D3 Publisher and developer Sandlot announced a Nintendo Switch version for Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, launching on December 22. The game will be the Japanese version, and the publisher has not revealed plans for an English localization for the game at the time of writing. The announcement was made during D3 Publisher’s segment at Tokyo Game Show 2022 under the Bandai Namco banner, and you can check out gameplay footage for Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair on Nintendo Switch below (timestamp at 45:57 to 55:14).
As seen in the footage, the Switch port of Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair seems decent; there’s little to no stuttering, even during the parts where chaos and bugs happen on the screen. That said, this is one of the earliest missions in the game, and it only ramps up from there. It will be worth seeing if Switch can handle the game during the later stages, especially when more and more bugs invade the battlefield.
Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is the fourth mainline Earth Defense Force title. The game is an enhanced version of Earth Defense Force 2025, and it features the return of the EDF as they once again fight off alien invaders called the Ravagers. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, like its predecessors, allows players to access a wide variety of classes with different weapon and gear loadouts to maximize their giant insect-killing potential. The Nintendo Switch version will include all features from the original release, including split-screen co-op and online multiplayer modes.
The Earth Defense Force series recently hit a franchise milestone, as the direct sequel to Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair, Earth Defense Force 5, reached 1 million units sold across all platforms. Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair could hit these numbers in the future if it succeeds during this upcoming release for Nintendo Switch.
