Earth Defense Force 6 is the sixth instalment of the main EDF franchise and is the sequel to EDF 5. Like it’s predecessors it’s an arcade, 3rd person shooter where the player is putted against large numbers of monsters and is tasked with saving the earth from an ongoing alien invasion.
3 years prior, an alien race known as the Primer attacked the earth and devasted human civilisation as we know it. The population has been reduced to a mere 10 percent and the surface of the world has been claimed by either the giant monsters brought by the Primer, or by the abandoned infantry who got left behind following the retreat after the final battle.
Once again, you play as Storm 1 and are mistaken as a recruit at one of the few surviving EDF garrisons that have endured over the years, known as Base 251. In the face of a shortage of labour for the EDF, you have been assigned to assist the local garrison in eliminating the remnants of the Primer’s invasion force, where several of their soldiers and the monsters they made now roam the ruined cities. Make no mistake, the Primer have yet to give up, but even now humanity still endures.
Earth Defence Force 6 provides examples of:
- Alternate Universe: Through the use of time travel the aliens and Storm 1 were able to create many different versions of the war between Humanity and the Primers from subtle changes to completely different situations being made due to the alien time fleet.
- Cassandra Truth: Several times, the Professor tries to tell EDF Chief Command that he's been sent back from the future and has vital information that could help turn the tide of war. Most of those times, the Professor is declared a lunatic, detained in a mental health facility, and only ends up meeting again with Storm 1 LONG after most of his information would have been pivotal in turning the tide of war, if only he had been believed.
- Cerebus Retcon: At the end of the previous game, the ones who managed to survive the final battle between the EDF and the Nameless were the Storm Team and a small group of EDF soldiers. However, the game's official website revealed that Sarge's group, the Spiggan and the Grim Reapers were killed in battle, leaving Storm One as the only survivor of the team.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Yes there are Giant squids to kill now, but the Nameless returns in the final mission with a new form, so it gives you the feeling of actually beating a cosmic horror.
- Running Gag: The Professor constantly being detained in a mental health facility, when he tries to tell EDF command that he has important information from the future that could turn the tide of war.
