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EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New DespairVSSerious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

Quality
89Popularity
31Value
67
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
-65% $7.03
Buy Now
VS

Winner

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair wins the comparison based on the metrics. Takes 9 of 15 head-to-head metrics.

The stars are aligning for this one. At this moment, the game is delivering well and the price feels right.

9
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair
9 of 15 metrics
Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter
6 of 15 metrics
6

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$7.03 -
$5.79 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
$2.85 -
$1.19 Wins
Best Current Discount
-65% Wins
-3% -
Sales Frequency
85 price changes Wins
23 price changes -
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
79/100 -
87/100 Wins
Steam Review Score
95.7% positive -
95.9% positive Wins
Total Steam Reviews
7.7K Wins
2.9K -
Positive Steam Reviews
7.4K Wins
2.8K -
Negative Steam Reviews
328 -
120 Wins
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
93 Wins
12 -
Steam Recommendations
7.6K Wins
2.9K -
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
51 Wins
0 -
Supported Languages
2 languages Wins
1 languages -
Release Date
Jul 2016 -
Aug 2019 Wins
GameValio Recommendation
Worth ItEARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

The stars are aligning for this one. At this moment, the game is delivering well and the price feels right.

MaybeSerious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair
Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Player Count Trends

— Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

— Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

3 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -65% $7.03Buy Now
GamersGate
GamersGate +14% $8.00View
Steam
Steam +184% $19.99View
Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

1 Store
Steam
Steam$5.99Buy Now

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

Quality

Overwhelmingly positive reviews — the vast majority of players recommend it.

96% positive (7,684 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 79/100 — generally favorable from critics
7,684 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Price is reasonable for what the game offers.

$7.03 — very accessible price
65% off — solid discount

Popularity

Activity a bit low — loyal community but no instant queues.

-45% player decline
79 concurrent players — niche audience

Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Quality

Overwhelmingly positive reviews — the vast majority of players recommend it.

96% positive (2,941 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 87/100 — high marks from professional reviewers
2,941 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Price too high for what's offered — better options available.

$5.77 — very accessible price
4% off — minor discount

Popularity

Declining player base — could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.

-27% player decline
16 concurrent players — niche audience

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsEARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New DespairSerious Sam Classic: The First Encounter
Release Date
July 18, 2016
August 30, 2019
Developers
SANDLOT
Croteam
Publishers
D3PUBLISHER
Devolver Digital
Platforms
Windows
Windows
Achievements
51

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows 7 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
  • Processor: 3.2GHz 4Core
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7970 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 (3GB Model or higher)
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 8 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX 11 sound device
  • Additional Notes: XInput Controller

Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter

Recommended

Recommended
  • Processor: AMD Athlon 650MHz or Pentium III 650MHz range processor
  • Memory: 128MB
  • Graphics: nVidia GeForce256 or TNT2 ultra, PowerVR Kyro, S3 Savage2000, 3Dfx Voodoo3, ATI Rage128 pro
  • Hard Drive: 700MB free hard disk space
  • Sound: Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair or Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter?

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair won the comparison against Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair worth buying over Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter?

Based on the metrics, EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 3, 2026, 10:24 PM UTC

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Disclaimer

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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