more concise character development than a lot of games actually

[@danielm.595]

A perfectly normal conversation to have while being melted/bitten/shot to death.

[@DschungelKatze]

"For my wife"

[@grindyvin9354]

​@@DschungelKatzethen instantly died Damn

[@essex3777]

EDF Audio only comes in two flavors. Blood-curdling panicked screams and Anime one-liners

[@SoberDwarf]

You forgot to mention confused confirmation. "Giant Ants are attacking!" "Did you say the Ants were Giant?"

[@jack-exzolt9858]

And some barbeque.

[@koboldcrusader]

oh, and also *A B S O L U T E F A N A T I C A L P A T R I O T I S M*

[@VeraVemaVena]

Don't forget the command headquarters guy after the Earth Eaters just appeared. "All units, engage in battle!" my brother in Christ, this is a brand new enemy spaceship that we have no idea as to how it functions or fights, how are we supposed to take them down? I mean at this point, the basic hexagons didn't have cannons and it was only the occasional giant cannon or spawner, not what you see in the 3 missions where you actually fight them. Also, is it me or do some of the Ranger dialogues in the dub sound a lot like the Marines from Halo? For a hot second I thought Chips Dubbo saw the state of the franchise and jumped ship.

[@reinbeers5322]

There's another one, even in the later missions in EDF5 when everything's going to shit... "We can't allow illegal immigration!"

[@catowarmeowson9964]

Its not a single mission, but a bunch of missions near the end of the game after all hope is lost, one buy one people start coming back, attack craft, air support and even the commander where gone for a few missions, but as they come back near the end of the game, THAT made me love EDF's story

[@frankeyification]

No joke it brought a tear to my eye when on the last mission I was all alone then backup arrived and saved me. EDF!!

[@randomusernameCallin]

I will never forget in EGF 2017 on the last mission the Commander keep getting bad reports after bad reports. Then the observer asked to do in. At the same time, the forces with you get whiled out. The actor just sells the moment he the commander's comment about how you continue to fight.

[@night1952]

@@frankeyification "EDF doesn't leave men behind. Ever."

[@UNSCrearadmiral]

"Attack craft whale returning returning to combat area" "What? You'll be shot down by the flying drones" "We know the risks, but we can't leave the infantry to die"

[@ZynetESLD]

THE EDF DEPLOYS!!!!!!

[@TheGlamourNazi]

"The game sure has it's share of flaws." Would you say that they're.... Bugs? WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA

[@notafirewolf]

It's City Flaws. . .I'll leave now

[@SlimShady-tc5mb]

Hehehe.... I'll open the door for you sir, now get out!!

[@notafirewolf]

Thanks

[@sometimesitbelikedat2529]

Ba-dum-tss.

[@ouchanrrul1591]

Mission 109 of EDF 5 is my favorite. How everyone already lost hope, and the only reason we're attacking mothership 11 is so we can at least cause some damage before finally losing. The speech of the commander, and how you realize you found the flagship. And even after getting massacred by spinning cannons, they realize someone is giving their all still. Storm 1. And then you literally shoot god to death.

[@DisIngRaM]

Yeah, and the buildup before that, the "egg shaped" alien vessel. Only to find out during last struggle that Mothership 11 is the "egg shaped" alien vessel. And at the final stage, the mention of "Operation Omega" Honestly I LOLed hard at it, but at the same time understand, it's do or die situation.

[@oldreaddy3341]

One of the characters during the final boss fight said that "God" was a "superior being" with unlimited power, yet storm 1 just kills it basically single handedly... Who's the superior being now?

[@reinbeers5322]

That last mission on god's final stage, where the three members of mission control still watching are yelling Storm 1 in the comms, seeing as someone is still fighting despite how strong the enemy is. There's a survivor, that's us. Humanity's fate, their last chance is down to a one versus one consisting of a literal god against... one EDF infantry soldier. There's a few rangers at the start, but they go down eventually. Even the elite Fencers, Wing Divers, and the Sergeant will go down eventually (though at least the sergeant survives, heard he's in EDF6) and it's all you again. In one of the missions before that, the last surviving members of the Nix team thank Storm 1 for showing them the true spirit of humanity. The Spriggans and Grim Reapers will do this too when you recruit them during the final mission. It's really amazing how they manage to convey all this with no cutscenes and merely escalation of difficulty coupled with audio messages you hear during those levels.

[@DschungelKatze]

@@oldreaddy3341 I may or may not said to myself "I am the god here" after killing that guy

[@emily_vins]

Reinforcements from Grim Reapers and the voice of the Sergeant makes you smile and even cry from this moment.

[@blackfield1355]

In EDF 4.1 mission Bug King is what shook me when during I brief moment of piece I heard "More than half of the Earth population has been whiped out" I realized that we in deeeeeep

[@SoberDwarf]

Yeah, that was such a good moment. People sleep on EDF's story as just a joke but it is seriously really good in a lot of spots.

[@blackfield1355]

@@SoberDwarf after posting my initial comment I realized that in EDF 2025/4.1 humanity experiencing world wide extermination at extremely fast rate, this is the feeling that I been missing in Mass effect 3 you don't get to hear how bad things are, you seeing this yourself, and surviving just in spite to Ravagers.

[@blackfield1355]

@@SoberDwarf and in late missions when HQ just goes into despair in panic you can hear it in their voice. (First dragon encounter was best moment especially if you got air raider in your team who was so reliant on air strikes and such, he is the first to feel it)

[@SoberDwarf]

Haha, I never thought I would say that EDF told a better story than a Bioware game but here we are!

