Anthem is the latest blockbuster game by BioWare that has taken the world by storm. The game was announced and even showcased a bit during last year’s E3 but a lot more details were revealed during EA’s 2018 E3 conference. If you don’t know about Anthem or missed EA‘s press conference, here’s what you need to know about the game:
What is Anthem?
Anthem is an online action RPG where players are freelancers, people who use hi-tech, superpowered exo-suits known as Javelins. The freelancers are the guardians of the human population and only they have access to the Javelins as resources are finite, therefore, they can’t be mass-produced.
Like any other RPG game, Anthem also has a class-like system because each javelin is unique, they’re not the same, hence each Javelin can be considered as a separate class. Each javelin has its own role and own unique capabilities, such as a bulky, tanky one that’ll likely be able to absorb a lot of damage. There’s also an agile one, a powerful one and an all-around balanced javelin as well.
Each of them brings something different to the table and since the game’s going to be an online co-operative game as well, teams comprising of different javelins might play a key role in going about certain missions. Each exo-suit will also have its own skill tree that’ll be completely independent of the rest, like a class system.
When it comes to assigning upgrade points, it’s very crucial that you understand the difference between a pilot and the javelin. You aren’t the javelin, you’re the pilot controlling the javelin. Both the pilot and javelin each have their own upgrade trees. So if you put in points that enhances your javelin, those points apply only to that specific javelin. However, if you upgrade your pilot (yourself), those apply to all javelins might possibly fly because you’re the one controlling them. The game experience is largely dependent on a player’s decisions.
The Story
Anthem is set in a world that looks a lot like Earth, but it’s not the same planet. Although BioWare hasn’t commented on the origins of this planet or the vast secrets that may be hidden waiting to be explored inside the world, we know this much that the planet is not the one we live in.
The main narrative that’s being told here is that there were entities known as “The Gods” (or the Shapers) which were responsible for the creation of the world of Anthem. However, the creation was supposed to complete in seven days, but on the third day, they vanished. Surprisingly, they still left behind all the tools they used in the creation of the world, huge pieces of high-level tech beyond the comprehension of mortals.
Although these tools were used with the intent of creating the world, they can be super deadly as well if they fall into the wrong hands. They have unfathomable power and from the mortal’s perspective, the power is limitless. The people who are left with these technological marvels can’t understand their power, which is why these tools are also dangerous because they’re not in the hands of those who can use their power properly.
“These aren’t exact examples,” Warner said. “But the Shaper’s tools can do anything. One of them could spin up and start spawning endless wolves. Or one could just turn anyone near it inside out. They’re unpredictable and dangerous.”
Humanity has been pushed behind walls inside Fort Tarsis due to the immense power of the tools left by the gods. The outside world is not safe anymore as there’s more than one enemy you need to deal with. One of them is Dominion, a military-style faction whose prime focus is to wield the destructive power of the shapers’ tools. Apart from them, you’ll also have to deal with mutated creatures that have come to be due to the mysterious power of the tools.
The game is ambitious, but it has a lot of potential
BioWare is known for making story-driven games, and it’s unlikely that they’ll make any compromises on that end. However, making a cooperative online shooter is entering slightly newer territory for them. They’ve also confirmed that you’ll need a persistent internet connection in order to play this game, even if you don’t want to play with other people and want to play solo.
However, given what we’ve seen in E3, it clearly looks like they know what they’re doing as the game looks highly promising. BioWare has also confirmed that the game will evolve over time as it will constantly receive updates after launch, thus keeping the content fresh for the players. They’ve also confirmed that the game will also evolve over time according to how a player makes decisions in the game, thus giving each player a unique experience to the game.
Anthem may arguably be BioWare’s most ambitious project which may be a hit or a miss, but it’s a risk worth taking because if it works, it’ll likely be one of the biggest games around. There’s been a lot of hype building up for this game given that it was revealed a year ago and now we got more info on it during this year’s E3. Only time will tell if the game was worth it.