Anthem is the next big title coming from EA and is one of the most exciting new IP’s set for this year. While the official launch of the game is on February 22, 2019, but you can get in on the action with a pre-launch beta for Origin Access members and those who pre order! If you are planning to try the game out or are just waiting, here’s a bit of information on what you can expect.
The Story
While the overall story is unclear; it largely revolves around a settlement called Fort Tarsus surrounded by walls as the outside is overrun by enemies searching for an ancient power, called The Anthem. It’s creating corrupted life forms across the world as it ravages the planet and the only ones capable of heading out are special mercenaries known as freelancers.
The Classes
While the outright class selection isn’t there in the game, it’s done through the Exosuits called Javelins. There are four types so far, The Ranger which is your sort of standard all round utility class. The Colossus, as the name suggests is the tankiest of the lost. Next up is the Storm which is most akin to a mage class with elemental damage along with buffs and debufs. The final class is the Interceptor, which from early impressions feels a bit like a rogue/assassin type class. Fragile, but deadly if used correctly. Together, players must balance out their squad as they venture out to take on the powers of The Anthem.
Gameplay
Anthem on the surface feels a lot like Destiny and you can see a lot of inspiration in various elements. The game works with a player hub in Fort Tarsus, this is where you find all your NPC’s for new items and quests. However, unlike the main gameplay segments, this is in first person, probably to give players a much closer look at the world they are trying to protect. The world of Anthem looks stunning, but the Demo will be the best judge of how it finally looks for end users. The gameplay itself feels fluid enough despite players running around in what are basically big iron man suits and the combat is fun; however, if the overall mission structure becomes too grindy I fear it may suffer the same fate as Destiny. But for now, I remain optimistic.