[@blackfield1355]

@@SoberDwarf well granted in mass effect 3 we are glorified ambassador, but I would wish that taking back Earth part would be longer and had more fucked up scenes dragon age origins deep roads style. But oh well since all big Bioware names had left the company long time ago, as anthem showed us, that company is a husk of a former self

[@rafaelnobrega9574]

One other, also amazing detail on the brute force mission is the *sheer determination* of the air force in it. Despite the drones covering the sky, you still hear the Whale's crew shouting "We can't leave the ground forces alone!", or "Ground support, remember you're not alone, you still have friends in the air!" That was absolutely exhilarating as the air support came back

[@reinbeers5322]

Air Raider, even if you can't see us we'll always be above! The gunship is awesome.

[@phonsenajan8655]

You know the real shit is going down when you hear a bomber wing turning back to the battle and suffering through at least 50% loss just to get a run in for the boys on the ground. One of my favorite moments in the game

[@doneedanickname3522]

If I'm not wrong, the bombers you call in actually do have collision and can crash if it gets hit or flies into something like a building. I can almost swear that I've seen the bombers sacrifice themselves to do a bombing run despite the run being in a direct collision course with a Mothership, and it was the greatest thing ever

[@Sir_Duckyweather]

“But, on our Earth, there's no water for aliens.”

[@fataloath]

That's epic!

[@DarkMar1ne]

Brute Force is so much more dramatic in multiplayer. I've had lobbies where one person sacrifices himself to distract the Hectors because all the NPCs were annihilated earlier (because of the harder enemies in online). Meanwhile the other three are desperately rushing towards the shield bearers. I've also had many a moment where a low HP teammate is facing 5 Hectors charging their weapons, aimed at him, only to be destroyed in the nick of time thanks to fellow players. Wing Diver and Fencer players tend to pull off amazing rescues during and after the flying Drone phase. This mission is so ridiculous and over the top, it brings out a bit of heroism in everyone. I love it.

[@migueeeelet]

And let's admit, it's also a very fun mission!

[@knighteddrifter363]

Fencer master race

[@robshambo9979]

@@knighteddrifter363 I don't have the patience for the grinding. I got edf 2025 not 4.1 but I assume it's the same shit but with less bugs and more insects 😂

[@JTruong3rd]

Funny thing when you mention that, My team had an Air raider that was getting surrounded and instead of waiting for people to bail him out he choose to call an airstrike on his location, all of the airstrikes essentially not only killing himself but also killing every cosmonaut in the vicinity.

[@comyuse9103]

@@JTruong3rd if you aren't willing to detonate a nuclear bomb at your own feet then you aren't air raider material

[@knighteddrifter363]

When this is all over you owe me the most expensive thing on the menu

[@SoberDwarf]

I'll ask my wife.

[@knighteddrifter363]

@@SoberDwarf that's the rumor

[@NozomuYume]

A quick correction -- the radio chatter story was *ALWAYS* there even in the PS2 EDFs. You'd never know that if you only played the European versions because they didn't want to pay to dub the voices, but they didn't want to leave the Japanese voices in either, so the missions are played in radio silence. Play the Japanese version and the same style of storytelling is there in every scream when an alien superweapon annihilates someone, or when you learn the dire state of humanity as they fall to enemy forces.

[@UnknownSquid]

Valuable comment.

[@Manic_Panic]

What? Damn I missed out because I had EDF2 (GDF) on PS2. The game always felt very lonely with no troops or radio, you were always on your own so I just assumed story wise, things were going well since I kept clearing out every mission.

[@KamenRiderRaiden]

For somethin that started as a "Simple 2000" Game, that tracks *a LOT*

[@migueeeelet]

On the "Grim storytelling", I can see the type of horror they're playing with. While you are in a city living a complete power fantasy and ticking the "5000 bugs annihilated" mark, you hear how other places aren't having it easy, how they are losing, how people are dying. At a certain point, it is clear that despite your best efforts and your impressive feats, you can't do anything. It's playing with your power. It makes you feel like you're powerless to stop this. You might kill all the bugs and robots, but by then, will anyone still be alive? I must say, making a overpowered player feel powerless to incite horror is one heck of a hard job to do right. Also you kinda forgot how the music tags along. The most noticeable example is, when there's few enemies left, the music changes to a more cheerful, "EDF-theme" sort of track. But during parts like Brute Force's support retreat, the music changes to a more creepy, eerie one. A track that makes you think "Is this even possible?"

[@knighteddrifter363]

I FORGOT THE BULLETS!

[@ronniec8218]

Well written.

[@brendenhawley2225]

Playing though edf 5 and it amazing how that games makes you feel like your a symbol of hope, (i love the moment where the fellow teammates bbecome convinced that is a secret weapon at your prior missions) at the same time things just get worse and worse, levels like the brutal battlefield send chills down one spine, as what was two missions ago a massive war sequence devolves into a increasing desperate struggle for survival

[@Axius27]

It really doesn't matter how powerful the game makes you feel, because the radio chatter makes it clear that this is a global conflict. Sure, you could purge the city of all the insects and aliens, maybe even destroy one of their big guns. But you can only be in one place at a time. The enemy has overwhelming force on their side, and this game is so good at showing that

[@MrWhiskey282]

Idk, my friends and I played through 4.1 on hard mode our first time through and our struggle to win every fight was amplified by the radio chatter. We had no power fantasy, we saw ourselves as as just an exceptionally lucky squad of guardsmen. Hearing everybody else losing while we were barely holding the line filled us with the determination we needed to win.

[@danielboll52]

To mention earnest, a line from mission 74 in EDF 5 earned its way into my friend group: “TRY DODGING THAT, DUMBASS!”

