The vast quantity of levels featured in the Earth Defense Force series adds heavily to replayability of the games. This, along with the fact that there are 5 difficulties in most of the games, allows for a very long playing experience if one wants to achieve 100% completion. Below is (or will be) a list of levels in each game.
Many games feature remakes of the same level; for example, Global Defence Force Portable, Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable and 2025 all have a level called Golden Darkness featuring Gold Ants.
Monster Attack[]
There are 25 levels in Monster Attack. It features a very similar storyline to EDF 2017, but a much shorter version.
| 1-5 | It Begins • Ant Attack • Swarm • Mothership • Dropships |
| 6-10 | Alpine Raid • Blockade • City Siege • Breach • Behemoth |
| 11-15 | Gathering • Wasteland • The Wedge • Deluge • Grounded |
| 16-20 | Twin Terror • The Gorge • Camouflage • Elite Unit • Onslaught |
| 21-25 | New Threat • Terror • Aggression • Slaughter • Judgment |
Global Defence Force, Global Defence Force Portable & Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders From Planet Space[]
Global Defence Force has the third-greatest number of levels in the series with 71, and also has six difficulty levels instead of the usual five, adding "Impossible." It is also the first game to have multiple playable classes, with two, a standard infantry class like in all the other games and the Pale Wing, a highly mobile class equipped with a jetpack and with her own inventory of unique weapons. The story takes a slightly different turn as it begins in London (though it also includes Japan), unlike Monster Attack and 2017 which are set exclusively in Tokyo.
The Japan-exclusive PSP port features an additional 7 missions, bringing the number to 78, and the PS Vita remake Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders From Planet Space has the same and adds a new Air Raider class, a variant of the one that appeared in 2025.
| Chapter 1: Resurgence |
Nightmare in England • Chaos in London • Spreading Disaster • Tower of Pestilence • Cavern Cover • Ants in the Dark |
| Chapter 2: The Invaders Return |
The Invaders Return • Unhappy Landing • Urban Warfare • Multi-Eyed Monsters • Rolling In • Operation Death Drop • Space Monster Solas |
| Chapter 3: Shields Up |
Valley of the Shadow • Night Raid • A Pincer Attack • The Bottom • Aegis Mirror • Shields Up • Tower Offense |
| Chapter 4: The Nest |
Erosion • Mooring Lines • Code Red • Canyon Carnage • Outburst • Underworld 1 • Underworld 2 • Underworld 3 • Underworld 4 |
| Chapter 5: Revenge |
Dragon Worms • Centipede • The Bugs' Revenge • Gathering Storm • Judgment Day |
| Chapter 6: The Rest (Placeholder) |
Cleanup Operation • The Last Chapter • Imperial Vanguard • Incoming Fireball • Warbots Landing • Misery-Go-Round • Iron Fist • Elite Force • Red Wave • Balls of Steel • Occupying Force • Warbots in the Valley • Stampede • Tower Power • Airship Armada • Night Parade • Crushing Balls • Chasms • Pits • Into the Abyss • Pit Traps • Golden Demons • Dragon Worms Again • The Ball Pit • Build-A-Bot • Spider Fighter • Air Strikes • Explosion • Shadow Spiders • Emperor Above • Champions' Nest • Mecha Beast • Armored Spiders • Sword and Shield • Infestation • United • Crimson Mountain • Godlike Beasts • Rally Point • Jaws of Death • Inferno • Besieged • The Devil's Army • Imperial City |
Earth Defense Force 2017 & Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable[]
Earth Defense Force 2017 is essentially a remake of Monster Attack with the same general plot events spread over about twice as many levels. There are a total of 53 levels to choose from, and they can be played on 5 difficulties (Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardest, and Inferno).
The PS Vita version, Earth Defence Force 2017 Portable, includes 7 additional levels, increasing the total number of levels to 60 (with the additions including reworked versions of the levels added to Global Defence Force). Furthermore, this release of the game features the Pale Wing class, unlocked after completing the game once.
