Anthem: Bioware's next Mass Effect-like IP

[Darleth]

It's probably only a matter of time… doesn’t seem to be working that well for most of these companies. Meanwhile games such as GTA V, Red Dead Redemption, God of War, Divinity Original Sin, the recent Resident Evil remakes, The Witcher, Nier, are getting praised (well deserved) to hell and beyond.

Remember, EA said AT THEIR CONFERENCE CALL, that Battlefield 5 sold badly BECAUSE of its singleplayer. Do you really think they will ever learn that this is just stupidity on their part? Live Services is an unsustainable model and this is why things just get shat out for a quick buck instead of actual polishing the game in its fullest.

[Tonkaden]

I dont know, ive sinked more than 1000 hours in other looters...and im pretty sure what kept me playing was the gameplay (and social part)
And those games i played didnt even had any updates.

What they did have was 1)customization and 2)some variety in content.

I hear Anthem lacks in variety big time...but if the gameplay is good and gear offers customization...i dont know.

The gameplay is great. It is shallow at the moment, but they are fixing it with their road map and constant content. Nothing will ever appease the locusts aka the players that spend 9-10 hours a day in game then once they are geared in 2 weeks, cry about nothing to do and the game being shallow.

[Eleccybubb]

Remember, EA said AT THEIR CONFERENCE CALL, that Battlefield 5 sold badly BECAUSE of its singleplayer. Do you really think they will ever learn that this is just stupidity on their part? Live Services is an unsustainable model and this is why things just get shat out for a quick buck instead of actual polishing the game in its fullest.

EA are never going to learn sadly.

It's funny though because when they barely have any involvement with projects such as Apex or Unravel those turn out to be awesome games.

However Anthem is solely on Bioware. They released a product that wasn't ready. It's on them. And if they do the same with DA4 then they are done for. And quite frankly if they do the same with DA4 then they are asking for it.

[lollerlaban]

The main point of Anthem is getting the right loot with the right inscriptions so you can form different builds. You're at lvl 19 and you say you've experienced everything Anthem has to offer? You aren't even high enough lvl to make a proper build, much less have experienced everything the game offers.....sigh

Except he has experienced everything Anthem has to offer. That's the whole joke of the game.

[Eleccybubb]

Except he has experienced everything Anthem has to offer. That's the whole joke of the game.

It's pretty funny that in 12 days that someone "completed" a game that's supposed to have pretty much sizeable and in some cases near endless progression. Especially online MP ARPGs.

[Darleth]

The gameplay is great. It is shallow at the moment, but they are fixing it with their road map and constant content. Nothing will ever appease the locusts aka the players that spend 9-10 hours a day in game then once they are geared in 2 weeks, cry about nothing to do and the game being shallow.

I think you guys are missing the point of no content. The biggest Content update there is will be the raid, which is coming out in MAY. Until then, even the average joe will have seen everything multiple times and probably farms high difficulty content without breaking a sweat. This even counts for "free updates".

They won't even sustain a "casual" playerbase if the content is just done to death. Look at any point in WoW when a raid was cleared for a huge majority of players. This will sooner or later happen even in anthem. You also have to consider that Anthem is PURELY PvE, while both Division and Destiny have PvP to at least have something extra to do.

So no, its not just the hardcore players, those are burning out earlier obviously for having done everything faster than the average player. Also lets be real, how long can 3 strongholds, of which 2 are recycled story missions, hold you over? Thats the question you should be asking instead. I dont know how huge free updates are, but from everything I've seen so far its not that much.

Edit:

EA are never going to learn sadly.

It's funny though because when they barely have any involvement with projects such as Apex or Unravel those turn out to be awesome games.

However Anthem is solely on Bioware. They released a product that wasn't ready. It's on them. And if they do the same with DA4 then they are done for. And quite frankly if they do the same with DA4 then they are asking for it.

I agree fully with what you said. The difference is that Respawn straight up said "Just let us do this, we handle everything, you do your stuff" and didnt take a no from EA for Apex.

