Remember how XSEED Games was planning on releasing both of their previously announced Earth Defense Force games sometime this year? Well most thought that they would be spacing these titles out a little bit but the company is opting to double down on the bug invasion as they have just announced that Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space for the PlayStation Vita and Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair for the PlayStation 4 will be released on the same day and that day happens to be December 8th.
To go along with these release date announcements XSEED has released more information, a few new screenshots, and gameplay footage for both titles and you can find all of that below.
Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space
Considered by series fans as the “definitive” entry in the franchise, the release of the PlayStation®Vita system version of this classic title marks the first time that Earth Defense Force 2 will be available in North America. For its western debut, Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space will launch with massive improvements worthy of its pedigree, including English voiceovers to keep players focused on the game’s nonstop action, new content, and a choice of four-player co-op and versus modes served up either online or via local ad-hoc connection, with each method providing varying levels of difficulty for co-op as well as unique weapon selections.
In Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space, players take on the role of the Infantryman, a military soldier armed with conventional weaponry, the Pale Wing, a special ops soldier equipped with a jetpack and armed with energy weapons, and new to this version, the Air Raider, who fights indirectly through the strategic placement and dispatch of trip mines, sentry guns, airstrikes, and more. Whether alone or with up to three friends, players must fend off the spacefaring invaders through frenetic real-time combat in a variety of mission areas, many of them inspired by real-life locations.
Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair
The wild sci-fi action of the Earth Defense Force series comes to the PS4™ system for the first time as Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, a complete reimagining of Earth Defense Force 2025 (known in Japan as Earth Defense Force 4) complete with silky-smooth framerates, beefed-up graphics, and tons of new and rearranged content. After selecting from one of four unique playable classes and customizing a loadout from hundreds of weapons, players will lead NPC troops into city-wide battles against hordes of seemingly endless giant bugs, robots, and other colossal enemies.
In Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, players will take on extraterrestrial invaders as the versatile Ranger, the aerial Wing Diver, the vehicle-summoning Air Raider, or the armored Fencer. Call in airstrikes, commandeer tanks, operate giant robots and more to obliterate alien scum. Two players can enjoy local campaign co-op and head-to-head versus modes, while online co-op features 98 total missions (9 exclusive to online play) with support for up to four players to increase the odds against this gargantuan incursion.
