Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair

In a nutshell then, Earth Defense Force 4.1 may not look like a game that you bought a PS4 for, but it makes up for it by providing outrageously mindless fun that simply no other game can offer.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 is quite a disappointment given it's a remaster. A full-price release is far from ideal for this game and things like the mediocre framerate and graphics don't work in its favour either. But if you make the step to play Earth Defense Force 4.1 co-op with your friends, it makes for a fun-level not many games have been able to reach.

A strange game that has the ability to engage the player despite its weaknesses.

There is a lot to EDF 4.1, but nothing about it is going to change players’ minds if they never enjoyed the series. The same rinse and repeat game play exists, the performance is still questionable, and the repetition is real.

From each individual line of dialogue to every jagged texture, Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is so bad that it's actually pretty bloody good.

Varied and fun to play, Shadow of New Despair captures the intensity and feel of 70's and 80's monster/sci-fi movies, though its difficulty curve is sometimes hard to swallow.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 is a light remaster of Earth Defence Force 2025, if you've played the original one, it has no interest, if you've willing to discover the series it's a nice game albeit the dated technical side can be harsh to cope with.

Ultimately EDF4.1 ends up being an addictive game that is full of alien squishing fun on a huge scale, but as a last generation port to PlayStation 4, it ends up being far too expensive. I shall await with bated breath for a true sequel.

To enjoy EDF, you've always needed to be willing to compromise. Those days are gone. It's never felt so fluid. [Feb 2016, p.116]

Loud, dumb and more than a little buggy, The Shadow of New Despair may be average in single-player, but it's a rich source of co-operative comedy. [Feb 2016, p.89]

It’s gaming’s equivalent of the earnest-but-terrible B-movie; its manifold flaws made enjoyable and riotously funny by its good intentions. [February 2015, p75]

It doesn't ever completely shy away from using filler material after successfully building so much momentum.

I highly recommend playing Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair with a friend or three. And then, only if you're all fans of incredibly cheesy science fiction films. If you can get the right group together, the fact there are over 100 levels to play through means this will be a lot of long-lasting fun.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 is the videogame equivalent of a ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ B-movie.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is amazingly dumb, which is exactly the reason the series became such a cult hit in the first place.

While Earth Defense Force will likely continue to have a strong cult following, at $49.99 it’s hard to recommend to anyone looking for a little more depth to their gameplay experience than just insect extermination. - See more at: http://cogconnected.com/review/earth-defense-force-4-1-the-shadow-of-new-despair-review/#sthash.1b3S1y1C.dpuf

A brainless shooter that manages to be fun despite poor aesthetics and a host of technical issues.

EDF4.1 won’t win any awards but, if you can look past its failures, it’s a pretty fun game.