Anthem

Multiplayer futuristic action game with a third-person view in a post-apocalyptic futuristic world from BioWare. By gathering a team of four, you can take on the role of a mercenary, exploring previously unknown areas of the game world. One of the features of Anthem is the javelins — futuristic armor that allows you to fly, swim underwater, fend off huge alien monsters, and much more.

Anthem is a multiplayer online shooter with RPG/action elements and a third-person view, set in a post-apocalyptic and sci-fi environment. Players can explore a large open world together or solo, where they undertake missions against the environment (PvE).

The game impresses with its level of detail — instead of textures for decorating environments, full 3D models are used (hanging wires, shelves, tools, etc.). The vegetation is also surprising — it looks very natural and casts shadows even at great distances. Anthem also boasts a high degree of destructibility of the game environment.

The gods created the world of Anthem with the energy of the Anthem — a source of pure creation. Suddenly, they abandoned their work midway and left. What remains are the ruins of colossal machines that crashed into the wondrous lands, dangerous beasts, and giant monsters. People consider Anthem their home world, but it is not Earth. There are no elves, no dwarves, and no aliens here.

Anthem is a large and extremely complex game world, with predominantly mountainous terrain and many vertical levels: beneath a massive mountain slope, you can find passages to the other side or branches leading down to caves. Everything is inhabited by flora and fauna in one way or another.

Lakes and rivers are not just static objects; they need to be explored by diving and navigating through intricate underwater mazes until underwater caves and large sub-levels are discovered. Formally, the map of Anthem is divided into game zones, each with its own set of enemies, interesting places, and missions.

There are several factions, both friendly and hostile, as well as bases, settlements, and cities. A high level of technology coexists with an overall post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Certain levels are occupied by bosses that can only be defeated by a team of experienced players.

The story of Anthem is dedicated to the history — why the gods left, how humans came to be here, and how they acquired advanced technologies despite a very simple way of life. Solving these mysteries is connected to various ancient relics of the Anthem, which bring both destruction and creation.

The heroes are mercenaries who wish to make the world of Anthem safer so that ordinary people do not live in fear. The game space is shared among all users, and they collectively explore the plot. Upon returning to Fort Tarsis (the hub), where the player is alone, one can see the consequences of their actions and their impact on the world, build relationships with NPCs, and make new decisions.

In Anthem, there are well-developed characters with their own stories, but other key elements typical of BioWare products — moral choices and replayability — are absent.

Like the storyline, the gameplay of Anthem is divided into two parts. In one, the player controls an ordinary person (the pilot) with a set of universal abilities, while in the other, larger part, the protagonist is encased in a futuristic exo-armor (javelin), allowing them to fly, fight, swim underwater, and so on.

There is a development tree for both the pilot (who learns to manage better and extract even more from the armor thanks to skills) and the exo-suits, which provide new capabilities in combat, allow for longer breath-holding, or flying. The RPG component is based on levels that are unlocked by gaining experience from completed missions.

Javelins are unlocked as the story progresses, there are 4 types: ranger, colossus, interceptor, and storm, each with its own pros and cons, as well as playstyle. For example, the colossus is a typical tank, slow and unwieldy, but very powerful; the ranger is focused on close combat, while the storm flies longer than all and will be an excellent sniper.

Immersion is ensured by a wealth of interesting stories, a constantly changing game world, and new, mutating enemies. At launch, Anthem only had cooperative multiplayer: teams of two to four players completed various missions of differing difficulty against the environment.

The gameplay mechanics offer several types of weapons, each of which can be customized, the ability to crush enemies in close combat, and combinations between abilities. For example, one character freezes enemies, while another tears them apart with a lightning strike or by launching several grenades. In Anthem, both individual skills and the ability to work as a team are equally valued.

The game features guilds and many interesting social mechanics designed to unite players and create enjoyable experiences even with a random team.