The Microsoft conference has now ended, thus leaving behind many questions but above all certainties, at least on some of the multi-platform works that we will see over the next year. The highlight of the conference was, without a doubt, the new IP Bioware called Anthem: The videogame is a sci-fi TPS RPG that winks a lot in some aspects to Destiny. Obviously there are substantial differences such as the third person view, the open world and the ability to play both solo and cooperative. From the trailer that emerged during the EA event I do not deny my initial skepticism towards the work but, after the first gameplay released, I immediately had to change my mind. The closure of the Mass Effect project was a blow to the fans and the software house had the courage to propose a product that represents, in some ways, everything that was supposed to be, but was not, Andromeda. So just wait, it's time to analyze the elements we have at our disposal Anthem.
A new world
The first trailer released during the EA conference is basically an overview of this new world. What we know about it is not very much: nature reigns supreme and monsters roam undisturbed among the wastelands and uncontaminated of the planet. The Frosbite graphics engine really flexes its muscles with decidedly well-crafted majestic landscapes. The story of Anthem is currently still a mystery, the only information we have about it is that humanity is the lowest link in the food chain. The populations live inside settlements, which act as HUBs dedicated to players to modify and customize their character, protected within large walls that separate them from the wild outside (the one shown during the movie is called Fort Tarsis). It is inevitable to think that Horizon: Zero Dawn also conditioned Anthem: a post apocalyptic setting totally submerged by nature indissolubly united with advanced technology. The planet and its inhabitants are not just secondary elements, in fact Bioware is developing a living ecosystem that reacts to the stimuli that occur during the adventure: herds of animals that will pass you by without disturbing you or that will run away if they feel danger, aggressive indigenous populations and much more powerful enemies create a perfect mix that helps immersion, all this within an experience that seems cared for in every single detail, at least in appearance.
The heroes who will face all the pitfalls of the outside world are called Freelancers, a sort of Iron Man who protect humanity and who wear exoskeletons called Javelins, technology legacy of a glorious past that for many years has seen humans run free and carefree. These armors will be customizable and, as seen in the trailer, divisible into classes with different specialties. This will allow an important distinction between players, so that each of them can live their experience as they see fit and highlight their skills. The character we saw controlled in the video was the Ranger, a character with balanced characteristics and suitable for users who prefer to be prepared for any situation. The biggest and most powerful hero, on the other hand, was the Colossus, equipped with a resistant and thick armor, it seems to be used to concentrate on attacks on enemies; a sort of tank of the group that underlines the role component within the videogame. The game is ambitious, very different from the various titles produced by EA and from all the games developed by Bioware: a new story and a cooperative experience will give life to a project that will continue to evolve over the years to follow. Destiny also seems to have influenced the title and therefore also Anthem it will be equipped with shared worlds. Despite this, the video game is solidly planted on a single-player basis that will allow non-multiplayer users to complete the solo adventure, thus focusing on a narrative that has always been Bioware's most powerful weapon.
Iron Man, make room!
So far we have talked about how beautiful the game world is and how it was designed but, now, it is time to focus on what is preparing to be one of the strengths of the production, namely the gameplay. As you can see from the trailer, the first-person view and security of Fort Tartis are abandoned once we enter the Javelins, where a very scenic sequence gives us a splendid overview of the planet. It took just a second to understand how the environments are connected to each other by different roads, thus allowing the player to access a specific location in several ways: we can therefore say that as far as Level Design is concerned, we are faced with a well-layered work. and complex, surrounded by ancient ruins, sea beds, typical caves and much more. Surely the 4K video of the new Xbox One X makes everything more captivating and the Frostbite Engine, the graphics engine that we have been able to admire in titles such as Star Wars: Battlefront and Battlefield 1, helps the production to rise to technical peaks never reached by a console. After this short but intense sequence it's time to take flight, literally! The character hovers in the air with a disarming lightness and speed, passing from the heights of the skies to the depths of the sea with a naturalness that speaks volumes about how Bioware thought about freedom of movement within the videogame.
The movement system is therefore reactive, effective and is, in some ways, the real heart of the gameplay, since it allows a total exploration encouraged by obtaining experience points with a very satisfying visual gratification. It is inevitable that, having not yet tried the title, as regards the combat system we can only focus on what we have seen. There are some mechanics that have been brought and modified by the Mass Effect saga: certain skills shown are very similar and, like them, they are placed within a minimal and non-invasive interface, inevitably returning to mind the latter title as soon as quoted. The game physics is highlighted from the start: the fall of a kind of mechanical giant, stimulated by the blows of a player, led to the destruction of the environment around him, with furrows on the ground and trees collapsing, all covered by a cloud of dust that rose from the ground showing truly enviable particle effects. The missiles that users will launch at enemies will create chasms on the ground once they have exploded, thus also changing the environment around them. Believing that all this happens in real time is something absolutely sensational, the naturalism reproduced within the work, as far as the context allows, is unprecedented, thus demonstrating the desire to exploit the power of the home consoles of current generation. The armor gives decidedly interesting abilities, offering an extraordinarily surprising mix of aggression and speed. Explosive rockets, devastating weapons and unique abilities: all this to surround a very deep, but intuitive gameplay. We first mentioned the cooperative mode, now it is time to deepen it since it will probably be one of the strengths of the IP: a maximum of four players will be able to join together giving life to a situation that is very Avengers, all with their own classes and specialties.
In conclusion Anthem represents everything Mass Effect Andromeda failed to be. THEThe title is a sort of revenge towards the critics of Bioware who, after the excessive criticism received, was able to surprise everyone with a new IP in some ways revolutionary. We are faced with the largest open world ever developed, with very high potential capable of relaunching, not only the software house, but also the genre of the videogame. The influences of Horizon: Zero Dawn and Destiny are evident, but the team has been able to take the best of these two productions and blend it into something completely original and different. For now we have very little information about the work but, the only certain thing, is that the company may have created something different within the gaming landscape. We hope that the title proves up to expectations, so let's leave the arduous sentence to posterity.
![[Gamescom 2018] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Tried, the two faces of Japan by FromSoftware](/images/posts/be1b85d9d9945aef4d8ff416fd204b4c-0.jpg)
