D3 Publisher has updated the official website for Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain with new information and screenshots on the game’s story, characters, and enemies.

Get the details below.

■ Story

2028: Invader Attack from the Outer Space

In year 2028, earth was attacked by the outer space invader “Aggressor”.

The huge levitation object called the “Hivecraft“ which is indeed 1km in total length, came flying suddenly from the outer space, and began to attack all parts of the world by dropping numerous insect looking huge creatures and murder weapons. It flew over United States to Russia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe only in three days.

Human beings established a ground defense force (called the EDF) ahead of the national fence and fought back against the invaders. However, the war situation was in bad condition and the beautiful cities began to turn into mountain of rubbles.

As a result, the important military bases of the world that could possibly be opposed to the invaders were all already destroyed.

There were nothing left for the human beings to do and all they could do was to wait for the world to end….

2032: Energy Gem and Powered Exoskeleton

But in year 2032, a new technology called “PA-Gear” brings hope to human beings.

This powered exoskeleton which the EDF has developed for anti-aggressor, enabled ground troops to obtain superhuman body ability by using the energy core gained from the mineral energy gem inside the body of the aggressor as a power source.

In this way, EDF changed direction to use these powerful weapons developed for anti-aggressor as personal firearms by the ground troops. Although being very small in numbers, the group of ground troops armed with “PA-Gear” succeeds in stopping the aggression of the aggressor.

Human beings planned to find means of escape by adopting consumption tactics to make up for an overwhelming force difference in ground troops.

2033: Strike Down of the “Hivecraft”

In year 2033, EDF began to strike against the invader “Aggressor”. They carried out an all-out war against the “Hivecraft” which lowered altitude over Los Angeles.

EDF decided to bring all the forces to be left in this shooting down operation. Even PA-Gears equipped with new energy core which was still in study stage were introduced into the actual fighting.

On that day, human beings have won against the invaders.

At last, the ace members equipped with new energy core completely demolished the enemy mother ship “Hivecraft”. However, the compensation of the victory was enormous. EDF lost half of its troop members and even the new energy core technology they had….

2040: World Eroded by Despair

After 7 years have passed after victory and in year 2040, in the uninhabited cities that became the ruins, huge creatures which lost their master “Hivecraft” repeated breeding and continued increasing their numbers. The huge insects became the new ruler of the earth in place of the human beings. There were some citizens who tempt to live in the urban areas, but most looked for safer areas and became refugees.

EDF which succeeded in shooting down the “Hivecraft” no longer had any power left to struggle against the huge creatures which continued multiplying. The central headquarters of EDF was completely dead, and even though the organization was still there, it meant nothing. The residual military units continued resisting, but were forced to guerrilla-like resistance based in the base that barely survived.

In order to survive in the world undermined in despair, human beings had no choice but to fight in this endless war….

■ Characters

Blast Unit

One of the military units lead by the EDF total commander in chief Renald Campbell.

Without having a specific jurisdiction, the Blast unit undertakes particularly severe ground combats depending on the ongoing war situation.

Only strong soldiers are gathered in the unit, but they all have very unique personalities.

Lead by captain Takuma Yagami, the Blast unit is well known and admired by everyone for defeating the most aggressors in the EDF.

Closer (Player)

Originally an average soldier fighting in EDF.

During the 2033 battle against the “Hivecraft”, chance led him to using a new type of Energy Core.

He was thrown into a coma for 7 years after getting caught in the destruction of the “Hivecraft”, returning to the Defense Force’s battle against the Aggressor in 2040.

—Point

You can customize the look of Closer or yourself.

Not only gender, but you can also choose different body size, voice, face, and hair style.

You may also select your best fit battle costume as well.

Takuma Yagami

Captain of EDF Blast Unit.

He graduated from the Defense Academy and became a pilot, but lost his parents in the 2028 Aggressor attack.

After this, he joined the EDF’s Japan branch.

