Anthem

Anthem
Developer	Bioware
Genre	Science Fantasy
Type	Action-Role Playing
Setting	Open-World
Engine	Frostbite
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Release	Feb 22, 2019
Modes	Online Singleplayer Online Multiplayer

Anthem is an open world action role-playing game developed by BioWare (Primarily by Edmonton Studio and reinforced by Austin Studio). The video game was published by Electronic Arts and released officially on February 19th, 2019.

It runs on EA's proprietary Frostbite engine (Frostbite 3) and is playable on Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox One. The game supports DLSS and 4K. Anthem has dedicated centralized servers. It is so heavily dependent on them that even the single player missions also run from the server side.

• To read about the Frequently Asked Questions on the current state of the game, visit the F.A.Q. Page.
• To read about the rework of Anthem, whose development was stopped, visit Anthem (New Game Build).

System Requirements for PC

A minimum of 12 GB RAM and 82 GB Hard Drive Space are required as of Update 1.7.0 for Anthem to run Smothly. Also, instead of Hard Drives, Solid State Devices (SSDs) are recommended. The below values are taken from the official site.

Category	Minimum Requirements	Recommended Requirements
OS	64-bit Windows 10	64-bit Windows 10
CPU	Intel Core i5 3570 or AMD FX-6350	Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5 GHz
RAM	8 GB System Memory	16 GB System Memory
GPU	NVIDIA GTX 760, AMD Radeon 7970 / R9280X	NVIDIA GTX 1060/ RTX 2060, AMD RX 480
GPU RAM (VRAM)	2 GB Video Memory	4 GB Video Memory
HARD DRIVE	At least 50 GB of free space	At least 50 GB of free space
DIRECTX	DirectX 11	DirectX 11

Premise

According to legends, the Gods created the world, but before they could finish it, they vanished. The Anthem was mysterious force they somehow used to shape it, and their monumental creations are all that remain of them. But the Anthem cannot be controlled by any known species, for it is an unfathomable force of creation.

On an ever changing dangerous living planet, humanity has been left to defend itself against the vicious threats it randomly and constantly the world throws at them. To protect themselves against the treacherous wildlife, unpredictable natural hazards, and reality altering cataclysms, humans built several walled cities. Although settlements without walls exist, the ones with the high walls are the safest to survive.

On the northern frontier of a nation called Bastion on the continent of Mirrus, the current northern-most walled settlement is the once military outpost of Fort Tarsis. The story only begins there. Humans titled lancers, who pilot fantastical exo-suits called Javelins protect those living in these settlements. Lancers belong to various factions. The most independent of such factions who protect people inside and outside the walls are the Freelancers—valorous people who follow the footsteps of the legendary General Tarsis

The lives of Bastion’s citizens are in peril from the forces living in the cold northern nation of Stralheim, beyond Mirrus. They call themselves the Dominion. The Dominion previously unleashed a monstrous cataclysm nearly 10 years ago which has caused unbelievable destruction in Bastion. In the present day, they have returned to weaponize an ancient relic of unknown power located deep inside this cataclysm..

Today, it is upto you, a Freelancer, who has currently chosen to live in Fort Tarsis, with very little experience and a handful of friends, to put an end to this cataclysm and stop the Dominion threat.

Gameplay

Anthem is designed to be of the form “Our World, My Story.” The player is The Freelancer in their story and simply a Freelancer in the others’ story.

The World of Anthem

In this shared experience, squads of up to four players embark on expeditions outside the walls of Fort Tarsis, discovering the many hidden mysteries and unforeseen dangers. Equipped in their powered Javelin exosuits, Freelancers can explore uncharted areas from the air, on ground, and beneath water. Four javelins are unlocked at different times, each suit fulfilling a unique playstyle and combat role. While exploring the outside world, Freelancers may also bear witness to world-changing events such as cataclysms, or encounter unanticipated savage beasts, ruthless marauders, and hazardous environment.