| 1-10 | Arrival • Invasion • Melee • Landing • Search • Airforce • Takedown • Mobilization • Tsugawa • Arms |
| 11-20 | Infiltration • Reinforcement • Retaliation • Fortress • Blockade • Multiplication • Nesting • Dino-mech • Umbra • Artillery |
| 21-30 | Crimson • Trapped • Expansion • Interception • Descent 1 • Descent 2 • Descent 3 • Descent 4 • Assault • Anchored |
| 31-40 | Advance • March • Surprise • Breach • Sweep • Thunder • Eruption • Surrounded • Legion • Return |
| 41-50 | Occupation • King • Spearhead • Extermination 1 • Extermination 2 • Extermination 3 • Uprising • Wrath • Elite • Unknown |
| 51-53 | Convergence • Inferno • Starship |
| 1-10 | Arrival • Invasion • Melee • Landing • Search • Air force • Takedown • Mobilization • Tsugawa • Arms |
| 11-20 | Infiltration • Reinforcement • Retaliation • Fortress • Blockade • Multiplication • Nesting • Dino-mech • Umbra • Artillery |
| 21-30 | Crimson • Trapped • Expansion • Interception • Descent 1 • Descent 2 • Descent 3 • Descent 4 • Assault • Anchored |
| 31-40 | Advance • March • Surprise • Breach • Sweep • Thunder • Eruption • Cavaliers • Surrounded • Legion |
| 41-50 | Return • Occupation • King • Spearhead • Extermination 1 • Extermination 2 • Extermination 3 • Glow • Uprising • Wrath |
| 51-60 | Fortitude • Precipice • Elite • Arachnid • Unknown • Royalty • Convergence • Inferno • Grave • Starship |
Insect Armageddon[]
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is by far the shortest EDF game in terms of quantity of missions. There are only 15 levels to play and just three difficulty levels, and it concludes without actually fighting the Ravager Mothership, leading many to conclude the game was cut short for time or budget reasons. There are four classes, or rather four types of armor that can be used, the Trooper Armor, Jet Armor, Tactical Armor and Battle Armor, the latter three having special abilities.
| Chapter 1 | Invasion Alert • Firebase Clyde • On the Run • Ditchslap • The Daddy |
| Chapter 2 | Industry • Predation • Trash Island • Hectored • The Cube |
| Chapter 3 | Downtown • Busy Work • The Package • Mushrooms • Big Trouble |
Earth Defense Force 2025 & Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair[]
These games follow a similar structure to Global Defence Force and are effectively remakes of it, with the same general plot.
Even without DLC, Earth Defense Force 2025 was the longest EDF game so far, having 85 singleplayer levels in total, with 9 more being online multiplayer only. With the three DLC packs there are 45 more levels so in total the game has 139 levels. Moreover, there are five difficulties and four classes, the Ranger, Wing Diver, Fencer and Air Raider, so 100% completion requires completion of 2,780 missions.
Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair adds 4 additional missions featuring the new monster Erginus and reworks many of the 2025 levels, from minor tweaks to missions that are only alike insofar as having the same name. A few missions have their names changed (eg Wind Break to Wind Shear, Bad Premonition to Ill Omen) and most mission descriptions are rewritten slightly.
4.1 has 49 DLC levels, and like the normal 2025 levels many are reworked heavily while four are totally new. This brings the total to 138 offline missions and 147 online, increasing the 100% requirement to completion of 2,940 missions.
| DLC 1: Special Forces | Exploration • Giant's Advance • Silver Camp • Citadel • Floating Fleet |
| DLC 2: Mutant Rampage | Advance • Mountain Assault • Enemy Camp Infiltration • Underground Advance • Giant Robots • Battle Species • Beast Mountain • Dark Arena • Gathering Around • Armored Species • Iron Wall • Mountain of Change • Whirlwind of Death • Bugged City • The Tough • Golden Darkness • True King • Final Impact • Into Destruction • Ship of Dragons |
| DLC 3: Beyond Despair | Tracking • Underground Complex • Blocked Pass • Close Formation • Dragon Ship Fleet • Heavy Artillery • Bloody River • Dangerous Goldmines • Beast Mobilization • Total Protection • Aerial Bombing • King of Armor • Cannon Defenders • Traps Behind • Four Kings of Nightmares • Resistance Against the Twilight • Shivering Nexus • Three Giants • Crimson Lotus • Starry Prison |
| DLC 1: Time of the Mutants | Air Offensive • Giants Advance • Recon • Dust Town • Defense Line • Underground Advance • War Breed • Mountain Assault • Enemy Camp Infiltration • Dark Arena • Beast Mountain • God's Army • The Gathering • Armored Species • Iron Wall • Silver Base • Shifting Mountain • Whirlwind of Death • Bugged City • Toughness • Golden Darkness • True Sovereign • Final Impact • Floating Fleet • Into Destruction • Ship of Dragons |
| DLC 2: Extreme Battle | Tracking Bogeys • Underground Complex • Blocked Pass • Close Formation • Dragon Ship Fleet • Heavy Artillery • Overflight • Dangerous Goldmines • Beast Mobilization • Total Protection • Bombs Away • King of Armor • Cannon Defenders • Bloody River • Three Giants • Traps from Behind • The Four Horsemen • Cross the Line • Facing Off • Crimson Lotus • Shivering Nexus • Last Bastion • Starry Prison |
Earth Defense Force 5[]
Earth Defense Force 5 is another series reboot, telling the story of the first invasion by aliens, now called the Primers rather than the Ravagers. The game has the longest campaign to date without DLC, featuring 110 missions in singleplayer and 111 in online mode. In online mode the opening tutorial mission is skipped, but two online-only missions are added in after mission 107. Unlike previous entries, completing a mission on Normal or Hard also counts as completing it on every difficulty below that. This does not apply to Hardest and Inferno, which must be beaten separately, but does mean that with ideal play it only requires each level to be beaten three times per class instead of five for 100% completion.