Takuma went to the US to join the retaliation against the “Hivecraft” 7 years ago and after that, he transferred to EDF US.

Brenda Semenko

Captain of the 1st Blast Team. A seasoned sniper.

She is super serious and strong-willed, often speaking on behalf of the other EDF soldiers.

Her “no-games” personality made it difficult to get through her teens, whereupon her instructor urged her to join the EDF.

Many find her physically attractive, but her pride often prevents her relationships from blossoming.

Her guilty pleasure is the chocolate rations that get distributed, but she gets upset at the mention of this.

Michael Morris (Mike)

Captain of the 2nd Blast Team.

He has a strong sense of justice, and while his subordinates lightheartedly tease him out, they nevertheless trust him deeply.

Prefers heavy weaponry (rocket launchers, etc).

His father was in the US army, but perished in the initial attack in 2028. In 2035, Morris lost is elder brother (an EDF soldier) who was 2 years older in the Rebellion’s coup d’état.

A claustrophobe.

Phillip

The youngest member of the Blast Team, serving as the team’s “little brother”.

He is a diehard fan of Radio DJ Olivia, and looks forward to her show.

Somewhat timid and at times unreliable, he is often teased by the Blast Team’s more rambunctious female soldiers.

Mert

He is the one of the oldest members of the Blast Team; unmotivated by rank increases, he remains a standard soldier.

He is a lovable middle-aged man who enjoys mingling and conversing with the younger soldiers.

While he may overlook things and can be absentminded at times, he is adored by the team.

He was still affiliated with the Blast Team as of 2033.

Tatiana

A young, earnest female soldier.

She remains one of the few reserved females among the rambunctious female soldier.

She is treated somewhat as a pawn by 2nd Blast Team leader Mike, always given something she has to worry about.

Being their youngest female, she is often treated as the Team’s little sister.

But actually she has big breasts.

■ Enemies

Who are the “Aggressors”?

“Aggressor” is a generic name of the unknown visitor who came flying from the outer space in 2028.

Other than the fact that they (including the “Hivecraft” which is considered to be the mother ship of the enemy) are currently attacking earth, their purposes and identities are unidentified.

Human beings are suffering from the attacks of huge insects which were all scattered from the “Hivecraft”.

In addition to the insect looking types, there exist heteromorphic creatures which look totally different from the creatures on earth and battle machines which represent their high technology level.

Hivecraft

A flying object resembling a giant stone that suddenly appeared in the year 2028.

It is nearly 1 km long and wide.

In 2028, the Hivecraft moved from the US to the skies of Russia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe over the course of 3 days, releasing Storm Ants and Scourgers across the globe, obliterating many countries and regions.

It has continued to traverse the skies ever since. Based on this, the Hivecraft is thought to be the Aggressors‘ mothership, but the facts remain shrouded in mystery.

The giant stone is believed be a sort of Energy Gem mine, with the disc area functioning as a factory producing Giant Creatures and Ravagers.

Mixed in among the Storm Ants are these giant creatures not too dissimilar to a bombardier beetles.

Their gaseous bodies means there is a possibility they would explode when attacked.

Storm Ants

The first of the Giant Creatures released by the Aggressors, Storm Ants are roughly 10-11 meters in length, with an estimated weight of 25-30 tons.

Their upper jaw is powerful enough to crush cement, and they spit acid potent enough to instantly melt metal.

Striking in large groups, they have been responsible for the destruction of numerous cities.

Protected by a thick exoskeleton comparable to the armoring of a tank, these creatures can only be effectively damaged by firearms designed for piercing through hard materials.

The strength of the Earth’s gravity would prevent an insect from reaching these proportions, but after analyzing a recovered Storm Ant carcass, EDF’s Science and Technology Bureau found that their massive bodies are maintained by a unique, internally stored resource called an “Energy Gem”.

Because 90% of Storm Ant DNA is from terrestrial insect life, it is believed that the Aggressors alter the DNA of life from the planets they invade to create living weapons.

