As a new-comer to the series, I have to say that it is polished and very charming. The visuals look great due to the IQ (native res and AA!) and the music fits the theme of the game well. I can't speak on the quality of the English dub, as I switched to Japanese immediately. :b
The gameplay revolves around interactions with the characters and crafting items more then combat, but everything that is there works well. Whether or not the game will start getting repetitive remains to be seen, as I just finished the introductory sequence.
As for EDF, it's basically a portable B-movie, in both production values and premise. Very cheesy, campy, and fun. Especially with friends.