WING DIVER

Earth Defense Force 4 has been out for nearly a week in Japan, so naturally YouTube is full of gameplay clips. Here's GameEmpireHD putting the airborne Wing Diver class to work. Aside from the frame rate chugging enemy count, it's heartening to see the series return to short, hectic levels. Vicious Cycle Software's side-story Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon experimented with longer stages and cover-shooter objectives, ending up with a dilute game with little of its predecessor's charm. Sandlot's true sequel is, thankfully, back to basics. EDF4 is due everywhere else in early February, retitled Earth Defense Force 2025.