Anthem (computer game)

reviews
Destructoid	7/10
GameSpot	6/10
GameStar	67/100
IGN	6.5 / 10

Anthem

Studio

BioWare

Publisher

Electronic Arts

Erstveröffent-
lichung

February 22, 2019

platform

PlayStation 4 , Windows and Xbox One

Subject

Game mode

Online-only: cooperative multiplayer and single player

Current version

1.7.0

Age rating

USK

PEGI

Anthem is an online action game . It is developed by the Canadian game developer BioWare and published by the US publisher Electronic Arts . The originally planned release of the game was in autumn 2018, on the Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms . At the end of January 2018, the publication was postponed to 2019. The game was released on February 22, 2019.

Gameplay

Anthem is an action game (because of its specific mechanisms as loot Shooter hereinafter), which in an open world in which the player takes place, the role of a Freelancers occupies and as such fully configurable suits called Javelin has. At the release of the game, Anthem contains four javelins ( Ranger , Interceptor , Storm and Colossus ), which differ significantly in their properties, whereby the player has to choose a type at the beginning. The three other models can be unlocked as the game progresses as soon as the player has collected the necessary experience points. In future expansions there will be new javelins and new game content.

The game includes a single player mode (an internet connection must be maintained) and a cooperative multiplayer mode that can be played with up to four group members ( shared-world ). Anthem is deliberately built on this collaborative approach. There are no battles between players ( PvP ), but joint battles within the environment against opponents or within the framework of the story ( PvE ).

In addition to the actual story, the world of Anthem can be freely explored. In this context, there are always scattered "world events" (short missions), and daily, weekly and monthly quests and (smaller) raids on three strongholds (larger fortifications) can be undertaken. The raids in particular offer the opportunity to collect experience points and loot . Loot, in turn, can be used to improve your own javelins (better weapons, armor and heat exchangers, etc.), as the latter are largely configurable. The game is to be supplied with additional content in the future.

Drew Karpyshyn , who became famous for his work Mass Effect , also contributed to the basic concept of this game.

action

The plot of Anthem plays in a fictional world that (the fragmentary knowledge of the people, according to "gods" designer [dt. Shapers called]) was created artificially, but is unfinished. Which played a major role in this context Anthem ( Anthem ), a mysterious energy source that has incredible potential. The designers used it for their technology, which people only understand incompletely. Relics of the designers are scattered all over the world.

Due to the unfinished state of this world and the dangerous environment that is plagued by violent storms and populated by alien, hostile beings (such as the skars ), humans can only survive in fortified settlements. Centuries earlier secured the Legion dusk ( Legion of Dawn ) under General Helena Tarsis the survival of the human race in a fierce battle with the help of battle armor that Javelins are called. All people still alive are descendants of the Legion.

The player slips into the role of a freelancer who earns his living as a mercenary and operates from the settlement of Fort Tarsis in the jungle region of Bastion. In the meantime, the residents there are threatened by the Dominion , another human faction and a highly militarized society from the north with the capital Stralheim . There is also at least one other large and important state called Antium .

Marketing and Publishing

BioWare published a teaser for the game at E3 2014 . A gameplay cutout of Anthem was press conference Microsoft E3 for the first time when on the Xbox One X shown.

According to Patrick Söderlund , Vice President of Electronic Arts , the game should be “the start of a maybe 10 year long journey”, so BioWare plans to continue supporting the title with new content and updates after its official release.

reception

Anthem received a comparatively negative rating from the gaming press when it was released. It was critically noted that the story barely developed an atmosphere and did not meet the standard Bioware was used to; This also applies to the character design and the Fort Tarsis player hub . The mission design was perceived as largely repetitive and poor in variety. Furthermore, the loot mechanic was criticized, which was designed to be unsatisfactory because the player always had to return to Fort Tarsis (the equipment cannot be adjusted in the open world) and was thereby torn from the actual flow of the game. In addition, the inadequate content (game content such as missions and other tasks) was criticized. After the player has played through the main story and completed the three fortresses, only a few side missions and world events remained that would not guarantee long-term motivation. The game also suffers from long loading times and sometimes serious bugs. In the test by Ars Technica it was concluded that the game was too ambitious and hit the ground with a crash because it was published unfinished.

The overall successful combat system, the very appealing graphic design and the controls with which the Javelins can easily be flown through the open world were praised . The basic structure offers a lot of potential, but it is not yet clear whether Bioware will be able to fix the errors and expand and improve the game in a meaningful way. Bioware had initially announced further content in the form of "files" for the near future, but this decision has since been revised. Instead, the developers are now working on a restart of the game in 2020, which is to be completely redesigned. Such a restart is not too unusual, games like Diablo III , Destiny 2 or Final Fantasy XIV also had great difficulties at the beginning.

On April 2, 2019, game journalist Jason Schreier, who is known for his background reports at Kotaku , published a detailed report and conducted 19 confidential interviews with former and current BioWare employees. Schreier has shown that the development of Anthem was associated with considerable difficulties from the start and dragged on slowly, with the game only being completed quickly in the last year of development and therefore ultimately unfinished. There was mismanagement, incorrect design decisions, technical problems (including with the Frostbite engine) and dramatic working hours ( crunch time ) that were stressful for several employees.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Anthem Update 1.7.0

↑ Official website shows expected publication and usable platforms , in German (accessed on September 4, 2017)

^ Owen S. Good: BioWare's Anthem delayed to 2019, EA confirms (update). In: polygon . Vox Media , January 30, 2018, accessed February 1, 2018 .

↑ Anthem gameplay trailer shows the suits , on YouTube.com in English. (Accessed September 6, 2017)

↑ Bioware roadmap for the first three months

↑ Mass Effect 1 and 2 Author, also works Anthem , on neowin.net in English (accessed September 11, 2017)

↑ EA.com

↑ EA.com .

↑ EA.com

↑ E3 2014: Mass Effect developer, BioWare time teaser of new project , on ign.com in English (accessed on September 11, 2017)

↑ E3 2017: BioWare shows new project, Anthem ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , at ign.com in English. (Accessed September 11, 2017)@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / ca.ign.com