The latest issue of the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has revealed that D3 Publisher will launch Earth Defense Force 4 in Japan (Earth Defense Force 2025 for Western audiences) sometime this June for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
We already have confirmation that D3 Publisher of America is working to localize the giant-alien-bug killing game for North America (Namco Bandai is doing the same for the European market), but the only release window that we have been given is a vague “2013” date. The fact that we are still having to dig through bad Google translations of Japanese magazines to get any info on upcoming title suggests that Western audiences still have a ways to go before we see Earth Defense Force 2025 hit our shores.
Speaking of digging though bad Google translations of Famitsu, we do have some information and several screenshots on some of the game’s new enemy types.
EDF 2025 will feature a new Hector type that is referred to as a “Shield Bearer”. It appears that this new enemy doesn’t have any offensive combat capabilities but instead uses an energy dome to block all incoming attacks. The real threat here is that other enemies can march along with the Hector and shoot out through the shield while using it as cover.
As if the Shield Bearer Hector wasn’t enough, Earth Defense Force 2025 throws in some Giant Red Ants and swarms of huge Bees. The Bees seem like a particularly nasty threat as they fly high above and shoot “giant needle” projectiles as if they were coming “from the end of a barrel”.
We have included a couple of the new Earth Defense Force 2025 screenshots in the gallery below, make sure to check out the Famitsu article for the full set. Additionally, we will keep an eye on D3 Publisher and Namco Bandai and let you know has soon as either publisher announces a Western release date.
