The job of the Earth Defense Force is never done. Just when you thought you’d stamped out the invading forces in Earth Defense Force 6, they come right back for you and all the brothers and sisters in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. Load up, roll out, and EDF EDF EDF!
All My Brothers And Sisters
After the defeat of Dark Tyrant in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, the world thought peace was in the cards. Sadly, nothing is that simple. Much like in the first World Brothers game, the world is destroyed leaving only fragmented remains, this time from the inside by a new menacing force called Gaiarch. Its down to the EDF to piece together the world once again and stick it to the alien scum.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 stars Fyta Getha. He’s forever optimistic, all about teamwork and believes in the power of friendship. After falling behind in enrollment, he finds himself leading his own Division, the constantly forgotten about Division 7.
Early in Fyta’s tour of duty, he comes across a new threat in the form of giant EDF soldiers. On top of that, a character called Neon appears wearing bizarre headgear. Battle-obsessed and mysterious, there seems to be more to him than first appears!
Come Togetha, Right Now!
While the stories in Earth Defense Force have always leaned heavily toward cheesy sci-fi plots that wouldn’t be out of place in a B-movie, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a little different. It focuses more on a personal story, which I felt was a great change of pace. As far as this series goes, I’ve only seen it happen in the polarizing Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon.
While it leans into anime clichés in an over-the-top scenario, its highlight is how it presents quite an endearing cast. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next, who would join Division 7, and just where Fyta and Neon’s relationship would go. It’s not exactly what I thought I’d be rooting for in a game about shooting giant ants!
Lets Keep It Simple Series
Of course, shooting giant ants and such is the main aim of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. If you’re new to this spin-off series, you might be surprised to find that despite looking like a mod for Minecraft, it plays much like the Earth Defense Force we all know and love.
The overall gameplay loop and flow is the same as the main series. You’re thrust into battles where the main objective is to eliminate the enemy force. Sometimes it’s a straightforward affair, other times the game will throw curveballs in the form of unexpected enemy types or numbers. The only major difference to the gameplay here in World Brothers 2 is that the missions are a little smaller in scale and thus more suited for a quicker pick-up and play session.
While the stages and stage times are smaller than the main series, the game still manages to pack one helluva punch when it comes to enemy types and numbers. Very early on in the campaign you’ll find yourself fighting a mothership, hundreds of UFOs, giant EDF troops, and ants with only your characters and a tank to keep you safe.
Independence Day
You pick a team of up to four Brothers and Sisters. These are your playable characters, and are made up of classes from previous Earth Defense Force games such as the Pale Wing unit from Earth Defense Force 2, as well original characters like a Spartan or Baseball player. There are many characters to collect as you can save two who are waiting for you to find them in each stage. It has an almost gachapon-like addiction to see what Brother or Sister you’ll find next.
Each character can be equipped with any unlocked weapon and also have their stats enhanced with accessories. These are unlocked by saving Brothers and Sisters. After a little bit of grinding, you really can take on an entire enemy force of giant ants with a very determined Spartan and his sword.
The controls are quite simple, you mainly aim and shoot. Unlike the main series, in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 each character has a set of abilities. One is usually movement-based, one a melee attack, and one a special ability that can help turn the tide of battle. There is also a sprint button that will help you keep up with the ever moving theatre of war.
Of course, the game wouldn’t be a true EDF experience without multiplayer options, and you have both a local and online selection here. Couch co-op is fantastic but does take a toll on the framerate as expected, at least on Nintendo Switch. I can’t speak for how well the game runs online due to not having anyone available when I tried to play (the downside of playing pre-release).
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, much like every other game in the franchise, is an acquired taste. You’ll either love the simple focus on B-movie action or you’ll find it a repetitive droll affair. I’m a fan of the series, and I have to say this has been my favorite way to play Earth Defense Force. The smaller missions and levels just feel more manageable and respectful of your time, and the upbeat story and visuals just make it that little more engaging. I don’t feel I’ve missed anything by skipping the original World Brothers too, thanks to a quick recap provided by the game. This is an ideal jumping in spot if you want a decent EDF-style snack of a game.
Oh The Childhood Wonder
The first thing you’ll notice about Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is the visual style. It takes on the form of a ‘Lego-esque’ style. It can be quite jarring at first, especially if coming from the more realistic Earth Defense Force 6 which released shortly before this title.
While this might be off-putting for some, I enjoyed the art direction of it and felt it gave the spin-off more identity than that of the previous spin-offs in the series. It was almost like I was a child again, building these giant cities and defending them from all sorts of kaiju and other monsters. This childlike quality really leans into the cheese of the EDF series. Fortunately, it still has all the destruction that you would associate with the series so it isn’t lacking in that aspect.
What A Performance!
Performance was a big shocker for this one. I expected the worst when it came to an Earth Defense Force and Nintendo Switch combo, but aside from when the screen got hectic (or the local co-op as mentioned), the game held a solid frame rate throughout. Regardless of the art direction, the fact that I can experience a near-perfect performance on such a character model-heavy game on the Nintendo Switch blew me away.
The voice acting is spot on for the series. It’s over the top, full of cheese and most importantly you can feel the passion from the actors. They nail the performance here and don’t phone it in as you would expect for a B-movie-esque title. There are a good few repeated lines while playing such as when one of your teammates gets downed, but the actual story content is solid gold and most importantly the General still manages to deliver surprise whenever anything happens.
Verdict
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is hands down my favorite EDF title of all those that I’ve played. I have already put so many hours into this title, even setting down Earth Defense Force 6 in its favor. The pick up and play nature and the unadulterated fun just keep me coming back.
The art direction and way unlocks work won’t be for everyone, but if you’re already part of the EDF cult you’d be doing a massive disservice in missing out on this title over something like visual style. For parents, this is also a potentially fantastic way to introduce a younger teen audience to the series, and certainly converted my kaiju-loving child into the next generation of the Earth Defense Force.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE: WORLD BROTHERS 2 IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
If you want more EDF action, check out our review of Earth Defense Force 6. If you are looking for another action game with a share of fights against big enemies, you might want to check out Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Many thanks go to D3 Publisher for a Switch review code for Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2.
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