Anthem

 PC
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3707 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,141 out of 3707
  2. Mixed: 303 out of 3707
  3. Negative: 2,263 out of 3707
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  1. intruder313
    Feb 24, 2019
    7
    I can only review the experience I had from 15 Feb 2019:

    The Good: amazing graphics, especially the world; flying about firing off abilities
    The Bad: unbearable loading times, constant server disconnects, bland missions, rubbish Strongholds, worthless loot, weak guns, awful city hub full of vapid dialogue.

    Things had improved by 22 Feb: but overall it's still an unfinished, beautiful mess.
  2. TitaniumDragon
    Mar 9, 2019
    7
    Anthem is a looter-shooter made by Bioware. Coming on the heels of other major successful franchises, like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, there were enormous expectations laid on this all-new IP.

    In Anthem, you play as The Freelancer, a man (or woman) who is suited up in a powerful javelin exosuit – basically a suit of power armor similar to what Iron Man wears. You can fly, you can hover,    Anthem is a looter-shooter made by Bioware. Coming on the heels of other major successful franchises, like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, there were enormous expectations laid on this all-new IP.

    In Anthem, you play as The Freelancer, a man (or woman) who is suited up in a powerful javelin exosuit – basically a suit of power armor similar to what Iron Man wears. You can fly, you can hover, and you can unleash powerful abilities like rocket launchers or lightning blasts.

    This is a really cool power fantasy, and the game actually delivers quite well on the core experience – you zoom around through the sky in a very satisfying manner, you land with a satisfying clunk, you blow up enemies with powerful explosions or lay into them with potent weapons. This is all pretty good, and the game as a whole is very pretty (even if the environments are limited to three or four major types).

    The game has four main suit types – the generic middle-of-the-road Ranger, the pseudo-mage Storm, the agile Interceptor, and the huge stomping colossus. Each of them has a different ability set and plays differently – the Storm hovers around the battlefield, while the Interceptor dodges very rapidly and the Colossus stomps around and uses a shield instead of dodging. All of them feel pretty satisfying to play, and they all have their own distinctive abilities and playstyle.

    The core of the plot starts out reasonably – you are one of only two survivors of an expedition into The Heart of Rage, a Cataclysm caused by an out-of-control artifact left behind by the Shapers, a race of neglectful precursors who tried (and failed) to harness the Anthem of creation and all left (or died) long ago, leaving their artifacts behind to periodically explode. It is up to the Freelancers to stop this, but after the Heart of Rage, they’re scattered and dispirited.

    You, as The Freelancer, try to rebuild the reputation of the Freelancers while protecting Fort Tarsis, a walled town near the still-raging cataclysm. You get missions around town from the various major factions – the remaining Freelancers, the Arcanists (scientists who study shaper relics), the Sentinels (basically the police/army), and Corvus (a spy agency that works for your government), trying to make things better. Most of the plot of the game is consumed with trying to get back into the Heart of Rage to silence the relic that is causing the disaster, but there are a number of side missions with the various side factions which help them to accomplish their own goals – finding various artifacts and scrolls, hunting down outlaws who are ambushing people, saving people who had gone missing due to mishaps with the artifacts.

    None of this is particularly remarkable – the main plot is merely serviceable, and also feels like some parts of it were cut out due to time constraints (or excessive numbers of bugs), and the side quests are of similar quality (though more coherent, if slightly lower budget in terms of cutscenes). While the actual plot is unremarkable, the various characters you deal with around town are interesting enough, and have solid voice acting and are reasonably fun to talk to, even if a few of them regurgitate their life stories out onto your boots at the slightest provocation.

    All in all, the core of this game is reasonably competent – the gameplay is fun, and the plot is mediocre but with some reasonable character moments. There’s some enemy variety, from your standard dudes with guns to enemies in the various types of exosuits you use to gigantic titans which send out waves of fire at you, but it runs kind of thin by the end, and there’s only about six types of boss in the entire game, plus a couple other elite enemy types to mix things up.

    But at the same time, it is a game that is really hard to recommend, because I’m really not sure whether the people who made it ultimately had a cohesive vision for how it should be, and how to keep players engaged. The game ultimately runs out of things to show you before it runs out of gameplay, and while at its present length (about 30 hours of content) it is reasonable, it still felt a bit lacking in variety by the end. Once you get to the end, you run out of content entirely, and there’s little value in sticking around – and yet, this is somehow a Games as a Service game, which intends to dribble and drabble out content over the course of months.

