Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2

Earth Defence Force: World Brothers 2 is a fantastic time and absolutely worth picking up for Earth Defence Force addicts like myself or anyone who fancies a smooth entry point to this legendary series. It continues to make smart refinements to the series’ core gameplay loops that make it more accessible, fluid, and dynamic than ever before while also getting rid of some of the rough edges that could make the mainline entries a bit of a chore to play.

I’m absolutely a fan of the spin-off, with World Brothers 2 carrying on the quick, accessible, and nonsensically entertaining action of its predecessor. It’s packed full of fun toys, drowns the player in content, and you can play as a woman who thinks she’s a horse. She spawns carrots behind her when she sprints. How is that not what videogames are all about?

A hilarious co-op action game that everyone who enjoys the genre should play whether you prefer playing with local chums or online chums-to-be. Just be sure to plug your nose with all the bug guts around.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. It probably has the best gameplay in the series, but loses some of the scope and campiness of the mainline games. Also, the timing of its release is weird, coming out only 2 months after Earth Defense Force 6. While I reviewed the PS5 version of World Brothers 2, and found it ran beautifully, at the time of preorder, the Switch version was $46.79 CAD, while the PlayStation version was $66.99. That’s pretty major savings to consider if cost is an issue. If you’ve never played an Earth Defense Force game before, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 would be a great place to start. If you’re already a diehard EDF fan, then this is a quality entry. I just wish the series staggered its releases more.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 a lot of fun, with tons and tons of Easter eggs to prior games, all variations of humour, and loads of weapons and characters. There is very little negative to point at. The raw variety of characters, from the bold and aggressive to the fun and silly, to the dark and serious somehow all fits together. All of the upgrades to acquire for weapons, items and soldiers leads to a great experience of wanting to play one more level shooting up some aliens.

In a series that is quickly running out of fresh ideas, World Brothers 2 leans into being fast, fun and cheery. It might struggle to find an audience with both casual players and hardcore EDF fans but it certainly offers up some enjoyable alien blasting action.

While it's not all that different from its predecessor, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 proves to be a worthy follow-up, offering more missions and more Brothers to collect, and ultimately just being more fun in general. Whether you're an existing fan of the series or want a fun way to dip your toes into it, World Brothers 2 is easy to recommend.

Whether you’re a series veteran or just interested in why gamers love to shout “EDF!” repeatedly, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 winds up being a lot of fun. It’s the most polished version of shooting giant ants that you’ll find. So, what are you waiting for, soldier? Enlist in the Earth Defense Force today.

World Brothers 2 is a great introductory title for those new to EDF, as well as longtime fans looking for a more straightforward experience that allows for quicker experimentation.

Do you like EDF? Then you will like World Brothers 2, because it encapsulates the essence of the series without complications and provides a presentation that is a bit generic but also more polished than usual in other D3 Publisher games. It is an excellent family shooter and therefore we can say that Yuke’s has successfully fulfilled its mission: it is the perfect entry into this universe and the pastime for the fan who has already squeezed out Earth Defense Force 6.