[@UNSCrearadmiral]

My buddy just started and mains air raider, got to the missions where the dragon come in and you lose air support and vehicles. Once he heard "Fortess Aircraft Carrier Despina has picked all survivors" followed by friendly air strikes, he damn near cried in relief

[@wendy5256]

Edf 4.1 has a great story. Its like not in your face, but there are some great plot points, such as the first queen mission when one of the rangers announced everyone was dead, and you can later recruit a lone ranger who is so greatful, or the whispers of a hero. Its goofy as hell. Edf's story is simple and that makes it great. Like the epic poems of old english.

[@SoberDwarf]

Right, the story itself isn't complex or in-depth, but they take it and run it for all that it's worth which is sometimes better than having a huge story and not exploring it fully.

[@umbaupause]

Okay, I just finished EDF 4.1 , and I actually turned up the volume of the voice acting because it just got me by the end. Here is how I felt by the end. Uh spoilers I guess? That moment in the final mission when the commander just asks why the fight is even still going on, who the heck is still out there fighting, after all your allies have been all but eradicated, after missions and missions of you in barren wastelands and against overwhelming waves of enemies... That's when I realized that Storm Team was really the very very last line of defense. That was just me, focussed on hitting that dang boss with my sniper rifle while fending of actual dragons and flying laser drones, and it felt so strangely amazing. That was just some ranger out there, and he was gonna pull through, cause as long as there is still one guy with a big fat rifle and a couple of bullets left, they have not won yet. What a rush.

[@KingLies]

It gets so tiring hearing people playing on Normal difficulty say the game is mindless and has no depth. I'm 300 hours into EDF 5 and I'm still strategising how to beat it on Inferno even with a party of 4 players. This game has huge depth and the weapon variety opens up a huge area of creativity that other games simply do not offer. What other game lets you plop some shields and turrets on a motorcycle and then ride between the legs of giant frogs blowing their limbs off? Or lets you level an entire city with airstrikes and mortars, with hundreds of enemies on screen that also get blown into pieces? Or lets you hop into a gigantic Megazord robot and punch Godzilla? This is one of those games that constantly baffles me that it's not more popular. It's strategic, it's tactical, it's chaotic, it's challenging, it's creative, and most of all - it's FUN.

[@DisIngRaM]

Agree, players should start the game directly at HARD difficulty, then tackle hardest, then inferno without deliberate armor farming. Then only EDF magic will hit them.

[@KingLies]

@@DisIngRaM The best about EDF is that every game improves on the previous game in every sense. Fencer had to dash cancel for mobility in EDF 4? Let's make it part of his base kit in EDF 5. Lots of weapons in 4 were joke or novelty. Let's make the vast majority of weapons useful in 5. Air Raider gimped with only 2 weapon slots in 4. Lets give him 3 slots in 5. Air Raider air strikes either a thrown grenade or marker that usually miss in 4. Let's make it stick in 5. More weapon variety. More builds. Cool enemies with interesting mechanics like blowing off limbs but still being able to fight.. I could go on, but every single thing that was a bit annoying in EDF 4 has been improved or revamped in 5. The devs care about the community. The game is awesome. It just needs more players.

[@linkersjacken8032]

For someone who played these games on normal mode as the first time. The game is not mindless and had depth in it. I mean sure the beginning missions are easy but can be expected to any games since it gave you the time to get used to environment, gameplay, controlling, weapons, npcs and story(although the story is so simple and B-movies style people had stopped pay attention to it. Luckily I don't 😆) before the difficulty started to kick in.

[@linkersjacken8032]

@@DisIngRaM normal mode is doing just fine on their own. I already feel EDF magic to it.

[@aurtosebaelheim5942]

@@DisIngRaM I'd say start at normal and go up to hard once it becomes too easy. Going straight to hard has some really wonky difficulty spikes early in the game depending on what class you play. On any difficulty past normal, the first flying drone mission is one of the hardest or most tedious in the game because there's a decent chance you just don't have the tools needed to deal with that many flying enemies. I seem to remember both the drone mission and one of the first hector missions being utter nightmares on hard in 4.1 because most of the weapons that kill them effectively only start dropping a few missions later.

[@Elfangor567]

Playing EDF 5's DLC missions has made me realize how important the story is. Yes, the missions are incredibly difficult and well-put together, but it's just not the same without the story-relevant radio-chatter. I found myself making up a story where these missions were the American perspective on the war, and we were playing essentially the NA version of Storm Team. This is, of course, nonsense and not supported at all by the game, but the gameplay felt kind of hollow without that classic EDF story behind it.

[@linkersjacken8032]

Yep even Japanese community complained about it. 😂

[@galacticheroman]

The whole "So Bad it's Good" stigma put into EDF kind of pisses me off. Everything always felt consistent, the Gameplay was satisfying and bombastic, the story was put in just the right place to keep the action flowing like a river, and ever since I picked up on the series: I couldn't put it back down. It should be "So Good it's Good." I've only really played EDF 4.1 and 5, and I've only looked into the other games in the series on the wiki and various videos, but by god: There's a reason I have 1,500+ hours in 4.1 and I'm currently on my way to 200+ in 5. The serious portions of the story for these games may keep more to the background to let the Gameplay, Music, Over-the-top nonsense, and more of its strengths take to the front. But like I said before, and I'll keep saying to the end of time: When EDF wants to be serious? *It gets serious.* This video, Mr. Sober, has acted as a reminder as to why I cried at times while listening to the higher-ups on the radio during my first time playing 4.1. A reminder to why I started loving this franchise in the first place. A reminder as to why I seemed to have joined the Cult of EDF. This video holds the same Soul, Heart, and Hint of Magic that I felt while playing this game... and it knocked my ass down like I was smashed by a truck. Thank you, SoberDwarf, for this amazing in-depth look into the world I came to love.