    And the game is quite buggy; while the patches have made it better, it still has some real issues.

    All in all, I liked Anthem, as did a number of its players. I definitely had fun playing it, even if it was frustrating at times. But if bugs bother you, this game will absolutely enrage you, and the game is only "good enough", not exceptional.    … Expand
  3. fluxmulder
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    Destiny-style sci-fi RPG looter featuring mechs, from the makers of Mass Effect. The gameplay is solid. Traversing around the world is a lot of fun, and the weapons feel good. There's a lack of mission variety though. The combat also becomes a bit one-note after awhile and doesn't take advantage of the game's traversal mechanics. There's also the usual customization and character levelingDestiny-style sci-fi RPG looter featuring mechs, from the makers of Mass Effect. The gameplay is solid. Traversing around the world is a lot of fun, and the weapons feel good. There's a lack of mission variety though. The combat also becomes a bit one-note after awhile and doesn't take advantage of the game's traversal mechanics. There's also the usual customization and character leveling options that you'd expect from a game like this. The graphics and overall presentation are top notch, though there are a lot of loading screens. The lore, setting and story are interesting. Not as deep as Mass Effect, but still good. I would have preferred the story be presented more in the missions rather than in the readable collectibles though. The load times are pretty bad at launch, and there are some visual/audio bugs. The game is also lacking content at the moment. Overall a very promising start. Hopefully EA continues to support this franchise.… Expand
  4. ciorga
    Feb 24, 2019
    7
    The gunplay isn't as good as in case of Destiny 2. The actual flight mechanics are rly nice. Graphics are simply stunning. Nice game but could have been so much better.
  5. buzz3791
    Feb 25, 2019
    7
    I've played 30 hours. In level 27.

    Pros
    Fun combat
    Great graphics
    Stable on PC I've only had 4 server disconnects. No crashes.

    Cons
    Some usability issues, you have to exit a mission to chance gear or see your loot. Map needs waypoints.
  6. Emphatic
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    Despite the Bugs and its minor flaws there is much fun to be had here, I think much of the game gets unfairly judges merely because it is Bioware or EA, blah blah blah, it has its issues as do all games these days during launch, it could use a little more polish the writing could be a little more impactful, but as far as Looter Shooters go its right in the middle of the pack in terms ofDespite the Bugs and its minor flaws there is much fun to be had here, I think much of the game gets unfairly judges merely because it is Bioware or EA, blah blah blah, it has its issues as do all games these days during launch, it could use a little more polish the writing could be a little more impactful, but as far as Looter Shooters go its right in the middle of the pack in terms of game play, mechanics and the looting is some of the best, the combat and visuals are top notch, if they can strengthen the AI and maybe make the Guns look better and but a little more emotion into the story next round they will have a real winner here, all the ground work for an amazing game is there, there just need to push a little harder to get there. If they can fully flesh out the end game keep a steady stream of in game events (of which there have already been 3) and keep the content flowing this could easily be the #1 in its Genre.… Expand
  7. Ariakkan
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    HONEST REVIEW AFTER +30 HOURS
    Disclaimer: I hate shooter looters and I am a huge fan of the pre-EA Bioware. Please note that the game is being roasted by delusional gamers how think that today's Bioware is the same company that gave us classics titles like Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age:Origins and Mass Effect. I am in peace with the fact that it is a different company under    HONEST REVIEW AFTER +30 HOURS
    Disclaimer: I hate shooter looters and I am a huge fan of the pre-EA Bioware. Please note that the game is being roasted by delusional gamers how think that today's Bioware is the same company that gave us classics titles like Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age:Origins and Mass Effect. I am in peace with the fact that it is a different company under the same commercial name.

    To the point:

    - There is a story. You can like, you can hate it. It's subjective. There is a story that goes from level 1 to 30. This is the only reason that kept me playing. My time with Destiny was 5 hours total. Yes, it is still an idiotic shooter-looter but you have a story around it. My only objective caveat around the story is the artificial grind lock they implemented with the Tombs quest. This is a cheap and unacceptable way to extend the story.

