Earth Defense Force 6 represents the pinnacle of a series many perceive as a rather mindless shooter. Nevertheless, it boasts the finest execution and representation of time travel of any game I’ve experienced. It achieves this without relying on cutting-edge graphics, instead depending on compelling storytelling and some innovative meta choices that refresh the standard “just complete the next mission” routine prevalent in such titles. EDF 6 employs all these elements to fantastic effect, making the time-travel theme feel almost believable.
Earth Defense Force 6 spoilers ahead.
The integration of time travel into nearly every aspect of the narrative implies that, while it may not be as visually striking as the time travel depicted in titles like Dishonored or Titanfall, it possesses greater intellect. The manner in which it is woven into the gameplay also creates a uniquely fresh take on the concept that I haven’t encountered before, particularly as it culminates in scenarios that feel more over-the-top than simply defeating a deity.
The Future Is Swarming With Bugs
EDF 6 begins a few years after the conclusion of EDF 5, following the Primers’ annihilation of most of humanity. Even though you must eliminate what appears to be a god, humanity still resorts to hiding underground to survive against the extraterrestrial threat.
As a result, at the outset of EDF 6, you are tasked with shooting numerous giant frogs using weapons. You attack them with arms, yet they also possess weapons—get the picture? These are earlier iterations of the same enemies from EDF 5, but they don’t move as if they must engage in combat: They behave as if they are weary of this endless war. Nonetheless, you fend them off, and after a few levels, you come across a new ship that opens a strange portal.
Then, you witness several new ships gliding into the portal without any understanding of the situation. You see an ancient location on this bizarre vessel, and upon shooting it, everything fades to white, as you are introduced to EDF 6. Here is where you may find yourself transported back to levels from EDF 5, and wow, is that extraordinary.
Yet Another Loop
Eventually, you find yourself in a familiar scenario, yet things are slightly altered. Terraformers darken the horizon, and new types of enemies have emerged, but how can this be possible if it’s merely a loop? Well, guess what: You battle for a while, discover the same portal ship, destroy it, and are invited into EDF 7. This cycle persists until you reach EDF 9.
It may sound like it should be tedious, but time and again, EDF presents a fresh array of missions for you to tackle, some entirely new, and others simply have minor adjustments based on missions from EDF 5, with subtle alterations to indicate the time-travel storyline. The missions you tend to replay—the futuristic ones—also come with slight modifications. Sometimes, these involve new adversaries, and at times, it’s something in the backdrop. Most importantly, however, you and the one scientist who understands what’s transpiring are perpetually aware of these cycles, and you’re constantly learning as well.
Through repetition and investigation, the scientist deduces that time travel is indeed occurring and convinces the world of this revelation. How do you combat an enemy that can potentially travel back in time and, more crucially, who can continuously enhance their technology? This is not a loop; it’s a never-ending spiral of arms conflict where neither side can truly triumph. How did this all begin?
Time Travel Is The New Meta
This segment covers the essential 132 missions, which are, thankfully, considerably better-paced than any previous installment in the series, and all contribute to the fresh sentiment you and the characters experience regarding the overall time travel element. Here is where EDF 6 accomplishes something genuinely remarkable: It swiftly stops providing you with new missions.
Well, that’s how it seems, anyway.
EDF 6 contains six hidden missions marked with ??? on your mission list for you to unearth as you try to decipher what’s happening. Each of these symbolizes a critical victory you haven’t achieved in any timeline. Perhaps you save someone who has perished otherwise; perhaps you find a way to eliminate a specific ship before it becomes routine. Once you have completed them all, you access the final version of the long journey, and that’s when the concept shifts from well-executed to sheer horror.
The End Is The Beginning
The initial significant event in this ultimate timeline is that you once again discover the portal ship, but upon destroying the control unit…
Ultimately, the vessel itself isn’t obliterated. It’s likely that you won’t be thrown back through time either. Instead, the portal remains open, and enormous tentacles and turrets begin to emerge from it, aiming to annihilate you and the remainder of the EDF. However, this time around, you discover two new vulnerabilities on this ship and bring it down. The battle is triumphant, hooray! Well, not quite.
A completely new portal appears above you, and a gigantic metal dragon takes flight. It’s difficult to comprehend just how immense this creature is, but battling it constantly shifts your aim due to the immense size of your adversary, making concentration challenging. The game claims it’s over 1km long, and it certainly feels that way. It turns out this is the recently upgraded variant of the portal ship, but it’s from several centuries in the future, as the Primers you’re facing have had all the time in the world to enhance their technology and send it back.
After an exhausting battle, you seemingly destroy this ship, only to realize that its head has been replaced by the final boss from EDF 5: a godlike entity with the power to alter reality and create life from emptiness. As you continue the fight, you learn that the EDF has discovered these aliens originating from Mars. They launch a rocket towards the planet to try and eliminate them at their source—the present—while simultaneously battling a version of them from the distant future. You may read that and think it’s anything but extraordinary, but it only gets better.
Timey-Wimey, But With Ants And Deities
It turns out that the Primers initiated attacks on Earth, which resulted in a missile being sent, but you only dispatched this missile because they assaulted Earth. This, dear reader,