 Despite generally mixed reviews, the "Earth Defense Force" series, particularly from "Earth Defense Force 2017" and onwards, has been described as having a cult following.Joe Juba of "Game Informer" defined "Earth Defense Force 2017" as a cult classic, stating that "the developers at Sandlot clearly want to tell a story about humanity's struggle against giant invading ants and robots, and the passion for that story shines through despite its technical shortcomings"; in reviewing "Earth Defense Force 5" five years later, he similarly opined that the series has "always had a single-minded commitment to one simple truth