EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 is an over-the-top action third-person shooter video game wherein you battle against an overwhelming army of alien invaders with either local or online co-op multiplayer. The year is 2022 and Japan is suddenly under siege by a fleet of starships that have unleashed monstrous giant insects and humanoid creatures known as the Primers onto the various cities. The Earth Defense Force, a private military corporation, duly fights back against these enemies. The fifth main installment and the eighth game in the Earth Defense Force series, EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 is set in an all-new continuity but with the same job classes and the same mindless shooter fun. 

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Similar to the previous EDF titles—most especially EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair—EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 has the same gameplay style. You can’t play the difficulties Hardest or Inferno at the start, only unlocking it after beating the game once. In terms of missions, EDF 5 has the highest number of missions in the single-player campaign—a whopping 110 missions alone. However, unlike EDF 4.1’s unique missions, EDF 5’s are mostly repetitive at times, especially obvious when you encounter the same horde of enemies without much variation. The four iconic classes of EDF returns in this title, all able to get different weapons for them to master. The special infantry unit called the Ranger operates on the frontlines of every battle. The always-female Wing Diver is the designated soldier in charge of taking out flying enemies and controlling the hordes from up above. The ironically heavily-armored Fencer wears a large suit stocked up with ammunition to support the frontlines. Meanwhile, the special class Air Raider orchestrates the airstrikes and vehicle drops onto the ground. For an EDF title, EDF 5 is a fun one for any fan of shooter games. Some dedicated fans might not find it much of an improvement over the previous titles, but it still has solid mechanics that make it a good entry nonetheless.