    - Graphics and sound: outstanding. Your first five hours are a guaranteed exhilarating experience, as long as...

    - Bugs: the main issue during my play time was the random disconnects. Specially when freeplaying (damned Tombs quest) and having all my progress and loot reset.

    - Loading screens: please do not buy this game unless you have a SSD. Mind you, having a SSD will not completely solve the problem as the core issue is the NUMBER of loading screens, not the speed.There is also a 'Day 1' patch that is supposed to fix the frustration a bit although I am skeptical as the issue is rooted deep in the game design.

    - Overall gameplay and mechanics: the experience is pretty solid until you play Grand Master difficulty and above. When you do you will start realizing a lot of weird things happen during fights (enemies disappearing, one-shot kills from invisible IA, powers not triggering properly, etc.) You can clearly see here the lack of expertise of the studio in the genre.

    - Content: yes, missions are very repetitive and feature ZERO innovation vs. other titles in the genre. Fort Tarsis (your HUB) feels empty and boring. Everything is extremely staged.

    - Loot: real loot starts at Grand Master. Until then it's just the same with slightly different stats and a different icon color. Grand Master items are very much unique with special characteristics and it's actually pretty cool.

    - Endgame: very limited at this point in time, but to be expected and in line with the industry. It is nonetheless a very good foundation to keep on building stuff.

    - Microtransactions: cosmetic-only for the time being.

    Conclusion: this game is a solid 7 in my opinion. If you expect to see here Bioware's previous magic you will be frustrated. If you expect to have cutting edge game mechanics, loot and endgame you will be disappointed. I concur with the reviews that highlight the fact that the game tries to cater to audiences so different that falls in no-mans-land. It still surprises myself that I was able to put over 30 hours of my time, which obviously justifies a purchase in my opinion.

    Why people expected more than a shooter-looter because of the Bioware tagline is beyond my comprehension. The game is exactly what I expected it to be since day one. I could not possibly hold any other expectations after Mass Effect Andromeda.    … Expand
  8. Costs1129
    Mar 1, 2019
    7
    It is a fun 40 hour game and then you realize you will need to wait to June to actually play the full version.

    +The combat, especially as an Interceptor, is fast, unique, and a lot of fun. +Gun play can be very fulfilling +The world is beautiful and there are some fun enemies -You hit end game and there is no PVE or PVP incentive to continue playing -Making new friends in game is    It is a fun 40 hour game and then you realize you will need to wait to June to actually play the full version.

    +The combat, especially as an Interceptor, is fast, unique, and a lot of fun.
    +Gun play can be very fulfilling
    +The world is beautiful and there are some fun enemies

    -You hit end game and there is no PVE or PVP incentive to continue playing
    -Making new friends in game is not really possible
    -The playstyle you fell in love with is incompatible after GM2
    -The story is like nails on a chalk board you hate most of the characters (I DESPISE Dax with a deep seated hatred that I cannot understand)
    -The world is dead until the gods randomly port stuff for you to shoot

    All in all, I am glad it was only $15. I will cancel for now and just wait for the rest of the game to come out of the oven. Two can play at this "live service" shenanigan. I appreciate the "promises" of future content, and I look forward to coming back when it's out of the oven. But I am not paying for them to finish their dev cycle.    … Expand
  9. Hurbicide
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    This game is not nearly as bad as some are putting it. Yes, as loot based games tend to be... it is grindy at the end.

    Pros - The gameplay is genuinely fun, though. The controls and feel of combat is extremely fun. The scenery is beatiful and the world, because of the multiple layers, feels very large. It's all open world, which is nice... instead of being instance based "zones"    This game is not nearly as bad as some are putting it. Yes, as loot based games tend to be... it is grindy at the end.

    Pros - The gameplay is genuinely fun, though. The controls and feel of combat is extremely fun. The scenery is beatiful and the world, because of the multiple layers, feels very large. It's all open world, which is nice... instead of being instance based "zones" like Destiny.

    Negatives
    Bugs. There are enough bugs that I wonder what other hidden mechanics are also not working. If a simple bug like my ultimate showing as ready when it is not is present... then what other hidden mechanics are not working properly. Does that augment I have really give me +25% damage or luck really giving me that bonus? There have been a couple patches that have taken care of most of the bugs seen in early access... I expect that within a week or two of launch most of the noticeable glitches are taken care of. This is a fact of life with games that do not pay professional testers to test their games, and their reputations take an appropriate hit because of it.

