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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
(Also known as "Earth Defense Force X" and "Earth Defense Forces 3" [JPN] ) This arcade-style third-person shooter equips players with an extensive arsenal of diverse weapons, pilotable vehicles and loyal teammates in order to defeat a wide variety of attackers ranging from gigantic ants and spiders to robots and monsters standing more than 20 stories tall. Earth Defense Force 2017 lands players on the front lines of an onslaught of extraterrestrial invaders, with non-stop swarms of hundreds of enemies on screen at once. Gamers aren’t alone. Not only do they have more than 150 weapon variations to choose from - including assault rifles, rocket launchers and flamethrowers - but they have the support of AI-controlled Earth Defense Force teammates who battle beside them throughout the game. Players can also join forces with live teammates in co-op mode and battle together. Fighting within a wholly destructible environment where bridges, skyscrapers and other structures can just as easily be destroyed by friend or foe, players can either save their world or demolish it in the process. With more than 50 missions to complete and a seemingly endless barrage of attackers, the Earth Defense Force has their work cut out for them. [D3 Publisher of America]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 91
Gaming Age
Whether or not you dig the Ed Wood production values, it's hard to deny the massive amounts of action, adventure, and mind-boggling fun that can be had in the fulfilling campaign.
 90
Eurogamer
It gives you well over a hundred weapons to try out, masses of difficulty levels, and explosions so big that you'll worry they may crack the front of your television. Earth Defence Force 2017 isn't a complex cocktail. It's a Molotov cocktail.
85
AtomicGamer
If you can get past the goofy presentation and dig into the massive battles, then you'll definitely consider this to be $40 well-spent.
85
Digital Entertainment News
Regardless of all of these problems, Earth Defense Force 2017 is still wonderful, stupid fun that manages to surpass its lowly production values and shoddy appearance to become a surprisingly superb game.
80
NTSC-uk
No game has gumption like EDF. No other game has the balls to make the most basic enemy an ant the size of a bus. No other game lets the player get away with such wanton collateral damage. No other game has the audacity to throw so much at you and fill the screen with such massive explosions that your neighbours will think aliens really have invaded and will hide in their cellars. The sheer spectacle is a sensory supernova.
80
Gamestyle
Earth Defence Force 2017 then is a rarity that comes along far too infrequently. A cheap game that sacrifices graphical flare for good old fun and destruction. Well worth the asking price.
80
GameSpy
It's a unique, well-realized action game that's like nothing else on the 360. If "EDF2" didn't exist, we'd like it even more.
80
Games Radar (in-house)
A corny, geeky dream come true that's destined to be an underground classic.
80
Game Informer
Earth Defense Force may not have the serious tones of today’s triple-A juggernauts, but its quality gameplay and refreshing premise shows that a B-game can be every bit as entertaining.
80
1UP
If there's a heaven, I think it's full of giant spiders and rocket launchers. It's a place where skyscrapers collapse if you breathe on them too hard and you never run out of ammunition. When I die, I want to go to Earth Defense Force 2017.
80
Armchair Empire
Earth Defense Force 2017 overcomes its weaknesses by being brainless and ridiculous fun. It’s as simple as that. Play, have fun.
80
GameDaily
Even with the frame rate hiccups and the lack of online support, Earth Defense Force 2017 succeeds tremendously, thanks to its devastation and non-stop action. This piece of sci-fi cheesy goodness fits right in with Microsoft's meatier games -- very appetizing.
77
Pelit (Finland)
An outrageously corny and a massively extravagant shooter that delivers plenty of short-lived fun, but the severe repetition and absurd length of the game eat away at the spirit of the fast-paced shooter. [Jan 2008]
77
Games Master UK
Unashamedly quirky retro fare that's putting the fun (and ants) back into gaming. [June 2007, p.73]
77
Game Chronicles
If Earth Defense Force 2017 were a movie, Ed Wood would have directed it. It would star Bruce Campbell. The folly artists would be hard at work with the pots and pans of your average kitchen. The special effects would come courtesy of the cheap toys and props of your garden-variety dollar store. This is a “B” movie from start to finish, it’s about as cheesy, hokey and ridiculous as they come and it’s totally awesome!
