Anthem has everything it needs to be a great title, BioWare, the company that has mastered the art of nuanced storytelling as the developer and inspirations taken from Destiny. It is supposed to be a seamless infusion of these elements and co-op gameplay but unfortunately, Anthem is something else other than that.
Everything went well initially. Anthem had shown all of its best ideas right at the beginning. The story happens on a planet with a never-ending catastrophe. Players will be hired soldiers and fight off strange creatures.
The world in Anthem is absolutely beautiful, more appealing to the look than that of most video games released recently. It is all about the detail. The surface of that world seems to be cracked and loosely held together. Vegetation grows luxuriantly on a steep rock outcrop and high grounds. Waterfalls tumble down from a towering height.
The Javelin suits players wear seem to get as much effort. Players have the choice to acquire them in four types, the Ranger, the Colossus, the Interceptor, and the Storm, all of which come with a jetpack. To initiate the device, all you have to do is to jump off the ground and then press the booster and the next thing you know if you are traveling as the speed of an F-15. Controlling this feature might be a bit challenging, especially if you are on a mouse and a keyboard. However, the exhilarating feeling it brings is unparalleled.
Flying is just the beginning. To force the suits to use its maximum capacity, you must join in battles. Each of the Javelin suits is equipped with a wide variety of weapons as well as its own distinct power. Take the Ranger, for example, players have the choice to shoot powerful laser beams or launch heat-seekers. When the wearer is under attack, the suit can form a kind of shield that deflects bullets. Wait for some time and you can use the suit’s ultimate after it finishes charging. For the Ranger, that special ability is releasing rocket bombardment.
Although the game is said to promote cooperation, what happens does not seem to support that claim. Anthem’s teamwork is shown on two occasions only, one is when you revive a knocked out ally and the other is to perform some sort of a combo. Apart from that, players can hardly feel that they are in a team and there is absolutely no communication. So, in short, it seems that you are in a game with other players, other than working with them toward a common goal.
This sense of solitude is the most obvious when players are in Fort Tarsis, the place you come back to after finishing each mission. In this city, players have no chance to converse. They are on their own picking the next journey or enhancing the Javelin suit.
Anthem’s story falls apart right at the characters’ home city. There is no chance for players to develop and conversation opportunity is limited. This is supposed to be BioWare’s strongest point and yet it failed so miserably.
However, this is the worse part of Anthem. No matter what you embark on, an important mission or just a side-contract, you will probably guess correctly what comes next. You will fly by beautiful landscapes and fire at your enemies. Sometimes there is a boss at the end or you have to gather shiny balls.
One of the game rare highlights occurs when players have gone through one-third of the journey, which is to accomplish a list of challenges like repairing 3 Javelins for example. Solving these tasks does not require your skills or your wit but rather your luck. You need to be at a certain place at the right moment, at the same time, prevent you from going further. This feature has been so unpleasant that BioWare has announced that they would fix it.
BioWare has a long haul plan for Anthem so we may expect adjustments and additions in the future. One of them is a list of issues that will be addressed soon. For now, Anthem feels like Gears of War but players have jetpacks to fly. It may look less like a spin-off in an unforeseeable future but who knows, it might stay like this for good.
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