'Earth Defense Force 2017' Release Date: Defend Your Vita This Winter

Game Rant

By GR Staff

Published Oct 26, 2012

'Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable' is coming to North America, and even sooner than we thought. Look for it on store shelves this Winter.

Earth Defense Force 2017 is coming to the Vita. Yes, that was announced just last month, but up until now we didn't know when the game would be coming out. Localization can be a long process after all, though thankfully the game will be releasing sooner than we thought.

Announced via the PlayStation Blog, D3 has confirmed that Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable is set for a Winter release. This is only a few months after the Japanese version of the game, which launched back in September of this year. The game itself will come packed with all of the extra content included in the Japanese re-release (the game was originally released on the 360 in 2007), including bonus missions and a brand new character, Pale Wing.

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Originally playable in EDF 2, Pale Wing is a female soldier with the ability to fly, similar to the jet soldier from Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (read our review). Pale Wing adds two new weapons to the game's armory, bringing the total to over 150 different firearms. This includes the Genocide Gun, which allows players to level whole city blocks with the pull of a trigger.

The game also keeps the voice work from the 360 version intact, meaning those of you who love the series' B-movie charm need not worry. However, the game does see one big change: co-op. A first for the series, EDF 2017 allows up to four players to take on the ravagers together, though the six-player survival mode from Insect Armageddon will not return. Several weapons are even tailored for co-op, such as a new gun that allows players to revive fallen teammates.

This is the Vita game I've been waiting for. With a Winter release, the next few months are going to jam packed with brand new Vita titles, including several games that have already been released. After our plea for more Japanese Vita games, it sounds as though there will be a slew of great titles out for the portable this holiday season.

Earth Defense Force: 2017 releases on the Vita this Winter.

Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyMole.

Source: PlayStation Blog