Bioware died with Mass Effect 3 for me personally, at least the Bioware of old. It's just a matter of time.

[yasiru]

I've been playing loot grinders since before you were born little guy.

Anthems content level is a joke right now. The story is a joke. The only thing good about anthem is the game play, its a solid shooter with no content. No weak attempt you make at being condescending is going to change that.

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/facepalm
You should try out PoE.

That's very ignorant of you to assume you've been playing looters longer than another poster has been born, especially since "looter shooter" style games haven't been around for decades or something. I'm probably even older than you so no need to act all hurt and accuse someone of being condescending to you. You may say there is zero end game content in the game but you haven't even maxed your character yet, so at best all you're doing is repeating what others have said...

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Except he has experienced everything Anthem has to offer. That's the whole joke of the game.

Really? So at lvl 19 he has at least one fully kitted out masterwork javelin and can play at GM3? I think most people miss one of the main points of this game, the character/build progression.

[Collegeguy]

Saw a blurp on Yahoo Finance about EA & Anthem earlier, to those interested in markets & what is being talked about to investors.

EA's Shooter Looter Game Anthem Disappoints, Hurts Stock

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/eas-s...153203243.html

EA is going through a rough time, which is evident from its disappointing third-quarter fiscal 2019 results. Underperformance of Battlefield V and Command & Conquer: Rivals impacted the top line in the last-reported quarter.

Sluggish performance of Anthem can take a toll on the company’s results in the near term. Additionally, EA faces intensifying competition from the likes of Activision ATVI and Take Two Interactive TTWO.

EA currently holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Eventually the word gets around. 3 duds.. Sell. Apex seems to be helping to some degree however (not discussed much in article).

A bad day for EA is a good day for humanity.

[Faldric]

However Anthem is solely on Bioware. They released a product that wasn't ready. It's on them. And if they do the same with DA4 then they are done for. And quite frankly if they do the same with DA4 then they are asking for it.

They already rebooted DA once to include more "live services". The backlash even prompted Casey Hudson to make a statement that the focus will be on characters and story. Which if we look at Hudson's track record means that the focus will be on everything but characters and story. If it ever comes around, it will probably be the next buggy barebones mess.

[Katchii]

It's pretty funny that in 12 days that someone "completed" a game that's supposed to have pretty much sizeable and in some cases near endless progression. Especially online MP ARPGs.

In all fairness, the content in looter games like this is intended to be repeated ad nauseum as a means to that "endless progression" like in Diablo 3 where you just play through the same game on harder and harder difficulties, or run rifts (I don't even know what those are just hear people talking about them here). Granted, the amount of content in Anthem is pitiful so you see everything much more often but the concept is the same: run the same shit over and over and over..... After already seeing everything once when you played it through on story mode.

[Darleth]

In all fairness, the content in looter games like this is intended to be repeated ad nauseum as a means to that "endless progression" like in Diablo 3 where you just play through the same game on harder and harder difficulties, or run rifts (I don't even know what those are just hear people talking about them here). Granted, the amount of content in Anthem is pitiful so you see everything much more often but the concept is the same: run the same shit over and over and over..... After already seeing everything once when you played it through on story mode.

Greater Rifts basically are "unlimited" dungeons with a timer. It's incredible dull content. There is also no loot dropping in those rifts besides at the end. You get MOST of your loot via Blood Shards, a currency that you can trade for items. There is literally no loot hunt in diablo and everything revolves around getting the highest spot on the leaderboard of Greater Rift Tier levels.
You also dont play the story mode in Diablo 3 at all anymore. That got replaced by adventure mode, which is basically the "main" game mode nowadays.

The thing with Anthem is, it has 3 Strongholds which are your main source of loot right now, with one being run over and over again as it is the most efficient way to gain loot in a short amount of time spent. Also 2 of those strongholds are story missions. Basically speaking: those are 3 dungeons. 3. Thats almost non-existent content.
The raid is still miles away until May. Destiny 1 in comparison had 6 strikes and the raid coming out 1 week after launch.
Not going into loot, that sucked in the beginning of Destiny 1 and took a while to get better.

