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Grabbit Disambiguation
Ahem... Freelancer... This page is about the game mode.
For the story, go to Echoes of Reality.
For other uses, go to Echoes of Reality (Disambiguation).

Echoes of Reality is a cataclysm—a time limited puzzle, exploration, and action based Game Mode in Anthem-logoAnthem. Echoes of Reality is also the story related cataclysm of Act:1 of Anthem's Narrative.

Each time, a Team of up to 4 Freelancers can play this game mode, they are landed into a special map. The map consists of 8 sub-regions (including a boss arena). Each sub-region also hosts a unique arena where Cataclysm Events take place. There are also many puzzles and explorable districts spread across the cataclysm. If played in the right way, Echoes of Reality is the most rewarding game mode.

The goal of this game mode is to get the maximum score before the timer stops. The scores can be checked in the leaderboards in the Enclave or the Launch Bay. It can also be checked in the menu when not outside Fort Tarsis. At the end of the game mode, crystals are rewarded based on the score. The score final score will be divided by 1000 with the numbers after the decimal place truncated. The remaining numbers become the net amount of crystals won. Crystals can be spent in the Seasonal Store for various combat and cosmetic items.

At the completion of each event, a Treasure Chest spawns inside the arena. The maximum amount that can be spent inside the cataclysm when all the events are active is 43 minutes, the moment the first pocket of stable reality (starting point) is exited. Completing the cataclysm will have a chance to obtain the Cataclysm Complete Feat with the highest possible experience bonus obtainable from any game mode.

Note: By default, only 3 Events and the Final Boss arena are active inside the cataclysm. Only during full seasons, other arenas are made active. This also means, fewer crystal rewards during off-season times.

Gameplay

Cataclysm Map

The Map of Echoes of Reality
(Image Credit: AnthemArchive)

Echoes of Reality is a 6-week long seasonal event (It was extended by 1 week during the original run, technically making it 7 weeks). It is a cataclysm, so within it is a dangerous environment—it is impossible to stay inside this map for long time without enduring severe damage to the javelin. Hence, the time is limited, which is defined as reality being ripped apart.

Time is now an enemy other than the actual foes inside the cataclysm and the destructive storm itself.

Better the score, better the crystal rewards. So, every decision made, every enemy killed, every puzzle solved will help achieve this goal. This means, communication with the squad is of the utmost importance. Better communication results in a higher score, rewarding with more crystals.

Echoes of Reality is a new area available for all players, as long as they are Level 2 or greater, regardless of their progress in the story. In fact, the only true requirement is related to the story missions, and its pre-requisite is completing the Incursion mission.

Each player has a stability meter limited by how much storm their javelin is enduring. The more time spent outside the safe zones, the more damage the javelin receives.

There are 8 unique arenas and a wide variety of challenges, events, and hidden achievements. The timer only starts with 15 minutes in the beginning, once even a single player ventures outside the landing zone. Each event completed will add an additional 3 minutes to the timer, an additional multiplier, and increase the stability meter by 30 seconds, letting a Freelancer stay longer in the storm, while allowing them to explore and perform additional challenges. Enemies not only drop loot, but also Cymatic Notes. Collecting Cymatic notes will refill the stability meter.

In the center of the arena is a rift, a weakness in the cataclysm’s reality. Destroying it will deactivate the rift’s effect and cover the arena in a safe zone. Not destroying the rift will keep it active and make it difficult for a javelin to survive as the storm tears them slowly, but it will double the multiplier—this means more crystals in the end, which is the true objective.

The crystals obtained can be exchanged in Herschel’s Hut, where he has setup a Seasonal Store. Combat items are obtained in this store through War Chests, and they are more powerful than the usual loot reward drops as they will have a higher power Level. The Seasonal Store also offers rare cosmetics.

Echoes of Reality also offers challenges only when the full season is running. Completing these challenges will reward players with war chests, crystals, cosmetics, and coin.

Each week, new arenas, challenges, and Seasonal Store items will be added when the full season is running.

The Map

The map is a special location offset away from the Emerald Abyss within Northern Bastion. This region cannot be reached through any other means, apart from selecting the Echoes of Reality game mode in the Game Mode menu.

The map is spread with several Hazardous effects. There are several safe spots across the map. There is also a Rift above the arena, which when destroyed, creates a safe space around the arena.

A constant storm keeps the cataclysm unsafe when outside the safe zones, but it provides a double multiplier to the score obtained when completing an activity while enduring the storm. As each week passes, the storm’s effect becomes stronger and the map becomes hazier, making it tougher to brave the cataclysm.

The map shows active arenas and the Boss Arena on it.

During the Season of Skulls, the whole cataclysm gets a festive makeover to fit the themes and all the Dominion enemies become Scars.

Scoring

There are several ways to increase the score. All scores are global, and shared among the Freelancers squad who are inside the cataclysm until the Cataclysm Complete banner pops up. There is also a score multiplier which increases the points earned, shown on the right.