75
Xbox World Australia
There's two ways to interpret Earth Defence Force 2017: you can love it for its campy B-Grade trappings, or dismiss it as a crap quality game and go back to your Gears of War.
75
Play Magazine
The game aims for a classic War of the Worlds/Them/Godzilla vibe that no game has attempted to capture in years, and it does an excellent job of it. [JPN Import; Feb 2007, p.81]
75
Firing Squad
It's a surprise that a Japanese import title with a relatively low price is as entertaining as this game turned out to be.
75
PALGN
Earth Defence Force 2017 might be a little rough around the edges, but it offers non-stop action on a breathtaking scale.
75
GamePro
As fun as hurling dozens of rockets at a time into a swarm of giant alien ants is, it will get boring after a few hours. If you're up for a shallow yet addictive and gratuitously violent shooter, you can't go wrong with Earth Defense Force. Just take a break every few hours and read a book to rebuild some of the higher brain function you just lost.
75
Electronic Gaming Monthly
This is what gaming is all about: simple controls, nonstop action, and buckets of fun. [May 2007, p.84]
74
GamingTrend
Don’t dismiss this game just because it is a budget title, it’s definitely got some hook to it. If these guys had a bigger budget, this would be a hit.
73
GameTrailers
A bit similar to "Crackdown." The sum of its parts doesn’t really equal anything outstanding. In fact, it’s downright crap in some ways. But when you actually play it, you’ll find yourself coming back for more…even if you’re not totally sure why.
71
GameSpot
As archaic and clumsy as it can be, Earth Defense Force 2017 succeeds because of what a ridiculous bit of dumb fun it is.
70
Team Xbox
Part of what is so incredibly endearing about this game is that it’s so technically abhorrent. You’ll feel like you’re playing something from Xbox Live Arcade, but the fun factor is where EDF 2017 makes the leap to a standalone title.
70
Worth Playing
Objectively, it's not hard to tell that Earth Defense Force 2017 is poorly made compared to the vast majority of 360 titles, although the localization is quality work on D3's part. What makes it so compelling to play, despite its many obvious flaws, is that the gameplay formula is by itself amazingly addictive and satisfying regardless of the graphics.
70
ZTGameDomain
Recommending this game isn’t hard, in fact I can’t think of a reason not to buy this game. With a nice price, fast-paced action, and tons of giant bugs to demolish this is one of the most satisfying experiences on the Xbox 360 to date.
70
Yahoo! Games
Go ahead and say that EDF is repetitive, but we had more fun trying out the 150 weapons than in almost any other recent shooter. Every level is packed with pure, nerdy fun, and the five difficulty levels prodded us into taking new weapons back into early levels to see how we'd fare. Weak-kneed animations and silly dialogue made it that much better, just this once.
70
X360 Magazine UK
So steeped in wacky old-school charm that any flaws are promptly washed away in a sea of explosions and giant ants. [Issue 18, p.97]
70
VideoGamer
Speaking of destruction, every building in the game can be destroyed - something which was quite a surprise at first, after a stray missile missed its target and downed a building a few hundred metres in the distance. This combined with the complete bombardment of enemies makes for a game that constantly brings a smile to the face of players.
70
Boomtown
This is a slice of simple fun, and a better one you’ll be hard-pressed to find, but it’s simplicity is just a little too basic to hold your attention for long.
70
netjak
You are going to want to hate it, but the simplicity and mindless fun behind it will probably have you coming back.
69
GameZone
Players will be able to tell that this game had a low budget, because almost every area of the game needs improvement. Even though this is the case, this is an extremely fun game to play with your friends just because you want to kill everything in sight and protect humanity from extenuation.
69
IGN
It doesn't hold a candle to some of the more technically savvy games on Xbox 360 and that may be more than ample reason to give this one a pass depending upon your tastes. For good mindless shooting, this game delivers.
68
GamingExcellence
When I played the game in front of a few friends, they were constantly screaming at me that I was getting surrounded by ants and yelling "constructive" advice in my direction. Any game that can elicit that sort of reaction from an inactive audience must be doing something right.
67
Game Revolution
It’s not particularly innovative, it doesn’t have ground breaking graphics, but it does what it’s meant to do and is a fun way to spend a little time.