Storm Ants have thrived since their release on Earth, converting abandoned buildings and debris into colossal nests, where they further mate and reproduce.

Their numbers are estimated to have far exceeded the total number of human survivors.

As of 2040, the destruction of their nests is the EDF’s primary mission, but it is proving difficult for the human population to keep up with their growing numbers.

Bomb Beetles

A type of Giant Creature resembling a bomb beetle that appears side by side with Storm Ants.

Regular bomb beetles typically release high-temperature gas as a means of escaping from enemies, but these giant Bomb Beetles ignite internally created gas via friction with their abdominal shell to use as a means of propulsion, or as a flamethrower-like attack.

After being killed, gas leaked from their carcasses can ignite to create a large internal explosion, so soldiers must always stay cautious when nearby.

Their gas is so vile in smell as to be harmful to humans.

Due to this, even after the flames subside, areas where Bomb Beetles have trodden are difficult to rebuild due to contamination.

Sideros

A mysterious breed of Giant Creatures that fall from the sky like meteorites.

Their bodies contain more Energy Gems than other Giant Creatures, so their eradication is given a higher priority by EDF Command; however, their rabid ferocity and agility, combined with enough battle power to down a building with a single strike, have made carrying out this order extremely difficult.

At EDF Canada, where the Sideros creatures were first encountered, many extermination squads formed with the goal of receiving bountiful rewards from their Energy Gems.

While some Energy Gems were retrieved, the death toll has been exceedingly high, with EDF Canada losing 60% of their forces in a mere 2 days.

Analysis of their corpses has found nothing resembling internal organs in their torso area, but large amounts of Energy Gems are stored in what appears to be arms.

Scourgers

These bipedal Ravagers were released throughout the planet at the outbreak of war.

The tip of their arms contain a massive claw with a high-temperature pulse laser.

Their chest is equipped with a beam cannon that produces a discharge powerful enough to instantly obliterate a high-rise building, which has resulted in numerous cities being wiped out in a single night.

No one knows for certain why it has a humanoid shape despite being extraterrestrial in origin; some believe it is to instill fear into humans, while others say it was designed to adapt to the Earth’s gravity.

Its armoring is vastly stronger than the exoskeletons of the Giant Creatures, and when war first began, standard weapons could not damage it.

The first successful destruction of a Scourger occurred in 2032, after PA-Gear and PA-Gear weaponry were developed.

As of 2040, most Scourgers have ceased functioning.

However, they reboot when a human is detected nearby, continuing destruction until everything around it has stopped moving.

Attack Pods

An Aggressor combat ship with fearsome flying abilities.

At 10 meters in length, they are one of the smaller Ravagers in the Aggressors’ arsenal, but in addition to ultra-fast aerial maneuverability that appears like teleportation to human eyes, their motion-control system is unaffected by gravity and inertia, making it thoroughly superior to all flying machines and combat helicopters made on Earth.

At the start of war, thousands were released on the planet, resulting in devastating damage to the air forces of various countries.

It utilizes some sort of Energy Gem-propelled anti-gravity engine, which has driven many scientists to attempt to unlock the nature of its design. Part of its functionality has since been recreated and implemented into the EDF Gunship’s gyroscopic control mechanism.

Harvesters

A four-legged Ravager.

All Aggressors that appeared prior would attack humans indiscriminately, but Harvesters extend arms out from their dome-shaped base to capture them.

Captured humans are stored alive in one of their numerous cells.

For this reason, soldiers battling Harvesters ideally want to avoid attacking the capsules, but its tiny head, believed to be its weak spot, is in constant motion, making it difficult to aim at.

Because battling them often results in friendly fire against fellow humans, combat with Harvesters results in severe psychological trauma for EDF soldiers.

There are several theories as to why they capture humans, some believing that they use them as hostages or as shielding from EDF attacks, while others believe they are taken as guinea pigs for experimentation, but the truth remains a mystery.

No captured soldier has ever made it back alive.