The game features changing seasons, a dynamic weather system, and a full day-night cycle/ So some creatures will be more or less prevalent depending on the environmental conditions. Apart from the incredible traveling systems, the game also offers a fast travel system.

Fort Tarsis acts as a player hub, where Freelancers can interact with the residents, upgrade their Combat Equipment, acquire new expeditions, and even personalize their javelins with cosmetics. When in the fort, the player assumes a first-person perspective until launching an expedition; however, exploration and combat outside the wall happens from a third-person perspective, and always inside the equipped javelin.Interaction with other players can happen inside the Launch Bay.

The game cannot be paused; bringing up a menu will not halt the game. The game will have emotes and accessibility features.

Player Options

The game can be played in both singleplayer and multiplayer modes, though every player will be affected by events in the latter. The game requires a continuous online connection to play, and does not feature couch co-op. All the Game Modes use a matchmaking system, with the maximum wait time of 90 seconds. There is no option for a Player vs. Player in Anthem, neither is there any interest in incorporating it from the developers’ side.

While players can play the game solo, there are no AI teammates available. There would be NPC allies who can provide some support during combat. There are no options for romance in the game, however, there is the choice based romance story called The Cypher's Kiss. The player relationships with NPCs are focused more on friendship and camaraderie. However, it has been stated that a romance system could be added post-launch. Conversations with NPCs will be more limited when compared to past BioWare games, but relationships can still be shaped based on how the player interacts with them and what dialog choices are made. Regardless of how a relationship with an NPC changes, content will not be locked off.

Story Progression

Gameplay will be balanced slightly if one is playing by themselves, but the game's difficulty is scaled to the assumption of one playing as part of a squad of four. When on missions, players are 'tethered' together—getting too far from one's teammates will result in the player teleporting back to join them

While the game has a climax and conclusion in terms of plot, the game will continue after that with new expeditions and aspirational content.

Progress will not be cross-platform, but interest was shown to incorporate it post-launch.

Playstyle Mechanism

Combat style is javelin specific and depends on the build of that javelin. Certain combat equipment are restricted to certain javelins. Each javelin type will have its own set of Gears, Melee Weapons, and Ultimate. Most Guns are shared.

Damage numbers called “damage floaties” show up when enemies are hit. The size of the numbers can be adjusted.

In-game currency and crafting mechanics, loot and other rewards will have asset rarity. The quality of item drops depends on the Pilot Level as well as the difficulty chosen. Even if a player is paired up with higher leveled players, the loot that drops will still correspond to their level. Loot is instanced, and spawned for everyone; one player can't steal another's loot. Loot dropped depends on Javelin the player is using when they find it.

The game will not have loot boxes, but cosmetic-only microt ransactions will be present. With the exception of the Legion of Dawn cosmetics, all cosmetics can be earned in-game without microtransactions through in-game currencies and challenges. Inventory has a limited space when outside the walls. There will be no item trading between players at launch.The lore is built into the world and gameplay. The game will utilize a Cortex system for collected lore snippets.

On June 17th, 2017, an official teaser for the game was released during the EA Play pre-E3 press conference

Development Cycle

It always had elements of real-world or sci-fi technology, but in a fantastic setting. There are these photographs of a place — I think it’s in Kazakhstan — where, downrange from the Russian rocket launch sites, some of the stages of the rockets fall back to earth. So there’s these beautiful green, pristine farmlands, and people living a very rural life, but then they will come across these pieces of crashed spaceship. And there is something amazing about these photographs. We said, 'This doesn’t feel like sci-fi or fantasy. There’s something in that.' — Casey Hudson on the game's conception .

Artwork

It was always intended for Anthem to be different when compared to to Mass Effect and Dragon Age video game series. Various ideas were pitched at the start of development. Some had the game taking place inside cities, in a manner similar to Grand Theft Auto. Some were "countryside concepts," similar in style to games made by Bethesda. An Arabian Nights-style game was pitched, alongside traditional sci-fi and fantasy ideas, along with an urban fantasy idea. Along the line, it was reasoned that BioWare had one Tolkein-esque IP with Dragon Age, and one space opera IP with Mass Effect. Thus, this new IP had to feel different.