[@galacticheroman]

Oh. Well, uh... shit. Thanks for the heart, my man. But hey, here's something you kind of missed that I forgot about for a bit. It's hinted by the Dialogue of the Infantry, over the course of the game, that you are the same soldier who managed to destroy the Mothership 8 Years ago in the war of 2017 in this continuation. The same "Storm 1" who had managed to destroy countless Giant Insects and Ravagers by themselves. Then, when you managed to save the day: You suddenly vanish leaving everyone to forget about you over the course of 8 Years. That is, until the Veterans from The War of 2017 began to recount their days when the Ravagers first appeared. Besides that? This game has such a clean, blank slate for your character that it's still a self insert that you can set up in any way you want. Hell, for those who like to take a look at the bigger picture: Pretty much everything is close to being a blank slate except for gameplay. But massive potential for headcanons aside: You still did a fantastic job covering everything else. Once again: Props to you, Soberdwarf.

[@SoberDwarf]

I didn't forget about that, it's just when you are working on making a video like this you really have to pick your battles when it comes to what you discuss. Otherwise it sort of just becomes a mess and I always like to leave things for players to discover things on their own. My goal with these videos is to sort of highlight a certain section to get people interested in exploring it for themselves. I mean, if I tried to describe everything in EDF, this video would be an hour long because there is so many good moments. Thank you though! I really appreciate it!

[@galacticheroman]

Understandable, Mr. Dwarf. Have a good day. But hey. While I have your attention for whatever reason... have you been playing 5 at all? I think it's story, though it does have some great ideas, feels a bit weaker than 4.1's. One of the biggest strengths of a monster, in plenty of cases, *how vague they are kept.* After all, with the rule of less is more: Less information is more interesting. In these cases, it's how vague the alien race itself actually is. For example, in 4.1: We're left asking nothing but questions about the Ravagers, because the game doesn't say ANYTHING about them. Were they trying to take the resources of the planet? Do they just hate humans for some reason? Was this attack started for some greater purpose? Did the machines have masters controlling them? Are they weapons gone rogue? Are the machines making the decisions? Are they an entire race of Biomechanical Monsters that exist just to kill? Like you said, a loss of information is a lot more terrifying, and interesting, than an enemy that's well known. The EDF's response to all of these different questions, at least in this game, is *WHO CARES?!* THEY'RE DESTROYING OUR PLANET! We need to focus more of our research into making weapons and training soldiers, not studying their reasons! GET THE HELL OUT THERE AND START KICKING ASS! That is the BEST response they could possibly give, because at the end of 2017: Sure, a lot of people died. But a lot more people managed to survive until 4.1. In 5? They wasted too much time asking the same questions that 4.1 did about the Primers, and trying to *answer* them. I won't go into more about that if you don't want spoilers, but I'll just say this: Because the Aliens we encounter we know for a fact is capable of cognitive thought, they're much less interesting compared to the War Machines of the Ravagers. There's one thing for certain, those machines know only one order: *K I L L .* But hey. For the trade off? The Human Characters seem to be the more interesting ordeal here. Including the Protagonist. In the beginning: How are you, a civilian that was handed a gun, much more capable in combat than the fully trained soldiers that you follow for survival? Sure, yeah. The Security Guard Ranger likely held a gun before, and the Wing Diver was a Pilot so they make a bit of sense. But the Engineer Air Raider, and the Construction Guard Fencer? They received a bit of training from the Sargent, but they're flat out civilians who could NEVER have been given guns before. So how do they know to use them so well at the start? Speaking of the Air Raider, if you decide to use Air Raids during the Civilian Prologue: They question how you even know the codes to call in for them in the first place. Then there's the stories of some of the NPC characters that I won't get into, because again: Spoilers. But hopefully, I got you thinking there too.

[@SoberDwarf]

@@galacticheroman Sadly, I haven't been able to play 5. My budget for newer games has been really tight this year and EDF5 is on a long list of games I need to get when I have the chance. I have heard from a few people who had played it and shared our sentiments had similar concerns but I haven't even so much as looked up a let's play for it because I want to get into it completely virgin.

[@galacticheroman]

Once again, Understandable Mr. Dwarf. I will avoid saying any spoilers. Have a good day.

[@SeniorBriefkasten]

The last mission really did it for me. Being all alone and only hearing how everything is lost on radio. And then after realizing that you are still fighting they send what feels like the last remaining edf forces to help you. I think they conveyed feeling hope so amazing.

[@stevenlong959]

The story of EDF as I understand it can be summarized as: Commander “Bad things are happening!” Storm 1 (the player character) *Cowabunga it is!*

[@edelbrock443]

People give the graphics shit, but those building interiors are are legit, and the textures are very high resolution especially since you will probably just be blowing the building up from 100 meters away anyway and dodging webs and acid and flying through the sky. They give the story shit, but I feel like I'm genuinely fighting a losing battle near the ends of these games. The two main things people say are bad about EDF are just flat out false.

[@doneedanickname3522]

FINALLY somebody gives credit to the design of EDF. I have always been fascinated by how building destruction worked in EDF, to me it's one of the core pieces of EDF's design that cements the raw strength of everything around you. Not just that, but the accuracy of the damage you can do to buildings is, imo, greater than even games like Teardown. It just feels so, so POWERFUL, when either side is the cause of it. Air Raider's strikes or Mobile Base's artillery, the flattening of buildings completely adds to the experience and I love every single bit of it People don't give enough credit to the sound design of EDF. Not just voice acting, but the sounds of everything from the lasers to the death rattles of the insects is really something else imo. People say the graphics were sacrificed for the swarms of insects, and I partly agree however there are so many other things that count as 'design' in games that people overlook for EDF it's mind-boggling. Even the UI is pretty damn good (except the voice chat, but what can you do about that when there's so many options lol)

[@jorcornel558]

Having recently played EDF 4.1, I never took it as a "So bad its good" type game. Thats a description i reserve for things that are actually poorly made and are accidentally fun, and EDF is not poorly made. Its a game I found so Endearing due to how much soul was poured into it, unlike other big studio games released even recently. It was made to be a genuine, fun experience, and this is reflected in the English Dub. The voice actors know how dumb this game is and they just fully roll with it, and gave it their all.

