Earth Defense Force 2017

Earth Defense Force 2017 (AKA: Earth Defense Force 3, Chikyu Boeigun 3) is the third installment of the Earth Defense Force series and is the first in the series to be released in North America. The game features 171 weapons, 4 vehicles, and 53 levels. The player takes control of a soldier known only as Storm 1, the best of the best in the Earth Defense Force, as he fights to defend Japan from the Ravager invasion. This was the first and thus far only installment of the series to not initially be released on a Sony console.

Overview
2017 is a remake of Monster Attack as it is based in the "great war" of 2017. EDF 2017 reuses sound effects from enemies and the menus of Monster Attack. Versus mode and split screen are included along with 5 difficulty levels.

Levels in both games are similar, the dinosaur boss stage, the robots coming from out at sea, and being on a beach and being attacked by red ants for the first time, both happen in 2017 and Monster Attack.

It was announced in fall of 2012, first on Twitter and then on Facebook, that the game would be ported to the PlayStation Vita under the title Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable to be released in North America. This version includes the Pale Wing character, 7 new levels, and a number of "Titania" weapons that would later turn up with different names in Earth Defense Force 2025's Fencer class.

Weapon Types
Assault Rifles: The standard weapon of the EDF. Assault Rifles are a very diverse type of weapon. Some have a high rate of fire and low accuracy, others fire one shot at a time with high accuracy and damage. They are useful against most enemies.

Shotguns: Shotguns are the best weapon for killing Ants and Spiders in the game. They fire multiple pellets at once which do a lot of damage at close range. Some shotguns have a more focused spread for better accuracy while others have a far wider spread for more close range damage.

Sniper Rifles: Some of the most powerful weapons in the game. Weapons such as the Lysander Z are classified as Sniper Rifles. They are very accurate and damaging at long range and are effective against Hectors and Gunships. Missile Launcher: Missile Launchers fire guided missiles which home in on the nearest target. Some such as the MLRA fire many missiles in rapid succession while others such as the Air Tortoise fire one very damage missile at a time.

Rocket Launcher: Staples of the EDF soldier, rocket launchers provide massive damage and predominantly high accuracy. Unlike missile launchers, rocket launchers fire unguided rockets that are effective against hordes of enemies. Some like the Cascade fire rockets in rapid succession while others like the Goliath fire one very damaging rocket at a time.

Grenade: Grenades can be divided into two categories. Hand Grenades which need to be thrown and Grenade Launchers which are as easy to use as rifles. Hand Grenades have to be thrown in an arc and are useful in limited situations. Grenade Launchers can be used like rifles to inflict losses on swarm enemies like ants and spiders. Notable Grenade Launchers include the Sticky Grenade Prototype and the UMRA.

Special Weapons: Special weapons are the most diverse weapon type. Weapons in this type include the Acid Gun, Flamethrower, and the ever so useful ZEXR. Other weapons such as the burner are not useful at all and are silly weapons.

Enemies
Ants

Spiders

Hectors

Gunships

Carrier

Quadruped Fortress

Vallak Dino Mechs

Mothership

Trivia

 * Statements by NPCs in Earth Defense Force 2025 indicate that while Storm 1 mysteriously disappeared after the war, the hero survived and joined the Storm Team. That said, it is written in such a way as to imply the entire Storm Team were the original heroes, no matter what class they are or how many of them there are. In particular, the leader of Omega Team directly states: "Storm Team, I was waiting for another chance to fight with you, like that day 8 years ago."