EA/BioWare
- The first huge new blockbuster game of 2019 is nearly here: "Anthem" arrives on February 22 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
- A lengthy demo for "Anthem" was available over the past weekend, and I spent much of that time flying around its lush, alien world.
- Having spent much of the last 72 hours with "Anthem," I found a lot to love - and a few concerns.
There's a lot riding on "Anthem," the huge upcoming game from EA's legendary BioWare studio.
For starters, it's the first major new franchise from BioWare in years, and it's an online-only, multiplayer-focused shooter - a major departure from a studio known for single-player role-playing franchises like "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age." Second of all, BioWare's last game was a massive flop that damaged one of the studio's core franchises.
Moreover, it's a direct competitor with games like "Destiny 2" and the upcoming "The Division 2," both of which have dedicated audiences at this point.
Ubisoft
"The Division 2" is scheduled to launch on March 15, just a few weeks after "Anthem." The two games share a genre: Persistent-world, online-only shooters.
It's with all this background that I tentatively approached the first public demo of "Anthem," which was available through various means this past weekend.
Great news: Based on that demo, "Anthem" is a promising, fun, gorgeous game.
It's got all the open-world exploration of the "Destiny" franchise, but with a heavy sprinkling of BioWare's signature style. From the time I spent with "Anthem," it felt like a fascinating new twist on the burgeoning genre of online-only, persistent world games.
These are highs and lows of my 72 hours with "Anthem":
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