[@night1952]

This is definetly one of the reasons i love EDF. I love how organic it feels. The news are doing their thing, often trying to spin a narrative while command is brutally honest until some of the operators start losing their minds, you hear reports of other units struggling or maybe one of the carriers that has been giving you direct air support has been destroyed. I mostly missed it on EDF4.1, specially the first time i played it but in EDF5 i was really into it.

[@uria3679]

To summarize: EDF is the kind of game that CoD players hate and Doom players love

[@johnfkennedyinanopentopcar8976]

As someone who loves doom and likes cod EDF 4.1 is the best

[@watermelongaming3698]

In EDF 4(.1) and 5, Fencer gives me the perfect feeling I search/want when seeing something like DOOM or Ultrakill. Basically, it looks and feels complicated and awesome, but is actually relatively easy to pull off.

[@knightsona7782]

My friend introduced me to this game at his house it was just so fun. So much that I bought it myself so we could play during Covid. Something about it was just so alluring. The main thing for me was the amazing weapons and shoot-em-up gameplay, but as I actually spent the time to go through the missions I noticed those small things that make up the game's story. At one point, I'm not sure which mission it was but I remember saying, "The radio's really quiet this time...and we're all alone." I truly felt that hopelessness that I thought I'd only feel in something like Halo.

[@mesastreatexit]

i love your insight about how game storytelling can be really effective just by giving us reasons to get involved in the play, and making our actions feel meaningful.

[@SoberDwarf]

I mean, really, the props go to the designers and writers who accomplished it in the first place; I'm really just the historian in all of this and pointing it out. But I'm glad I can highlight something that a lot of people might have overlooked!

[@uccidere1939]

17:26 The first time I heard that, I had to pause, I didn't even see it coming it either during the game. The fact that EDF is a budget title with that kind of power is terrifying.

[@fang4223]

Some spoilers. I remember playing real hard through EDF 4.1, feeling so excited that I had finally reached a turning point when I shot down what I thought was a major part of the invasion force, just for the ravagers to start blocking out the sky across the entirety of the earth. That HIT me harder then a lot of things.

[@thekodawolfgaming]

"THE MEDIA CAUGHT WIND OF IT! HOW?!" Giant bugs everywhere in Tokyo.

[@powersupply3333]

In EDF 2025 your ranger team talks about the team from 2017, how they saved the world and wanted to be like them. I heard this from one of them while we were walking in the cave

[@vla1ne]

17:27 That line made me actually stop playing for a moment. I got into EDF for the campy fun of killing bugs and the B-movie script, but the radio lines made me care about the characters and their goofy antics, and that moment actually hit me *hard* when i first got to it. Same with 5 and operation omega at the end (among other lines). EDF is one of the few games i have played that not only knows what it wants to be, but has been hitting that target consistently from day 1 (at least sandlot has been). They make a quality game, then they make it _look_ cheap and cheesy, all the while putting their heart and soul into every aspect of the game in ways that are rarely noticed as you nuke your way though the map, but are always appreciated.

[@Kingjustin1019]

“Two days ago, my brother fell and the next day my lover fell. Today most everyone was killed that we-“ “Stop that depressing crap!”

[@mrtoestie2707]

When I was a kid, I got to play earth defense force 2017 practically all night long. I got fully immersed into the game and its story. Yes, even then I thought of it as ridiculous, but it also sold the world in my mind. As a matter of fact it actually left quite an impact on me when I finally beat the last mission. Basically the whole mission is you vs the mothership, and this is recognized as humanity's last stand. You start out with a few allies, but they inevitably slowly die, each sounding off over the radio. All the while hq and other people are mentioning that someone is still fighting, a clear reference to the player themselves. They send in the last reinforcements from anywhere around, they all join the fight knowing it will be their last. The fight itself is in multiple stages, where the boss gets ever more oppressive and violent. It was all quite spectacular really, and it really makes you feel like a hero. At least it did for me back then.

[@sometimesitbelikedat2529]

EDF 5's "I'll take you home after this mission" arc is funny to me. From the sergeant praising your skills as a civilian, to them trying to convince you to join the army, it was something I looked forward to every mission during the early stages of EDF 5. Masterful storytelling. You look forward to every mission to hear the back and forth between your comrades.

[@1998lemuel]

The Song Chant from EDF 4.1 was the very thing that hooked me to the game and take it a little bit more seriously. I was kinda disappointed that the same song chant wasn't in EDF 5.

[@thegoodoldays911]

Theres something genuinely really cool about the way you described brute force in that it's like "Oh so this is what getting air support from an ace combat protagonist must feel like" or even what getting air support in general feels like. In most games you're generally the one giving the air support lol.

[@JMagnumZero]

Sober if you keep making videos at this level of quality it's gonna be impossible for me to have a favorite video of yours. Beautiful job yet again! The SoberDwarf deploys~

[@Lunarice98]

I always tear up when the air support comes back in brute force. They are heroes for coming back to save us.

[@maximusprime6768]

This reminds me of one of the earlier missions (I forgot which one lol); it initally seems like a normal mission of killing bugs, and in the radio chatter enemy units off screen are being bombed by air raids. Things are the usual silly, quirky nonsense...and gradually this stops being the case. Suddenly the air bombings stop working, with the radio chatter saying stuff like "Next barrage is a hit...still no damage. The enemy unit is unaffected" with these attempts being repeated multiple times with no success. Even after you've "won" and cleared out all the bugs on your map, the air raids are still inneffective against this offscreen enemy, with radio chatter becoming more desperatte and confused as to why the raids are not working. And then you see why. The Shield Dome unit makes its debut appearence. Now, next mission you and a bunch of Fencers work to clap the ass cheeks on this new enemy unit, but I still remember the change in tone during that one mission, and how odd it seemed considering how lighthearted and silly the game was until then.

[@MD_Chaos]

Never thought I’d see a vid like this on Earth Defense Force of all things, but I think you made some interesting insights on what makes the game’s compelling in it’s story. As a edf fan, I have to agree on how effective the way the game tells it’s events in the missions as oppose to cutscenes as it’s something I noticed ever since playing 2017 in the series.

[@silverblade1558]

I'm going to be completely honest unironically I absolutely love Earth defense Force I have 4.1 and 5 and they are absolutely great games that I love playing some people may not have that same opinion and I respect that I just actually love the game And Earth defense Force kind of does have a story and I can follow along pretty accurately and I do get invested Maybe I'm just weird like that

[@deadspace4755]

Having completed this exquisite game as a wing Diver on Hard, l can feel every little detail of this theme(Title Screen). Truly l say, each theme conveys exactly how the EDF(and maybe you as well) would feel during the alien invasion.Tragic battle or Assault lt 1(are great examples. Even the battle menu has a theme where it feel like a boxing match, it gets you up and stays fresh despite using the same motif(but still changes the sounds), l love the battle menu. But this Title screen, explains every part of the game, likea better version of a trailer. It starts heroically, goes melancholy, then full tragic(the missions where EDF struggles the most). And as it progresses, hope is restored through the legendary heroes, then tragic plays again,and repeats until the end. That's how l felt. Despite the successes of Storm Team, failures were happening everywhere else and you get to listen to them and even visit them. l wonder how the story would turn out if you could listen to the inner thoughts of the Storm Team. Nonetheless, the storytelling, which is more implied but simple and magnificent soundtrack along with the masterful voice acting ( you get to feel the emotions of each character), makes this game a masterpiece. A true underdog tobe internet, a king to me. And just like the pinned comment mentions it perfectly, the game actually manages something rare to convey to the player, they actually feel what the player characters feel. The desperation, the pain. Each mission is designed with a certain goal, a message to convey. Some missions are ridiculously planned to hurt you, some enemy combinations appear that make your brain work in order to defeat them. It isn't just a game, it is an experience very rarely found in video games. That is a gold medal for storytelling. Kane and Lynch 2 has this feeling, it manages to make the players feel what the protagonists feel. The whole soundtrack and ambience explain that And that was the goal of the developers, what physiological pain the characters went, you should as well, to a degree that is fun(gameplay) and understanding. Do you remember that album with about the loss of memory? Everywhere at the end of time? Exactly what it tries to convey, the experience of someone suffering that illness told through only by themes and sounds. What EDF 4 and KL2 do is not just with music but lot more and the most important is sound and gameplay. The gameplay must make the player feel something and the sounds( music and voice acting) should give inspiration and context. In the end, that is what l call: Immersion. A true immersion because the player gets to feel what the protagonist and once you achieve that, then you actually live in that world. Personally, l would like to the experience mentioned above, as a student. A life simulator combined with the Thief 1 immersion but that is beside the point. Good work on this video,, l learnt from this and l bought this masterpiece of a game. l doubt or even, l am sure that no other EDF game can match this kind of voice acting and experience.The tone is perfect. You're the legendary hero(es) from the previous game, just like any other game but this time, you see the destruction happening to everyone expect you. This is a masterful horror game that doesn't need direct horror, just like Kane and Lynch 2 l.

[@_BASIC_INSTINCT]

watched alot of edf reviews, this sold me, just ordered now; liked, subscribed. and how tf is your channel not blowing up?? this is some bs 😡

[@SoberDwarf]

I need to get some air raiders to call down some artillery on the channel to blow it up it seems. In all seriousness, I'm really glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully you enjoy EDF as well!

[@motorsporttj1689]

You should make a Sequel to this video. EDF 5 has some genuinely depressing stuff. It’s even darker than 4.1. Especially the Chant they straight up say their families are gone and wonder why they should keep fighting

[@dalemorgan8263]

Several times playing EDF, I've grit my teeth at the dialogue, not because I don't like it, but because I'm so invested. I can *feel* the loss of all hope leaving only a grim determination to stand my ground and keep pulling the trigger. Well, mostly. Sometimes I wanna tell Ohara to shut his bitchass up.

[@FRACTUREDVISIONmusic]

Sandlot has accomplished what most Video Game developers have forgotten - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Fun - pure video game! As opposed to some major devs, who have fallen into, dystopia-tropes. As if, if the Player isn't miserable most of the game, as a "character" in super dramatic stories, then they're not cutting edge, not relevant, not worth playing. Cue, EDF, leave all that in the dust, and crush those alien enemies!

[@zswords]

Had this hit my recommended just after finishing my 3rd full playthrough of the game, bringing a friend through their first, and this hits all the points superbly. I will always say that EDF's plot is at its core, satire. It has no shame in accepting that it's a B movie plot and running with it. It knows its house, it knows its job, and it does it. One thing I wanted to mention is how you pointed out not every mission is as savage as Brute Force in terms of bringing out that dynamic story to gameplay integration and I just wanted to mention that that fact is very important and intentional. You need breaks, not just in a mission, but in the missions themselves, if you follow the tone for each particular mission as a whole there's a flow to it of highs and lows. There's multiple build ups, climaxes, and then cool downs to set up for the next mini arc. The time those breather levels stop coming, is the end, when things are truly desperate, and each time you think you're going to hit that climax, it just keeps getting worse. it's soooo good.

