3/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon.

System: Xbox 360 Started: May 2014 Ended: August 16, 2015 Flashback Review If I had known about the Earth Defense Force franchise as a kid, I would have been obsessed with it. My first exposure to the series was during a weekend night fighting game session at a friend's house during my late high school years. A friend of mine was playing Earth Defense Force 2017 on the Xbox 360. Eventually, I picked up Insect Armageddon at a local Gamestop since it was cheap and played local co-op with my bro. As much as I love this series I haven't heard of, and it was not a bad cooperative session, I actually started the series with a disappointing entry in the franchise. Insect Armageddon is considered a spin-off by most hardcore Earth Defense Force fans. You still fight giant bugs, but now there are mechanized aliens in the mix. It's the first game in the series to be developed outside Japan, by Vicious Cycle Software, who also made Robotech Battlecry, a game I actually played when I was a kid. Earth Defense Force is a fantastic series for those who enjoy battling giant bugs. It's an excellent alternative to Helldivers and perfect for fans of the Starship Troopers franchise. The best part: it has local co-op play including survival mode. In Insect Armageddon, the UI has seen improvements as you can now distinguish in the HUD which items are health or weapons that you unlock. On PC, you can opt for a 3-player co-op. The soldier class can run, and you revive teammates. Insect Armageddon is not really the best game in the franchise. In fact, most veteran fans claim it's the least favorite game in the entire franchise. In terms of level design, 95% of the game takes place in the city. The majority of missions involve destroying anthills and transporting landers while fighting giant spiders and ants. At least you can blow up the city with your rocket launcher. Insect Armageddon lacks variety, while other games in the series feature not only the city but also beach areas, metropolitan districts, and suburbs. The worst part is that the game is surprisingly short, with only 15 levels compared to the installment, 2017, which has 53 levels. A complete downgrade. The only reason to play this game longer is to level up all the EDF classes, which felt like a chore to completely finish. Insect Armageddon is often seen as a below-average entry in the Earth Defense Force franchise. There are better EDF games out there; for instance, Earth Defense Force 4.1, which I actually played, is a much superior game. You might consider playing Insect Armageddon only after you've completed the mainline series and are looking for more Bug hunting action. If you do play it, it's best to bring a friend for local co-op to make the experience more enjoyable.