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February 14, 2007 12:44 PM PST

Most disturbing video game...ever

by Dan Ackerman
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(Credit: D3)

Last night, we got a sneak peek at one of the most disturbing video games we've ever seen, at a press event hosted in New York by game publisher D3. The company is best known for games based on kid-friendly Japanese licenses (Naruto, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi), but Earth Defense Force 2017, for the Xbox 360, is decidedly less cheerful.

This shooter's basic concept--a lone hero has to fend off alien invaders amid sprawling urban environments--isn't new, but swarming armies of gigantic bugs that you have to fight took us by surprise. There is nothing more unsettling than watching bus-sized ants crawl all over a building or gigantic jumping spiders leap all around you.

(Credit: D3)

The blocky graphics underscore the game's budget origins, but the sight of hundreds of giant bugs on the screen was reasonably impressive, even to the audience of jaded video game vets watching the demo.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, the game hits store shelves March 20, as a $39.99 budget title.

New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
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Most disturbing? NOT!
by techmonkey February 15, 2007 6:22 AM PST
Come on now...this is just a lame game (hey, that rhymes). How can you call this disturbing? We're talking about BUGS! I dont care how big they are...bugs just arent that disturbing in video games in this day and age.

This game should suit no one other than 5 year olds...they might as well just put a gigantic sized magnifying glass in the hands of the "hero" and let him fry all those bugs.

If anything is disturbing, its the fact that Crave would even consider this game worthy of a review. Even more disturbing is the fact that I've just wasted 2 minutes giving my opinion of this game!
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Starship Troopers???
by wooderson23 February 15, 2007 8:35 AM PST
Sounds like another Starship Troopers movie sequal. There is something disturbing about giant bugs taking over though....I have to give that to you. Just not disturbing in the "Parental Advisory", "Rated M" sense of the word.
Reply to this comment
Ants Games?
by wriker12 February 15, 2007 12:15 PM PST
I, for one welcome our Ant Overlords....Hail Ants!
Reply to this comment
First Allegiance
by liquidgee February 15, 2007 12:26 PM PST
Don't forget your first allegiance, Kent!
This game is worse
by dfichtner February 15, 2007 8:34 PM PST
You call that disturbing?

This one is worse. It's just horrible:

http://zipperfish.com/free/games/reevelander.php
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This Review is Very Weak!
by Frankiti February 15, 2007 11:30 PM PST
The game is like the article reporting it: extremely weak!
Disturbing? No, that's not disturbing. Fighting cannibalistic zombie pederast
priests would be disturbing. A game where one would have to escape cities
ravaged by a mutated "bird-flu" or biological attack would be disturbing.
Shoting bugs is not.
How much did this studio bribe you to write this lame puff-piece?
Reply to this comment
pffft.! nowhere near this one.
by firstkipchak February 18, 2007 8:42 AM PST
the actual most disturbing game comes from japan.
in it, you are a cameraman for a news broadcast that reports on a city over run with nightmareish monsters.
you pretty much videotape the reporters being gouge, gorged, eaten, digested, and squished.(and pretty much every other gross thing.)
also its worth noting that a ps2 version of this game is available for import.
Reply to this comment
pffft.! nowhere near this one.
by firstkipchak February 18, 2007 8:42 AM PST
the actual most disturbing game comes from japan.
in it, you are a cameraman for a news broadcast that reports on a city over run with nightmareish monsters.
you pretty much videotape the reporters being gouge, gorged, eaten, digested, and squished.(and pretty much every other gross thing.)
also its worth noting that a ps2 version of this game is available for import.
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