[@fataloath]

I wish Brute Force's enemies didn't spawn in view. The map could also use some inspiration beyond "big flat plains" but just so enemies don't spawn out of midair.

[@SoberDwarf]

Yeah. Honestly, the footage was a little unfair towards EDF because I intentional watched for a spawn for the joke, most times you won't notice it, but there is a lot of enemy pop-in on that battle. Also, I think it is the only time they use that huge plains map in the game. They tend to reuse the cities and the mountain map quite a bit in comparison, so that is a bonus that they reserved that map for one level, most likely so you can see the hectors in full view.

[@reinbeers5322]

I think the big flat plain is part of the point of giving you absolutely zero cover to work with. Good news though, EDF5 changed that for the better.

[@OwO-nk1zv]

one of the missions that i recomend you giving a try to hear the story, is the second mission you do after fighting the dragons for the first time it starts in a standard way, with the characters even cracking some jokes like ''yea we're gonna need a magic sword to kill these dragons, Or a wizard!'' but as you continue the mission, you hear your teamates asking for help, and then Whale, one of your artilery support gets attacked by the dragons, soon cutting off and HQ cannot contacte them anymore, then your drop team, that delivers your vehicles says that they are also being attacked, with only the woman that makes the callout being alive all the while your teammates keep screaming for health, progressivly getting more and more desperate hell, even the music starts to change, it goes from the heroic ost to something a bit more tense, then the song just get a somber felling, like a ''we are all that's left...'' feeling sure they do all get back on the next mission, but damn that mission's radio just got me in the fellings

[@GrayFoxHound9]

I really hate how EDF is treated by online community "so bad it's good!" *proceeds to list qualities that make it good as flaws while making a remark that they like those "flaws". Proceeds to insult the game's consistent and unique visuals despite it being a console flaws first." How is it even looks like ps2 game? Have they seen any ps2 games ever? Looks like a 360 game to me on both 360 and ps4/PC No, EDF is just a good series. The only major flaws (as someone who had played only 4.1 and psp games) i can name are character progression and lack of more enemy variety (if that even can be a flaw, since each enemy serves their function and should be instantly recognizable, and you can't be expected to remember a bunch of enemies at the same time), but people say that 5 had fixed the first one

[@redseagaming7832]

This video inspired me to buy Earth Defense Force 4.1 so far I'm loving it now I'm trying to platinum the game that means I got beat the game on all the difficulties except easy with all the classes

[@Foxflaw]

Thanks for another great video. I'm sure I'll have "EDF! EDF! EDF!" chanting in my head the rest of the day from memories of these games. Keep up the good work!

[@watermelongaming3698]

That's one thing I love about EDF, what's normally restricted to cutscenes or backgrounds in other games is instead the actual gameplay. Take that one scene in Halo: Reach, for example. There's a massive charge of warthogs and scorpions, only for the warthog you're in to take a right and leave the rest of the group. In EDF, you are part of that main force will actually fight the equally if not larger and more powerful force. Instead of watching the cutscene, you PLAY the cutscene.

[@headcrab4]

These aliens look exactly like humans! Aliens: -10 Stories tall -Are bipedal frogs

[@umbaupause]

What a relief. It'd be terrible if there was an equally tall squad of heavily armored, trained soldiers with devastating weapons.

[@headcrab4]

@@umbaupause Humanity would surely be doomed if such a thing were to happen. I'm sure glad that these human-like aliens are as far as the rabbit hole goes!

[@omarabe26]

Yea about that guys....

[@kaydakitty3566]

Another mission like brute force that deserves mention is called crazy skies

[@blueribbonash]

The ending convinces me that we now need a Sober Dwarf theme song, with a dance and words. I think you can make that happen. 😁 I think you're right on with that horror genre comment and that mystery and not having all the answers makes for a better story. Oh and that "bugged" me, too. 😉😉😊

[@JamesStocks]

This is a really great video, it captures the spirit of EDF really well!

[@wickwack7318]

Not even gonna lie, I might've cried at the end of EDF:IA

[@doctorcorvus1319]

15:45 - This… is *perfection* in song form and it makes me happy that he put this in

[@alastoralex4883]

Man, this video was SICKkkkkk, you have so much talent into making an entertaining and educational video. Good job.

First time watching one of your videos, I just canceled everything I had planned today so I can watch more.

[@Edanite]

I started playing EDF 5 a few days ago. My first game in the series. Thanks for making this because I noticed the story telling but didn't appreciate it until now.

[@pwnomega4562]

ngl you are kinda right about some sort of horror aspect to the game series, been playing edf 5 and i got to the mission where you fight numerous spider type enemies followed by a few giant walking robots in thick and dense fog... and somewhere towards the halfway point of the mission i was fighting the walking robot and it got quit and i lost track of it, i stood still for but a moment and stared blankly into grey void that is the fog only to have the foot of the giant robot burst out of the fog and strike me down, it literally jump scared me.... idk if that was intended by the devs but good job on them... wish i had recorded that moment as well.

[@CTAigis]

Great points about narrative in video games all around! Made me want to go out and play a lot of these games. I especially like the points about earnestness in the dialogue, treating the scenario with respect, rather than constantly sneering and taking a good bunch of the fun out an over-the-top plot.

[@bendover2649]

I feel like the one thing the story could do with is more geographical context. I have no idea if we're fighting over the same city or a dozen different ones, and the voiceovers are wildly inconsistent with how specific they want to be about it. I played through 5 recently, and for a few missions they talk about a large offscreen battle taking place in Shanghai, while at the same time they'll reference events (and a couple missions) taking place in "Europe", and towards the end there's a civilian resistance fighter who says he's from "Brooklyn, New York". Most of the time though, they don't even give a location so you're stuck fighting over the "Residential district" for the tenth time. Imagine if they did it like XCOM, where the mission select screen is a map showing you exactly where you were deploying. This mission is in London, this mission is in Tokyo, This mission is in Mexico City, and so on. You get to globetrot in a game called *Earth* Defense Force, and painting the map an evil red as the game progresses would be a perfect way to convey how utterly screwed humanity is.