Originally, Anthem was reported under the codename "Dylan", with BioWare stating they were aiming to create "the Bob Dylan of video games— one that would be referenced for years to come."

Anthem was first teased in 2012. Pre-production on the game proceeded slowly, at first, as BioWare focused on hitting immediate milestones. Frostbite was chosen as the engine of Anthem. On 10 June 2017, an official teaser for the game was released during EA's EA Play pre-E3 press conference. The following day, pre-alpha 4K gameplay footage running in real-time on the Xbox One X was showcased at E3 2017.

The development team behind the game is the largest in BioWare's history.The PC and console versions were developed simultaneously.

The lack of PvP was intentional, as it allowed the developers to be broader with gear and armor without having to worry about balance. The lack of AI companions in the field is due to the game's verticality; game AI was not advanced enough to account for these obstacles.

Just before the game's reveal at E3 2017, the game was called "Beyond." Less than a week before the press conference, EA told BioWare that acquiring a trademark for such a title would be too difficult. BioWare chose to rename the game "Anthem," which had been one of the game's backup titles. This was a point of contention, as while "Beyond" was meant to represent the dangerous wilds beyond the player's fort, "Anthem" didn't have any particular meaning in the game's context. This was retroactively fixed via the Anthem of Creation.

On September 27, 2017, director of the game Jonathan Warner announced that there would be a beta. However, Anthem only ever had a closed alpha, a closed demo, and an open demo later. In September 2018, it was confirmed that all post-launch story content would be released for free. The game would not receive expansions, but rather a steady stream of new content.

During development, members of the team come together on Fridays (dubbed "Anthem Fridays") to discuss various elements of the game.

Visual Design

We are very pleased with the progress of our new action IP from BioWare. The design is stunning, gameplay mechanics are excellent, and the action will be exhilarating. This game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we've decided to add more to the disruptive new social designs for our players. — Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA .

The below video from Game Developers Conference explains how the shaders and visuals were created for Anthem:

Sound Design

The original soundtrack of Anthem was to be composed by Los Angeles-based composer Ted Reedy. Reedy composed several music pieces for the 2017 showcase, which can be found on his website under the name "Dylan". However, it was Sarah Schacner who composed the full Anthem Soundtrack for the final game.

The below video from Game Developers Conference explains how the sounds and music were created for Anthem:

Javelin Movement Design

Early demos in the game involves players out in the wilderness utilizing a javelin (or equivalent), but without the same style of traversal that features in the final product. At this stage of development, ideas that would make it to the final product had formed—the idea of being in a dangerous world where there are pockets of civilization just holding on and fighting to survive. It was decided that this wouldn't be a "zombie survival" type of scenario, with humanity slowly being whittled away, but rather the idea of humanity being out of scale with the world around them. A world built for larger creatures.

The below video from Game Developers Conference explains how the javelin and movement systems were created for Anthem:

Game Editions

There are several editions of the game. Some game offered special additional features and bonuses at different levels, apart from the full game itself.

Pre-release Versions

The following editions are no longer available:

• A pre-alpha 4K gameplay, running in real-time on the Xbox One X was showcased at E3 2017.
• Anthem Alpha version with a Non-disclosure was open to select individuals (Closed Alpha) from December 8th 2018 to December 9th 2018.
• Anthe VIP Demo was made available for those who had pre-ordered the game from January 25th, 2019 to January 27th, 2019.
• Anthem Open Demo was made available for all players from February 1st 2019 to February 3rd, 2019

Early Access

Early access was available for the players with the following details:

