HUMANITY SOUGHT A WAY TO SURVIVE, SO OUR ANCESTORS CREATED THE JAVELIN EXOSUITS, HANDCRAFTED ARMOR THAT GAVE US SUPERHUMAN ABILITIES.
Anthem is BioWare’s upcoming online action RPG. Deciding to switch from single player RPGs, BioWare throws its hat into the online ring. Anthem is getting ready to duel it out with Destiny 2 which will most likely be it’s biggest competitor. This McGregor vs Mayweather match up will last a lot longer than its namesake. Anthem looks expansive and breathtaking from it’s early footage and I think we can all agree that it will satisfy our Gundam fantasy...you know the one where we pilot mechs and save the day? Just me? *ahem* let’s get on with the facts...
10. Play Online...only Online
Online: that blue light energy thing symbolizes..online
A bummer for some yet not for those eager to play with their friends and allies. BioWare has announced that Anthem can only be played online. This doesn’t mean you have to play with others, if you want to go solo for a while you will be able do so and then switch back and forth. In fact, you can drop in and out of a friend’s mission whenever you’d like. Anthem can be played without worrying about being too high or too low a level. This way you can have fun without having to worry too much about being One Punch Man’s latest victim.
9. No more tears, I mean loading screens
Imagine having to stare at this as you flew from one area to another
Say goodbye to loading screens as Anthem is going to be a seamless open world. It doesn’t sound like a big deal but trust me when you’re in the zone and you suddenly see buffering and a loading bar whilst traveling, you might as well take a bathroom break, some game take that long to load. Anthem uses the Frostbite 3 game engine which is the same engine BioWare used for Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda.
8. Fly for traveling and fun
The feels: I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky
How will you be traveling around in the world of Anthem? Well Mr. Stark put on your suit because you will be flying. Each mech is able to fly for a period of time before it overheats. The best part besides the wind against your armor is the ability to cool down as you glide over water. This way you don’t plummet to the ground when you need to stay in the air for longer periods of time. Who knew flying could be so fun?
7. Ultimate!!!
Ultimate: Here comes the big oneeeeeeeeeeee!
A really interesting game mechanic is the ultimate attack. Each mech has their own ultimate that can either vanquish multiple enemies or finish a boss. You can also begin a fight with an ultimate, the possibilities are endless but the most crucial detail is the timing… “it might be time to get some fresh air start paying attention to the details some of those details might need your help.”-John Blake, The Dark Knight Rises.
There are very few things more disappointing than a wasted ultimate. Oh wait, remember that Ashe, Zilean, Amumu, Pantheon, and Jarvis IV fail? You don’t? Good because team ultimate fails are so much worse than one failed ultimate. Let’s get back to happy thoughts, from explosive siege cannon shots to a blade dance that leaves the audience in pieces, fighting just got a whole lot more interesting.
6. Our World, My Story
Fort Tarsis: I wonder if they’ll have Shepard's Pie
Having a shared world makes it hard to find some down time but unlike most games that are online and cooperative, Anthem has a solution. When out and about on a quest with your friends you all share a synced world, the same time and weather and all that. But when you enter Fort Tarsis, the hub of the game, you can do whatever you want. The people around you react to your decisions and actions. You will be able to talk to your crew and even random agents that are seeking your aid. Your interactions with them will not be forgotten and something you say or do may just influence things for better or for worse.
Mike Gamble, lead producer, says, “ You have to make sure that the personal story choices and the missions blend and seem seamless. And, of course, there are technological challenges regarding saving your own personal choices within this larger context.
Bridging those things is one of the major challenges, and this is something we’ve worked hard on. To solve it, the game team built these different kinds of personal and shared story moments into the DNA of the game.”
Meet your crew:
- Owen is an optimistic and ambitious young cypher who’s learning the trade at your side.
- Faye is a mysterious and work-obsessed cypher who comes from a more prestigious background than Owen.
- Haluk is a grumpy but dedicated Freelancer who keeps your Javelin in working order.
5. PVE for now
Combat: The bigger and uglier they are, the harder they fall
BioWare has announced that they will keep Anthem cooperative for now. There will not be a PVP mode yet due to balancing reasons. They have stated that they might be open to having PVP later on, so if that’s what you are really looking forward to it might be a possibility in the future. With the team working on soley perfecting the PVE game mode, one can’t help but get excited about how good this game will be. I hope you learned how to work together when you were younger because there’s a saying that it makes the dream work.
4. Some like mages, some like tanks
From left to right: Charmander, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Squirtle
Anthem offers four different mechs to play as with each having their own strengths and weaknesses:
The Ranger is precise, versatile, and an all-around master of combat.
Or what I like to call the Undecided Undergraduate
“The Interceptor’s agility and evasion are unmatched, and it has more than enough power to bring the fight to anyone foolish enough to underestimate it.”
AKA the Space Ninja
The Colossus trades mobility for defense, carrying a deployable shield as well as a devastating Siege Cannon.
AKA the Tank
The Storm uses powerful seal technology to blast enemies with the raw fury of the Anthem.
AKA the Mage
3. Sorry Romeo, no Romance
Meme: Gosh can’t even friendzone correctly
Alas your love shall stay unrequited. According to Anthem Lead Producer Mike Gamble “There are no romances. There are friendships. Some of the stuff we did with Mass Effect – the Citadel DLC specifically – there was a lot of friendship moments. You and Garrus sitting up, shooting – that kind of stuff, we want to lean into that. The romantic stuff, we’re moving away from that for Anthem.”
Anthem will not have any romance options available at least as of now; it shifts its focus to friendship which might not be such a bad thing. Friends before romance ends, am I right?
2. Rolling as a Squad 4 Deep
Squad: The ants go marching four by four, hurrah hurrah
Anthem allows up to four players to work together and take on the world. BioWare stresses what they call Triumph as One. What is Triumph as One? Well I’m glad you asked, because I too did not know.
“Triumph as One is the belief that four players can come together with a shared goal, fight their way to the finish line, and earn crazy amounts of loot, all because they chose to unite.”
“The truest Anthem experience is four players adventuring together and working as a team.”
1. Did you say Combo and Weak Spots?
Combat: Captain Planet that scrub
One of most interesting parts about combat in Anthem are combos and weak spots. Different mechs have different skills which can detonate for devastating effects. For example, a frozen enemy can be burned for extra damage, or try a water and lightning attack. You’ll just have to let your powers combine to see how many combos you can pull off, you Planeteer you.
If that’s not enough strategy for you, the enemies you face will have certain weak spots that may just be the difference between winning and losing a fight. Although, not all creatures have the same spot, so accuracy and tactics will be crucial whether you’re trying to snipe a chink in the armor or flanking for the jugular.
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