EA & Bioware Appear to FINALLY Be Rebooting Anthem | CBR by Spencer Mullen

EA & Bioware Appear to FINALLY Be Rebooting Anthem | CBR –

When Bioware and EA’s Anthem launched in February 2019, it received poor reviews from fans and critics, and failed to meet commercial expectations. Now, almost a year later, Bioware announced it will reinvent the core gameplay of Anthem as a part of its planned reboot.

The move is comparable to Square Enix’s decision to rework 2010’s Final Fantasy XIV to a revised 2013 version. Bioware developer Casey Hudson claimed the goal is to “reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting.”

EA CEO Andrew Wilson addressed the state of Anthem in June 2019 during E3 2019 and admitted that fans of Bioware were disappointed with the lack of story in the game. In August 2019, Bioware released Anthem‘s first post-launch content, Cataclysm. While Anthem failed to gain traction, the success of Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and live-service games still gave Electronic Arts a strong 2019.

Both a third-person shooter and an action role-playing game, Anthem is set on an unnamed “open-world” planet, where players assume the role of Freelancers. Freelancers don fully customizable exosuits called Javelins, which players can unlock while progressing through the game. The game’s title refers to the Anthem of Creation, which is responsible for all of the technology on the planet. The game’s main narrative involves the player protecting the Anthem from the villainous Monitor. Critics largely felt that Anthem was a shallow and repetitive experience, and the game’s grind, technical aspect, and story were the most criticized aspects of the game. Anthem features both single-player and co-operative multiplayer elements.

Several critics noted the extremely long loading screens, which can take five minutes or longer and can even surpass the amount of time it takes to complete a mission. The loading times were later fixed, along with Javelin issues, after Bioware’s Day One patch for the game. Despite the ample criticism, the game received praise for its combat and flight.

From its dwindling fan base to technical issues, Anthem has been a long-suffering MMO. While Electronic Arts set a goal for six million copies by the end of March 2019, Anthem failed to meet that goal. Electronic Arts later claimed that much of the money that Anthem generates will be through micro-transactions. EA CEO Andrew Wilson admitted in an interview that Anthem was doing a poor job at keeping fans engaged, despite Bioware’s continual updates for the game. While seasonal updates have ended for Anthem, events and previous content will cycle through for the game.

While online-shooters like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Apex Legends have maintained a strong fan base, Anthem has completely fallen off the map in terms of its player base. The retooling of games such as Final Fantasy XIV and No Man’s Sky, which were ultimately successful, is a hopeful indicator that Bioware may be able to reverse Anthem‘s misfortunes. Bioware has clearly not given up on Anthem, and shutting down the game would be a major blow to the gaming company’s brand. With a fantastic concept and immersive world, Anthem is a game with a lot of potential.

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