• Pre Orders for PC/XB1/PS4: No Early access, but available at launch (Both Standard and Legion of Dawn Editions)
• EA Access (Xbox only): 10 Hour trial from February 15th 2019 and full game available at launch (Standard Edition Only)
• Origin Access Basic (now called EA Play): 10 Hour trial from February 15th 2019 and full game available at launch (Standard Edition Only)
• Origin Access Premiere (now called EA Play Pro): Full game available on February 15th 2019 and full game available at launch (Legion of Dawn Edition)

Pre Order Bonuses

Legion of Dawn Edition	Standard Edition
VIP Access to Pre-launch Demos One Legendary Armor Pack for each Javelin: Ranger Legendary Armor Pack Colossus Legendary Armor Pack Storm Legendary Armor Pack Interceptor Legendary Armor Pack A Legendary Weapon A Legendary Ranger Gear Legion of Dawn Legendary Graphic Legion of Dawn Metal Founder Player Banner Anthem Digital Soundtrack	VIP Access to Pre-launch Demos Ranger Legendary Armor Pack A Legendary Weapon Legion of Dawn Legendary Graphic Legion of Dawn Metal Founder Player Banner

Post Release Bonuses

Legion of Dawn Edition	Standard Edition
One Legendary Armour Pack for each Javelin: Ranger Legendary Armor Pack Colossus Legendary Armor Pack Storm Legendary Armor Pack Interceptor Legendary Armor Pack A Legendary Weapon A Legendary Ranger Gear Legion of Dawn Legendary Graphic Legion of Dawn Metal	No special bonuses

Marketing and Reception

The pre-release and post-release reception of Anthem are as different as day and night. Although, Anthem remains Bioware’s highest selling debut game among all its IPs. It is also the second highest selling game for its launch month when compared to all other Bioware Games.

Marketing and Release

BioWare Edmonton teased the game at E3 2014. Anthem was officially teased during EA's EA Play pre-E3 press conference on June 10, 2017. Gameplay was demonstrated for the first time during Microsoft's E3 press conference, the next day running on Xbox One X.

A demo released on January 25. The demo was set in the middle of the game's plot, and differed from the final release in terms of balance and in-game economy.

Pre-Release Reception

According to YouTube, Anthem was the eighth most viewed game of E3 2017. Following the event, Anthem placed third for IGN's Best of E3 People's Choice Award, ranking behind Marvel's Spider-Man and Super Mario Odyssey. Anthem also won the Best PC game and Best Action game (PC/PS4/XB1) categories of 2018’s Game Critics awards .

Post-Release Reception

The game received mixed to average reviews with scores ranging between late 50s and mid 60s on metacritic. For publications, it ranged between 5/10 to 7.5/10. This unfortunately made Anthem the lowest scored Bioware game ever .

Anthem was the best selling game of February 2019.

Regardless of the physical sales being fewer than 6 million, the game was a financial success making it among the top 10 best selling games of 2019 until November and the 15th best selling game overall in 2019. Anthem also had a digital revenue of over $100 Million in March 2019 .

Due to these two reasons, it was announced that Anthem would no longer receive any updates on February 2020, however, Bioware would be working on a new build of the game from scratch.

Anthem 2.0

According to Patrick Söderlund, EA's vice president, BioWare planned to support the game with new content and updates long after the game's official release, and that its launch would be "the start of maybe a 10-year journey" for BioWare.

Following its release, EA recognized that the game did not meet its sales expectations of 5.5-6 million units by the end of March 2019. BioWare continued to support the game with new content updates and quality of life improvements, while a small group of approximately 30 developers explored how it could be overhauled.

Plans to revitalize the game were scrapped in 2021. The game's servers will be maintained.

Gallery

External Links

• https://www.ea.com/games/anthem Official Website]
• https://www.twitter.com/anthemgame @AnthemGame on Twitter]
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIfV-AOz4jZeazVDbzgT9lQ Official Anthem YouTube Channel]
• https://devtrackers.gg/anthem Dev Tracker]