While it’s true we have some SLIM PICKINS this week for releases, the PlayStation is not completely bare when it comes to upcoming games. After this week, well, just save your Christmas money for the new year.
Many are rather hyped, and for good reason, for Borderlands 2 VR. Borderlands 2 is probably the biggest fan-favorite of the series, so getting this fast-paced first-person shooter in VR will be a treat. However, thanks to the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, we’ve been able to play Borderlands 2 rather recently. With that knowledge, I’m pointing toward the newer release, Earth Defense Force 5, as our release of the week.
The Earth Defense Force series has always been a beloved one, because who hates shooting giant bugs? The answer is no one. No one hates shooting the giant bugs threatening our planet.
Is there really a story going on here? Well, sort of. But does it really matter?
We’ve had so many narrative-driven games as of late, with Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, God of War, etc., that it feels nice to have a mindless shooter. Plus, you can make up your own story as you go.
For example, couldn’t those bugs be a metaphor for video games? You’re literally saving video games by squishing all these nasty bugs that came from planet Bugthesda. Of course, then you have to ask yourself at the end if these were truly bugs or if they were features. You might be a monster now. Good job.
Lucas enjoyed his time with Earth Defense Force 5, saying that it “isn’t some sort of airtight, mechanical ode to classic games, with score-chasing, designed flow, or leaderboards. Nor is it an attempt to be a blockbuster, a game to be described with meaningless fluff like ‘cinematic’ or ‘narrative-driven, or some other phrase designed to chase high-minded legitimacy. Earth Defense Force 5 is more about capturing a sense of thoughtless joy. ”
We could all use some thoughtless joy this holiday season, don’t you think?
Earth Defense Force 5 releases this Tuesday, December 11, 2018 for PlayStation 4.