[@dovakin6265]

The fact i have played all the edf series this just make me happy seen this game got some appreciation

[@Kalevispetke]

Just what I always felt when playing EDF 4.1. The stuff on the radio is AWESOME.

[@Tiger74147]

Loved this, deserves more attention!

[@freegamer8313]

i swear you need more subs the video is so well made gg

[@cameraguyclyde3089]

I'm happy you actually used the jazz after you asked nicely, I saw your comment and that's how I found your video

[@LuckyB4nd1t]

Spoilers for the last mission of EDF 5 But near the end when you're fighting G O D. There was a last ditch effort intelligence wanted to use. Sending civilians to fight. Hearing the back and forth between her and the commander was actually super terrifying for me

[@Esmoire]

Love your stuff SoberDwarf. :D

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! I am really glad you enjoy it!

[@generalseal6948]

Edf 4.1 theme song makes me feel patriotic for a military that doesn’t exist

[@UltimaHeartless]

Maybe this video will help my friends understand just why I love the EDF games so much.

[@koosa6289]

Fantastic breakdown!

[@fataloath]

Destiny devs could learn a thing or two from this game

[@aliciavansteln]

"Big robots better tanks." "FIRE THE REQUIEM GUN!" *shots fired* "uhh, IT DIDNT DO SHT, SIR" Those lines still got me laughing till this day. xd

[@your_jacket4723]

"Er- FALL BACK!"

[@randomkrieger2625]

Having a silly story with lots of violence works well actually. a la Red Alert 2 anyone?

[@billcashman5900]

I love EDF! B-movie greatness and fun. Fantastic video.

[@Badbufon]

it has been a month since i started playing the series and didn't finished 5 yet, but 4.1 has something special in it that 5 in at least the first 40 stages haven't gotten close yet. Brute Force being one of those stages

[@speedstriker]

So it's the G Gundam of games. Silly premise, stereotypical characters, cool fights and then bam, a heart wrenching struggle between a the responsibility to make amends for the sins of your family and trying to preserve the last vestige of respect for your former master. And that's just the first half of the show.

[@DisIngRaM]

@SoberDwarf Many people not realize this, But EDF magic will get hit you more often when you (as a player) are in despair or close call within the stage. The more difficult the stage is, the more EDF moments players can feel. Which mean to say, playing with low armors in higher difficulties will make you appreciate the stages more often. I looked at your Video, checked that it's Inferno Difficulty, and your armors are at, 1000ish~4000ish. Which is exactly how I played the game too. And here I am, in EDF cult. Seems it is the same case for you ;D

[@slowbrofist]

This is actually the biggest gripe I had with EDF 5. The characters and voice acting in 4.1 in my opinion were so much better that even with the missing features from 5 I just like 4.1 more, aside from the grind being even worse.

[@zuzukyd]

Best EDF video i have seen. Thats Epic.

[@cloudabc123]

This was a great video good job.

[@Cross-ns9vu]

I recently played EDF 5 and i love it, i just can't explain why but its fun to play

[@igodreamer7096]

Great video, man

[@Mac_Omegaly]

Thank You. From all the many members of Storm 1.

[@kaydakitty3566]

I usually play wing diver so stages like brute force makes me feel like I’m the only hope for the team since the air raids and infantry are gone

[@TheOnlyDibbs]

2:25 shouts to SSFF jamming in the background

[@Sir_Duckyweather]

You mean 2:09?

[@Trivial_Whim]

I don’t know, the later parts of Insect Armageddon where your mission briefing lady starts arguing with the commander as he acts increasingly baffled and refuses to say what’s going on kinda drags down the seriousness. But you gotta get pretty far into the missions before she shows any personality, so your point still stands.

[@DamageLoL]

wow this video was incredible!

[@TotallyDapper]

I watched this video while playing EDF 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair.

[@Nicofaster21]

Wow, this video gave me a new perspective of the game, i play the game with my brother, and we have everything against us to understand the depth of the story, first, as we play together, we solely rely on each other, the npc soldiers may as well not exist, second, we are spanish, even if we understand english, we wont be understanting the chatter more than half the time, and third, we both play wing divers, so we dont feel the hopelessness of being a soldier unable to get out of danger quickly enough. we started edf 2025 back in ps3, and back then we didnt take it seriously at all, we got to mission 65ish and never once did we stop to think about anything the game told us, it was only by the time the sky on every mission was composed of the ravager's hexagons that we realised we werent actually winning, then we never had time to play it again and left it. Now we got edf 4.1 and we are playing through it again, always on hard, although the game was kind enough to give us good weapons, so we arent struggling as much in levels as we did a few years back, so much so that we completely went by Brute Force without ever realising what was happening, we did our thing, we focused on a single hector at a time and destroyed them fast enough to avoid being overwhelmed with the laser sniper, once the shield bearers appeared we coordinated for one to fly past everything and blast with the thunder shotgun while the other stunned the robots, said thunder shotgun helped us breeze the giant horde of drones and insects, while it was a hard and long mission not once did we realise everything you described about it. This video was great and made me appreciate more the game that up until now was only the "heya wanna go blow stuff up" with my brother.

[@TinyDragonGamer250]

OG DooMmarine: *no backstory aside from the demons killed my rabbit so im gonna kill them* EDF: "Giant bugs. Lets kill them."

[@YourMom-by2qg]

I love earth defence force and wish it was talked about more

[@copetimusmaximus3363]

Thank you for the video and for reminding of this great game, many hours unwell spent😂