67
GameShark
Having hopes of a grandiose, multifaceted sci-fi adventure will leave you extremely disappointed in Earth Defense Force 2017. If you embrace its narrowly-focused action gameplay you’ll have a blast saving the planet one dead alien at a time.
65
Gamer's Hell
Earth Defense Force 2107 isn't a great game, but it's a really fun one and unlike the grease bomb you score from the local burger emporium, it won't have any long-term deleterious impact on your health.
65
MS Xbox World
It is a very simple game with little depth in terms of story and characterisation and when it works can produce some genuine wow moments. However the poor controls for vehicles and the repetitive nature of the game coupled with some irritating moments of slowdown present a game that lacks a final polish.
64
GameBrink
I guess the biggest surprise of EDF3 is that the graphics are actually amazing. The character models, enemy models, the sprawling city, and all the textures look great. The effects are crap and the physics are laughable but the city as a static object looks amazing. [JPN Import]
63
Computer and Video Games
Nowhere near as good as the full-priced alternatives - but you're still guaranteed a pretty good time.
60
360 Gamer Magazine UK
It's dumb, it's derivative and it's cheap. Yet neither of those are the reason you should consider spending a bit of cash here. Instead, it's the vintage gameplay, the mindless arcade blasting entertainment and an ability to rise above a bedrock of flaws to emerge victorious. [Issue 25, p.56]
60
Edge Magazine
The illusion of epic-scale warfare remains a powerful and entertaining one, broken most significantly by the player’s need to avoid overexposing themselves to its fundamentally tedious nature. [Feb 2007, p.85]
60
Game Almighty
If you’re the type who can get behind some solid-yet-repetitive gameplay with plenty of fast paced action, EDF 2017 might be the game for you.
60
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Ultimately, the repetition and rough edges do hurt the expeience, but Earth Defense Force's wacky charm will certaily keep you entertained for a while. [May 2007, p.90]
60
Official Xbox Magazine
Sadly, while mowing through thousands of baddies and flattening entire skylines does hold a certain appeal, your $40 is better put toward other 360 action games. [May 2007, p.78]
60
XboxAddict
The setting and the scale of EDF set it apart from anything else on the market. Enemies in this game have to be seen to be believed as they tower above everything else in videogames, save for a couple of the colossi from "Shadow of the Colossus."
58
My Gamer
Spend about 30 minutes to an hour of time with this game and you will realize that the makers of EDF just didn’t put their all into the title.
56
Planet Xbox 360
The excitement of shooting oversized insects grows old rather quickly, and the scarcely earned Achievement Points will most assuredly leave this game on the outside of your counsel more than in it. The lack of Live play is a major deterrent to picking up this simple-minded title.
52
Gaming Nexus
The bottom line with this game is that you get what you pay for, and even at $39.99, Earth Defense Force 2017 is simply overpriced. The physics and audio are so last gen, that even after blowing stuff up for some limited enjoyment, you just want to put the game away and play an Xbox Live Arcade title instead.
50
games(TM)
As a 3D take on the old-school run-and-gun genre, the mixture of giant enemy hordes and fully destructible environments is often both exhilarating and deeply satisfying, albeit in a very tongue-in-cheek way. [May 2007, p.114]
50
Xboxic
While almost every facet of this game is atrocious, there is a sort of charm that EDF carries that has so far been unseen on the platform.
50
Cheat Code Central
For balls to the wall, mindless shooting this game will satisfy, if you can focus on the destruction you cause and not the technical short comings.
45
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
Earth Defense Force 2017 is the action game equivalent of potato chips: no nutritional value, but tasty nonetheless. [May 2007, p.61]
35
GameCritics
The worst 360 game I think I've ever played with nothing to redeem it. Earth Defense Force 2017 can't even stack up against the recent Burger King games, and those were little better than minigames on a disc coming in at four dollars each. The only possible future I see for Earth Defense Force 2017 is gaining the notoriety as one of those "so bad it's good" games, but don't be fool yourself - it's just bad.
Wyatt G. gave it a6: Darren D. gave it a7: Bryan M. gave it a3: Allistair P. gave it a3: James F. gave it an8: Adam B. gave it a10: Esther N. gave it a7: |
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