[Baconeggcheese]

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnthemTheGa...e_legionnaire/

Sad shit really.

That is incredibly bad, that's exactly the kind of thing that should have a skin reward or something attached.

He hit the nail on the head in that it sounds incredibly placeholder, especially when you look at the rep grind he's mentioning. It sounds to me like they just threw in placeholders figuring no one would get there before they had time to add something in and then just made it incredibly long because it isn't finished.

The game is so obviously unfinished. It doesn't make it a horrible game, just an unfinished one... and if they stick to their guns and don't charge us for DLC its still a "better" situation than a lot of other games like destiny where they sell you an unfinished game and then sell you DLC in an attempt to fix the broken parts. Or a sub based game like WoW where they expect to string you along on a sub-par game until they finally fix the issues months of sub $ down the road.

I'm basically in dailies mode now, where I just get my gold so I can buy stuff in the future and then log off. Not really worth the loot grind until they fix itemization at a minimum.

[Dhrizzle]

I'm not even going to comment on this guy;



Anyway what loadouts are people running? I'm only lvl 20ish and I've been mostly using the Interceptor, I'm pretty much married to Machine-Pistol and Marksman-Rifle for guns and have used Spark Dash exclusively in my Assault System but it's just getting to the stage where I get major smashed dashing in to enemy formations (playing on hard.) For Strike System I'm using Venom Spray though it feels a bit lacklustre, it's just got the best stats on it.

I've only dabbled with Colossus but I'm thinking LMG or Autocannon and Grenade Launcher. No idea what to do for equipment. Storm I haven't played and Ranger I haven't unlocked - Interceptor is just way too much fun for me

[Sixnalia]

I'm not even going to comment on this guy;

Anyway what loadouts are people running? I'm only lvl 20ish and I've been mostly using the Interceptor, I'm pretty much married to Machine-Pistol and Marksman-Rifle for guns and have used Spark Dash exclusively in my Assault System but it's just getting to the stage where I get major smashed dashing in to enemy formations (playing on hard.) For Strike System I'm using Venom Spray though it feels a bit lacklustre, it's just got the best stats on it.

I've only dabbled with Colossus but I'm thinking LMG or Autocannon and Grenade Launcher. No idea what to do for equipment. Storm I haven't played and Ranger I haven't unlocked - Interceptor is just way too much fun for me

I've been gearing my Interceptor.
Currently plays like a Vanguard in ME.

I use the MW Detonating Strike and the MW Spark Dash
MW Detonating Effect: Regain 35% health after defeating an enemy.
MW Spark Dash Effect: Defeating an enemy recharges Spark Dash.

So I spark dash in, detonating strike, then spark dash again. (recharge consumables)
This causes a Combo explosion AND causes Detonating Strike to instantly detonate if I kill the target.

I am also using the MW Radiant Fortress shotgun.
It gives me 75% max shield atm.
The effect: Hitting 8 shots in a single burst recharges 35% shields.



This build has allowed me to function as a bruiser in GM1 and GM2 pretty well.

Only need one more MW component to finish my build. (the electric one)

[yasiru]

Greater Rifts basically are "unlimited" dungeons with a timer. It's incredible dull content. There is also no loot dropping in those rifts besides at the end. You get MOST of your loot via Blood Shards, a currency that you can trade for items. There is literally no loot hunt in diablo and everything revolves around getting the highest spot on the leaderboard of Greater Rift Tier levels.
You also dont play the story mode in Diablo 3 at all anymore. That got replaced by adventure mode, which is basically the "main" game mode nowadays.

The thing with Anthem is, it has 3 Strongholds which are your main source of loot right now, with one being run over and over again as it is the most efficient way to gain loot in a short amount of time spent. Also 2 of those strongholds are story missions. Basically speaking: those are 3 dungeons. 3. Thats almost non-existent content.
The raid is still miles away until May. Destiny 1 in comparison had 6 strikes and the raid coming out 1 week after launch.
Not going into loot, that sucked in the beginning of Destiny 1 and took a while to get better.