The game has two DLC mission packs with an additional 29 missions, bringing the total to 139 in singleplayer and 140 in online mode.
| 1-10 | Today's schedule • Escape From Darkness • Crisis in Base 228: Part 1 • Crisis in Base 228: Part 2 • Shattered peace • Unidentified Flying Objects • The Quiet Threat • Monsters Attack! • Wedge of Destruction • Escape |
| 11-20 | Burning Sky • Spreading Disaster • Turning Point • Extermination • Destroy the Giant Ship • Isolation • Mastermind Revealed • Secret of the Cave • Eradication Plan • Encounters on Return |
| 21-30 | Surprise Attack at Night • Scouting the Outpost • Mountain of Wedges • The Landing Ships • Reinvasion • Artillery Unit • Sniper Team • Red Drones • Iron Wall • Destroy the Outpost: Plan A |
| 31-40 | Destroy the Outpost: Plan B • Cave Invasion Stage 1 • Cave Invasion Stage 2 • Cave Invasion Final Stage • Berth • Flying Killers • Monster Elimination Plan • Plain of Conflict • Current Headquarters • Brutal Battlefield |
| 41-50 | Assaulting the Outpost • Saving Europe: Operation 1 • Saving Europe: Operation 2 • Culling the Flying-Type • Circle Formation • Giant Ship Attack : 2nd Attempt • Survivors • The Flying Saucers • Airborne Fighters: Part 1 • Airborne Fighters: Part 2 |
| 51-60 | Attacking the Fleet • Underground Trap • The Army Group Raid • Wire-puller • Hiding Behind the Web • Predators on Thread • Scuffle in the City • Hidden Threat • Break the Barrier • Mountain Investigation |
| 61-70 | Destroying Large Flying Saucers • Sweeping Monster Balls • Recapture the Industrial Area • Winged Legion • Landing Giant Ship • Falling Monster Balls • Extraterrestrial Riders • Crashing Giant Pylons • Enormous Mutants • Aircrafts |
| 71-80 | Anchors Destruction Plan • Battle in the Fog • Light Defenses • Flying Unit • Fighters Ambush • Sieged City • Doomed Queens • Monster Extermination • Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 1 • Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 2 |
| 81-90 | Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 3 • Reclaiming Base 228: Retreat • Defeat Archelus • City of Giant Pylons • Incomming Larvae • Secret in the Dark • Approaching Monster Balls • Threads Everywhere • Flying-type Extermination • Broken Land |
| 91-100 | Sparking Abyss • Attack of the Flying Fleet • Mountain Traps • Bloody Battle • Drop Location • Land of Monsters • Steel Covered by Threads • Coastal Defense Line • Intense Battle Underground • Greatest Final Confrontation |
| 101-110 | Crumbling city • Forced Entry • Tornado • Against All Odds • Monster Banquet • Suicide Squad • Invader Assembly • Scorched Earth • No.11 • The Nameless |
| 1-10 | Escape from Darkness • Crisis in Base 228: Part 1 • Crisis in Base 288: Part 2 • Shattered Peace • Unidentified Flying Objects • The Quiet Threat • Monsters Attack! • Wedge of Destruction • Escape • Burning Sky |
| 11-20 | Spreading Disaster • Turning Point • Extermination • Destroy the Giant Ship • Isolation • Mastermind Revealed • Secret of the Cave • Eradication Plan • Encounters on Return • Surprise Attack at Night |
| 21-30 | Scouting the Outpost • Mountain of Wedges • The Landing Ship • Reinvasion • Artillery Unit • Sniper Team • Red Drones • Iron Wall • Destroy the Outpost: Plan A • Destroy the Outpost: Plan B |
| 31-40 | Cave Invasion Stage 1 • Cave Invasion Stage 2 • Cave Invasion Final Stage • Berth • Flying Killers • Monster Elimination Plan • Plain of Conflict • Current Headquarters • Brutal Battlefield • Assaulting the Outpost |
| 41-50 | Saving Europe: Operation 1 • Saving Europe: Operation 2 • Culling the Flying-Type • Circle Formation • Giant Ship Attack: 2nd Attempt • Survivors • The Flying Saucers • Airborne Fighters: Part 1 • Airborne Fighters: Part 2 • Attacking the Fleet |
