Earth Defense Force 6 released earlier today, and as you'd be able to tell from our review, we like it quite a bit. But while a new EDF should be cause for raucous celebration from one of the world's more specific types of sicko, I'm pained to report that the sickos are displeased. The would-be bacchanal of big guns and bigger ants is instead the site of another Steam review-bombing. Why? Because EDF 6 requires you to login to an Epic account to play online, even if you're playing on Steam.
At time of writing, EDF 6's Steam rating sits at Mostly Negative after around 1,300 reviews, with only 29% being positive. The negative reviews all share the same complaint: EDF 6 requires an Epic account for online play, which wasn't disclosed anywhere in its Steam listing before release. Early this morning, a few hours after EDF 6 released, its Steam page was updated to specify the Epic account requirement.
"For this game, to enhance cross play and online functionality, online play requires signing in to your Epic Games account. We apologize for the lack of advance notice," EDF 6 developer Sandlot said in a news post that accompanied the update to the game's Steam page. "Signing in to your Epic Games account is required the first time you play online. Usually, once you sign in for the first time, you will not need to sign in again."
In all fairness to those upset about the Epic account requirement, it sucks that it wasn't telegraphed before launch. It absolutely should have been. Calling the move a "bait and switch," as many negative reviews have, feels a little strong to me, however. Am I wrong to think it's an accusation implying a level of cutthroat businesscraft that—and I say this with only love in my heart—might outclass a franchise that only now, in 2024, is crossing an Xbox 360-tier graphical fidelity? The one that's famous for sometimes running at single-digit framerates on consoles?
Look at those PS2-ass bugs crawling around at a locked 60 fps (a mini EDF miracle) and tell me there's a Machiavellian scheme at play here. I don't buy it.
According to developer Sandlot, the 2022 Japanese release of Earth Defense Force 6 switched to Epic Online Services to facilitate crossplay between the PS4 and the PS5 because their old network implementation "could not accommodate processing commonality and matchmaking between different hardware, necessitating the search for a new solution." Epic's apparently fit the bill.
Now you'd think that means this new PC release of EDF6 would have crossplay with consoles, but it doesn't. And other games—Risk of Rain 2, for example—have implemented both Steam and Epic's online features. That would've been the best move for the Steam version of EDF6. But I refer, again, to our review, which pointed out that "the menus still feel awkward and poorly worded" and the general vibe that these games are literally cobbled together from 20 years of reused assets and code.
I might be dabbling in hypocrisy here, considering just minutes ago I published a story where I called EA's third-party launcher "a crime against human decency," but I don't know, man. I can't help but think there's a strong chance that a lot of those negative reviews came from people who've claimed a free Epic game at one point or another and will be only momentarily inconvenienced by typing in that password when they boot up EDF. Maybe Steam's overdue for an "it's complicated" review option?