Big difference here though is once you reach end game in Destiny those strikes became completely useless, at least in Destiny 2, along with lost sectors, adventures, etc. In regards to the raids though, many of them were great and I had a ton of fun doing them, but again they were once a week, period. Once at end game the only thing that gives you any type of gear progression/reward are nightfalls and the raid, that's it. Whereas in anthem, I can do either type of contract, the strongholds, and freeplay (for now) and still earn new gear that can work with the build I am pursuing or trying to build, in similar fashion to Diablo 3.

Now, again, I am definitely not saying Anthem doesn't have it's issues, it most certainly does. But too many people complain the game is completely broken or completely unfinished which isn't quite true. In regards to that latest reddit post, that does sound sad. But he is also in the minority of most players. That guy probably has 100+ hours or more in a game that's just been released, in some cases just 5 days ago! Of course he is going to feel like he is out of content; he blazed thru it like a bat out of hell....

[SirCowdog]

Nah, we shouldn't need to encourage it. Either you give a fuck about your game and your community or you dont. You as a DEVELOPER TEAM have to make the choice to engage or don't. Path of Exile's community praises their Community Manager for all the right reasons.

Oh, don't get me wrong here. I absolutely agree it should be the default for good games. But the sad reality is that when dealing with larger publishers and developers, it just doesn't happen. So when I see a bigger name like Bioware doing it, I think it should be supported.

True, but the story is a slog and boring as all hell.

TO YOU it was. I found it kind of interesting. It was a different way of storytelling, giving you a LOT of side info to establish that you're not just a lone hero, but part of a larger community. If all you wanted was just another "Look at me I'm the hero kill everything save the universe!" type of story, then I can see why Anthem would be disappointing.

You dont get my point about loading screens at all though. There are still TOO MANY loadingscreens overall, even if its just a SMALL cave entrance. This is technically a huge issue if even something like Destiny 1 does that seamless without additional loadingscreens, because everything WAS mostly loaded already.

I agree there are a few too many loading screens. But this is such a minor consideration that where I don't agree is the massive uproar about it. If my halfassed 2 year old gaming hardware can load stuff that fast, these big rig power gamers are just looking for things to bitch about. Console players...well, they are kind of shafted.

Let's just file the entire loading screen thing under "needs polish".

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I am also using the MW Radiant Fortress shotgun.
It gives me 75% max shield atm.
The effect: Hitting 8 shots in a single burst recharges 35% shields.



This build has allowed me to function as a bruiser in GM1 and GM2 pretty well.

Only need one more MW component to finish my build. (the electric one)

God...if I could get my hands on something that gave my Colossus armor back on hits...I could solo GM difficulties. lol

[Onikaroshi]

God...if I could get my hands on something that gave my Colossus armor back on hits...I could solo GM difficulties. lol

There is, and it's pretty OP, its a missile from the arm launcher I believe.... restores 35% on hit... every hit, if you hit 2 with it its 70%, 3 and its a full heal.

[SirCowdog]

There is, and it's pretty OP, its a missile from the arm launcher I believe.... restores 35% on hit... every hit, if you hit 2 with it its 70%, 3 and its a full heal.

Hmm....the single shot stuff is usually only once every 10-14 seconds, but if it's an AoE..... That might be good, especially of it can prpc a combo.

[Baconeggcheese]

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnthemTheGa...m_loot_update/

The turnaround time on these major changes, and ones that are looking like they'll actually be good is just mm.

[Collegeguy]

EA are never going to learn sadly.

It's funny though because when they barely have any involvement with projects such as Apex or Unravel those turn out to be awesome games.

However Anthem is solely on Bioware. They released a product that wasn't ready. It's on them. And if they do the same with DA4 then they are done for. And quite frankly if they do the same with DA4 then they are asking for it.

Angry Joe's second review says it best.