Anthem

We've got Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 launching sometime in the next fortnight, and Destiny 2 in October, so our gaming couldn't get any more complicated... or could it?! This is where EA|Bioware's new title, Anthem, comes in.

Announced as the final game of the Microsoft Press Conference at E3, here's what we know:

• It has a massive open world, maybe even bigger than that of Destiny 2;
• Up to four players in a group can assume the role of Freelancers, people hired to leave Fort Tarsus and enter the wilderness to complete contracts for its populace;
• In addition to gear that enemies might drop, contracts reward you and your friends with materials to upgrade your collection of "Javelins" - powered exosuits each with their own capabilities, which you can adapt to leap, climb or even fly.
• As you seek out treasures or battle marauders, every choice you make will influence you, the world and the fight against a ruthless enemy wanting to extinguish Humanity.

Here is the E3 Gameplay Reveal:



And the Official Trailer:



Currently retailers are only listing it for Xbox One and Playstation 4, but it will also be available for PC - all slated for release this December.

 

Sorry, that was my fault - I think this game is where all the people fixing ME:Andromeda went to.

 

So this weekend is the Anthem Beta for VIPs, and then 1st to 3rd Feb is the Public Beta. However, if you happened to score a VIP invite from your favourite Twitch/YouTube streamer, congratulations

Players start at Level 10 with the Ranger class, and reaching Level 12 will allow you to unlock another... for the demo, you can go up to Level 15. There is a Story Mission you can complete, a Stronghold (meant for high-level teams), and a series of side quests you can do in Freeplay mode. You can also fully customise your armor with loot discovered from chests in the world, and your paintjob:



Anybody who plays VIP will receive an exclusive Vinyl Pattern for use in the final game with all Javelin classes, and progression will carry over to the Public Beta. Please note those on PC will require an EA Origin account.

 

An update from Bioware has been posted about the furious bugs. Click the link below if you want to read it:

http://blog.bioware.com/2019/01/26/anthem-vip-demo-update/

For those who did manage to participate today, however, you will now receive two exclusive Vinyl Patterns for your Javelins, when the game launches 22nd Feb:

 

Due to continued issues with accessing Freeplay mode, Bioware have just now unlocked ALL 4 Javelin classes in the VIP Beta...

If you don't see them unlocked for your account, quit the game and restart it.

 

Here is the blog for upcoming changes to the demo:

https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/anthem-vip-demo-recap

There have been plans to conduct scale testing this week - including a playtest scheduled tomorrow at the Guildford office, which I'm skipping due to illness - before the Open Beta begins 1st Feb.

 

Gamespot have released a nice, in-depth article about the game, including a video listing progression after the story campaign:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/weve-played-hours-of-anthem-heres-what-the-game-is/1100-6464560/

There are also the gear ratings, which I believe are coded as follows:

White = Common
Green = Uncommon
Blue = Rare
Purple = Epic
Orange = Masterwork
Yellow = Legendary

 

The ever-faithful Datto has published a few videos this week about





He has other videos about the game, but many are spoilers of future content, so you can review them on his YouTube channel if you wish.

 

So late last week, Bioware announced a series of improvements or changes expected since the events of the Beta. These are divided into four categories as "at launch", "in-development" as a minor patch, in a "major update" with an unknown timetable, or "not planned"...

CORE GAMEPLAY
Spectator Camera: in-development
Waypoints: in-development
Mass Salvage option: at launch
Post-Expedition Destinations (Fort Tarsis or Launch Bay): at launch
Class/Weapon Balancing: at launch
Loading Times: at launch
Sprint and Walk Speeds: at launch
Stronghold completion-updates: at launch
Kick Player (for AFK users): not planned - but alternatives are being considered
Disconnects: at launch - any gear/XP earned before that point in Freeplay and Expeditions will be saved

LIMITATIONS
Private Session option for Freeplay: major update/not planned - still in debate internally
Training Room: major update/not planned - again, in debate
Private space for Guilds: major update/not planned - no info on this
Photo Mode: not planned - consensus is consoles have this already, and there are plenty of PC apps for it

AFTER "DAY 1"
Statistics for Expeditions: in-development
More cosmetics: in-development (across all areas)
Sponsored/Branded cosmetics for eSports: in-development
Dynamic Time of Day: in-development
Matchmaking for Story Missions: at launch
More Freeplay Activities: in-development
Story Credits: not planned - upon completion of main campaign, Story will continue via subsequent major updates
Cataclysms: major update - essentially "Raids", these may support multiple Fireteams


Last but not least, for those who missed it, the Launch Trailer was deployed on Friday: