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Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the local corner store for a pint of milk, they're back on your streets - those massive insects that want to rip you (and rest of humanity) apart limb by limb. Time then to tool up and dish out some retribution in Earth Defense Force 2025 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

We're used to back-of-the-box bullet points extolling a game's awesome weaponry - perhaps it's that pump action shotgun, a heat-seeking RPG or a laser-scoped assault rifle with grenade launcher, recoil repressor, uranium-tipped bullets oh, and a drinks dispenser to help celebrate during those chest-bumping victory moments. But there's no box big enough to contain all of EDF's arsenal because the game packs an absurd 700 weapons to unleash city block-leveling firepower with.

That might sound like a ridiculous number - but EDF is the ridiculous sequel to the ridiculous original EDF 2017. And we don't mean that in a bad way - the series has a fearsome reputation for silliness. The third-person shooter is every sci-fi B-movie fan's dream wrought large - and we mean large - as you're tasked with taking down a fresh invasion of supersized bugs and mechs that after a seven-year hiatus, have remerged, hell-bent on ripping up Earth's citizens into finger food.

As ever, it's up to you to slaughter these spider/ant/mechs/mutant things several hundred new ones with your four classes of soldier. From Fencers (think tanks on legs) to Wing Divers (think jetpacs and aerial cover), each class offers a refreshing twist on familiar action. And adding to the frenzy are a set of all-new vehicles including helicopters, tanks and mech suits too.

But never mind all that - EDF has always been about enjoying arachnid genocidal fun with friends, and the game delivers on this front with typical aplomb as you fight your way through the game's 90 levels; enjoy two-player co-op action via split-screen or team up with up to three others online for the ultimate in bug-bashing with buddies.

Remember though, the usual EDF provisos apply to this latest installment - if you're expecting smooth frame rates, polished graphics and bleeding edge game mechanics, look elsewhere. But if you want to rip through cities, toppling critters the size of skyscrapers, EDF 2025 is essential.