The base multiplier is 1. Each time an event is completed, the base multiplier increases by 1, until it reaches 7. The multiplier gets doubled when not inside safe zones, making the net multiplier reach 14. However, killing Vara will add another +1 to the base multiplier, making the maximum possible multiplier to a grand 16.

  • Solving puzzles and killing enemies when inside the storm (and not safe spots) will double the score multiplier.
  • Defeating Vara automatically doubles the final score (although, the rift must be destroyed to damage her).
  • Depending upon the difficulty selected in the Game Mode settings, the final score gets a hidden multiplier boost, with Grandmaster 3 giving the highest score multiplier:
Multiplier
Game Mode
Difficulty
Hidden
Multiplier
Divider
Easy 1
Normal 1.5
Hard 2.25
Grandmaster 1 3.3
Grandmaster 2 5
Grandmaster 3 7.6
  • Killing enemies while the rift remains active or when outside the safe zones doubles the multiplier.
  • Killing enemies will give a set amount of score. Killing Elite Enemies and Legendary Enemies will provide higher scores. Here are the points for killing the enemies. Click on Expand/Collapse to reveal or conceal the list:
Standard Enemies Base Points
Echoes of Reality Season of Skulls Points
Divider
200


Elite-enemy-icon
Elite Enemies Base Points
Echoes of Reality Season of Skulls Points
Divider
20
50
100


Legendary-enemy-icon
Legendary Enemies Base Points
Echoes of Reality Season of Skulls Points
Divider
100
150


Target Glow Target Enemies and Secret Bosses Base Points
Echoes of Reality Season of Skulls Points
Divider
Riftmaster (Original) Riftmaster (Skulls) 400
Valkyrie Magnus Rot Weaver 2000
Valkyrie Brita Dusk Blight 2000
Valkyrie Casja Fellsmoke Gnasher 2000
Valkyrie Diana Doom Inferno 2000
Valkyrie Kelrik Rustfiire Father 2000
Valkyrie Astrid Baleful Host 2000
Valkyrie Takaro Blackfire Voice 2000

Additional Features

There are several features found inside the map that make this game mode unique and interesting.

Cymatic Notes

Cymatic Notes, sometimes simply called as Notes, are scattered across the map to provide stability to a javelin and fill the depleting stability meter.

Teleportation Pads

There are several teleportation pads or gates inside the cataclysm which allow the Freelancers to travel to different places quickly. Their locations are marked and found along with the puzzles here.

Rifts and Pockets of Stable Reality

These are small safe zones inside the cataclysm spread across the map. They behave similar to the safe zones created by destroying rifts, but are permanently safe. Keeping a rift active multiplies the score obtained by 2, and destroying one will create a safe zone around the event reducing the doubling multiplier to 1.

Waterfalls and Water Reservoirs

Similar to the real world of Coda, there are plenty of waterfalls and water bodies inside the cataclysm to cool down the javelin's thrusters.

Non-arena Enemies

Several enemies can be encountered outside the arenas. Usually, these are Storm Elementals. Grabbits can also be found in a secret area called the Hall of Grabbits. In The Approach, three Storm Wyverns can also be encountered during Echoes of Reality. During the Season of Skulls, the elementals become Mistborn Skorpions, while all the Storm Wyverns vanish. The elementals and skorpions also spawn inside inactive arenas as area-fill encounter.

Inversions

Inversions are combat modifiers that force the players to play with different playstyles.

Events and Arenas

There are a total of 7 events and 8 arenas inside Echoes of Reality. There is also a Final Boss arena among the 8, apart from the 7 events, where Vara remains waiting. The following lists all 7 events and the final boss arena:

Cortex-cataclysms Cataclysm Events
Event Subregion Echoes of Reality Event Season of Skulls Event
Divider
The Approach Subregion Ring of Magnus Event Ring of Magnus Event (Skulls Version)
Hope Shattered Subregion Britaheim Event Britaheim Event (Skulls Version)
The Labyrinth Subregion Casja's Forge Event Casja's Forge Event (Skulls Version)
Dominion Foothold Subregion Diana's Landing Event Diana's Landing Event (Skulls Version)
New Dawn Subregion Castle Kelrik Event Britaheim Event (Skulls Version)
Trials of Might Subregion Crucible of Astrid Event Crucible of Astrid Event (Skulls Version)
Dark Passage Subregion Sea of Takaro Event Sea of Takaro Event (Skulls Version)
Echo's Heart Subregion
Vara Event

Additional Puzzles

There are several puzzles apart from the cataclysm events to help gain more points. Check out the strategy, individual maps, and rewards for all the following puzzles here.

  • Time Runes
  • Shaper Spheres
  • Grabbit King
  • Arcanist Circle
  • Shaper Vault
  • Beach Vault
  • Exploding Crystals
  • Pressure-plate Statues

The map below contains all the puzzle locations:

Echoes of Reality Puzzles Map
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