| 51-60 | Underground Trap • The Army Group Raid • Wire-puller • Hiding Behind the Web • Predators on Thread • Scuffle in the City • Hidden threat • Break the Barrier • Mountain Investigation • Destroying Large Flying Saucers |
| 61-70 | Sweeping Monster Balls • Recapture the Industrial Area • Winged Legion • Landing Giant Ship • Falling Monster Balls • Extraterrestrial Riders • Crashing Giant Pylons • Enormous Mutants • Aircrafts • Anchor Destruction Plan |
| 71-80 | Battle in the Fog • Light Defenses • Flying Unit • Fighters Ambush • Sieged City • Doomed Queens • Monster Extermination • Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 1 • Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 2 • Reclaiming Base 228: Stage 3 |
| 81-90 | Reclaiming Base 228: Retreat • Defeat Archelus • City of Giant Pylons • Incoming Larvae • Secret in the Dark • Approaching Monster Balls • Threads Everywhere • Flying-type Extermination • Broken Land • Sparking Abyss |
| 91-100 | Attack of the Flying Fleet • Mountain Traps • Bloody Battle • Drop Location • Land of Monsters • Steel Covered by Threads • Coastal Defense Line • Intense Battle Underground • Greatest Final Confrontation • Crumbling city |
| 101-110 | Forced Entry • Tornado • Against All Odds • Monster Banquet • Suicide Squad • Invader Assembly • Scorched Earth • Despair • Under Siege • No.11
|
| 111 | The Nameless |
| DLC-1 Extra Challenge | Engage Aggressors 1 • Engage Aggressors 2 • Airborne Enemies • Reclaim Base 236 • Infiltrate Base 236 • Defend Base 236 • Engage Teleportation Anchors 1 • Engage Aliens 1 • Engage Aggressors 3 • Engage Aliens 2 • Underground 1 • Underground 2 • Engage Aliens 3 • Engage Aggressors 4 • Engage Outpost Base |
| DLC-2 Super Challenge | Engage Teleportation Ships • Engage Aliens 4 • Engage Drones • Engage Alien Troops 1 • Engage Teleportation Anchors 2 • Underground 3 • Engage Aliens 5 • Engage Aggressors 5 • Engage Teleportation Anchors 3 • Engage Alien Troops 2 • Engage Mysterious Monster • The Last Stand 1 • The Last Stand 2 • The Last Stand 3
|
Earth Defense Force 6[]
Earth Defense Force 6 has the highest number of missions in the series[1], even without DLC included. It continues on the story of Earth Defense Force 5 with the Primers having retreated for a while; The current number of missions is 147, and the DLC Lost Days adds 19.
Remakes[]
Many EDF missions reuse the same concepts and assets from different games. Some of them are basically the same mission but in a different game. One blatant example of this is the underground series of missions from EDF 2 and EDF 3, where "Underground 1-4" missions from EDF 2 correspond one-to-one to the "Descent 1-4" missions of EDF 3. Here's a chart representing some of these remake missions:
| Monster Attack | Global Defence Force | EDF 2017 | EDF 2025/EDF 4.1 | EDF 5 | Similarities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It begins | Nightmare in England | Arrival | Reconvene | Escape From Darkness | First mission of the game that includes only Black Ants with only bite attacks. |
| Swarm | Spreading Disaster | Melee | Spreading Disaster | Crisis in Base 228: Part 1 | Mission that introduces acid-spilling ants. |
| Mothership | The Invaders Return | Airforce | The Return | Unidentified Flying Objects | Mission that introduces Flying Drones. |
| Gathering | Code Red | Crimson | Crimson | Encounters on Return | Mission with waves of Red Ants coming to a beach. |
| --- | The Bugs' Revenge | March | Bug Invasion | (Sniper Team) | Mission with waves of Spiders coming to a destroyed city. |
| --- | Underworld 3 | Descent 3 | Charge Phase 2 | Underground Trap | Mission that takes place in a cave while being surrounded by enemies on all sides. |
| Behemoth | Space Monster Solas | Dino-mech | Assault | Eradication Plan | First mission to introduce a godzilla-like monster. |