Anthem was the only game I was waiting this year. That is why I’m pretty bummed about the final state of this game. When first announced in E3 2017, I could not believe my eyes. The game was looking amazing. The atmosphere, the gameplay, and the open world were looking very tempting. Somehow, when the game released, I was really disappointed.
We all know the story of BioWare. They are one of the best storytellers in the gaming industry. Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age games are the very example of BioWare’s influence on RPG genre. However, we also remember their Andromeda fiasco. Long waited Mass Effect game Andromeda, single-handedly destroyed the studio’s reputation. After we see Anthem, we all thought BioWare has learned from their mistake. Well, we were not completely wrong.
Before we get into this, I would like to say Anthem is a gold mine and I enjoyed the gameplay. It reminded me when Destiny 2 first came out. The game has potential but lacks content and suffers from various bugs. I still believe after some content updates, Anthem will do just fine. However, we all know the game was under development for 6 years. If this is the result, means that BioWare is having trouble.In Anthem, we are Javelin pilots called Freelancers. The freelancers once adored as heroes but after an event called Heart of Rage, they become failures. Our story begins there. I’m am not gonna spoil the story since it is an effect to both early and late gameplay. Instead, let me say that with the side missions the main story takes 30-40 hours. I have played more than 50 hours and already reached the endgame content. Once I became level 30 (which is the level cap) a lot of new playable content came up such as new strongholds and legendary contracts. You can pick up your quests at Fort Tarsis. It is a single player map instance. However, Anthem also has a social hub called Launch Bay that resembles the tower from D2.
Let’s start with the graphics. Anthem’s world is breathtaking. The design of the open world (Bastion) is a beautiful living world. The details in the open world make you wanna jump into freeplay mode and wander around the map. The detailed graphics includes combat too. The game has amazing dynamics and effects. The satisfaction of when you create a chain combo attack is priceless. Blow up effects are just beautiful. The same thing goes for the Javelins. Each Javelin has its unique look. You can really tell that they are belonging to that world because they feel so authentic. You can customize your Javelins look from the Forge. I guess this is where EA is in charge. If you have the standard version of Anthem you are going to have just one customize option for your Javelin. In order to unlock more cosmetics, you need to open your wallet. They say you can unlock these cosmetics with in-game money. But, it took all of my coins just to open just three pieces of armor for my Storm.
The weapon system is pretty boring at the start. You will get the same weapons until you are qualified to get masterwork and legendary weapons. Let’s point that, Masterwork items drops after 25 levels and Legendary items drop at level 30. At early stages, all the guns are the same in different stats. That is why grinding at the start is pretty boring to do. In order to farm your gear, we suggest you to just play the game. I see a lot of YouTube channels telling people to glitch the game to farm masterwork items. However, due to lack of content, grinding some gear is the only thing you can do to enjoy the game. So, if you are enjoying Anthem, take your time and play the game. Let’s get back to the weapons. In Anthem, we get to see seven different types of weapon. Those are a light machine gun, shotgun, assault rifle, heavy pistol, machine pistol, marksman rifle, and sniper rifle. If you are a Colossus main, you will be able to get the heavy machine gun and grenade launchers.
To make your Javelin stronger, you are going to need different types of gears. These items actually make the game more fun. In order to enhance your skills and do some good DPS, you are going to need correct items. With these gear, you can do Grandmaster level quests much easier. For example, the combo system in the game works wonderfully. But, not all skills do them. In Storm, the best combo is Ice Storm and Burning Orb. You can freeze your enemies with Ice Storm then, use the Burning orb to blow your enemy. If you successfully do this combo, the ice spreads through your enemy and do a lot of AoE damage. There is, of course, more combos and we will cover them in our Anthem guide later.
After you finish the main storyline, the game gives you many quests to expand the end game. The biggest difference is Grandmaster difficulty settings. Grandmaster difficult has three separate levels. Grandmaster 1, 2 and 3. Each level offers more rewards but becomes a hundred percent harder. After your javelin becomes 400 gear level, you are able to do Grandmaster I easily. Also, 475+ to Grandmaster II and 500 to Grandmaster III. I am currently 479 and l can easily say that the game is very challenging. These difficulty setting are also available in all missions.
To get some endgame gear, I suggest you do Contracts and when available, Legendary Contracts. Legendary Contacts has a %100 percent chance to drop a masterwork item at the end so, that will be a good boost for your gear level. Also, doing some Strongholds in Grandmaster is a good way to get more items.
To sum up, Anthem has the potential to be much bigger and greater. The game now is hollow and suffers from various bugs. But, like what Destiny 2 did with Forsaken, Anthem can be much better. Bioware’s road map is giving me hope. Let’s see what the future holds for Anthem.