    And... If boss mobs do not drop anything at the end of a run... why would anyone waste the time to do that boss fight? Can put the setting on as hard as you want because you don't have to go through the boss fight at the end.

    The main story is fine... but all of the side conversations that provide absolutely no value to the game are ridiculous. You have all these bubbles everywhere that don't go away if you don't watch the cut scene... but you have absolutely no reason to care about the whining that is happening where all you can do is give an npc advice on what they should do about their social hang ups....
    Overall it is very fun, but they have some work to do to keep the replay-ability factor up... I feel like they wanted free roam to be an end game activity ... but with events spread out and you spend 15 minutes flying around hoping to stumble across one slowing the play down... people would probably rather just run the few strongholds over and over (Especially since you do not have to kill the boss to get the loots).    … Expand
  10. grizzyGR
    Mar 5, 2019
    7
    This game is Destiny + Mass Effect + the ability to fly. Overall, this is a fun game. Solid gameplay, and soaring around in a javelin is very fun. Unfortunately, this game lacks polish and doesn't meet it's full potential
  11. redhotbillygoat
    Feb 27, 2019
    7
    Anthem has a few problems, but the simple truth is that I'm having a lot of fun playing it.
  12. MrGoldStandard
    Mar 2, 2019
    7
    The graphics and facial animations are very impressive and the world looks gorgeous. The weapons feel quite fun to use and the jetpack movement is also quite fun. End game weapons feel powerful. Most fun when playing with friends.
  13. adpol95
    Oct 7, 2019
    7
    Graphics is very nice, this game has a big potential and very sad to say this but game release very soon and its biggest mistake for EA.... So many tears
  14. koyettsu
    Feb 24, 2019
    7
    I hate to say it but a number of the negative reviews are from people that haven't actually played Anthem. I don't doubt they played the beta, but they didn't play the actual game on release and make reference to issues that are not in the final release of the game. Such is our day in age, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to rip something apart regardless of the actual quality of theI hate to say it but a number of the negative reviews are from people that haven't actually played Anthem. I don't doubt they played the beta, but they didn't play the actual game on release and make reference to issues that are not in the final release of the game. Such is our day in age, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to rip something apart regardless of the actual quality of the game. There are issues in Anthem, but the game is not worthy of 2 or 4.

    Graphics: The game looks fantastic, I have it on PC via the EA subscription I have along with I picked up Anthem for my PS4 to play with my friends. PC looks a bit better and IMO plays a bit better, but the PS4 version looks pretty damn good as well. Faces of people look nice, the motion capture looks quite realistic but there are some issues with eyes, nowhere near the last Mass Effect but still not 100% right.

    Sound: The sound is fantastic, lightning bolts sound incredible especially if you have a nice surround sound system. There are some issues with music though, on PS4 I noticed there was music in town and it fit quite well, but weirdly on PC I have no music in town, so the town ends up feeling really strange and empty. Another area that seems strange to me is the after mission summary, something about the sound there just doesn't seem right and needs some work. Outside of that the rest of the music and sound is great, same goes with the voice acting, voices are done well by a competent team.

    Gameplay: This is the area where the game shines, flying around in your javelin is incredible. There are times where the gameplay is so damn good you are stunned no one else thought of this system before. You will fly to a mission, drop in with an air attack, you slam into an enemy on the ground, whip out your gun and start mowing down enemies all around you. As they turn back to open fire on you, your shield becomes nearly exhausted, you take off and fly to a position where you are relatively safe to catch your breath. All while dropping bombs, elemental attacks, super abilities and heavenly judgement upon your enemies in glorious fashion. It is damn good! The flying is the best I have seen in any game I have ever played in my 30+ years of gaming. This is truly where the game shines and what makes you keep going back for more!!

    Game Quality: The game has some bugs left within it, while most of the bugs have been ironed out, a few still remain. This isn't a Bethesda game, aka a buggy mess, but it does need a little bit of work here and there fixing everything, no more then most well vetted out releases though. I experienced 1 loading freeze while in a mission out of the dozens of missions I have thus far completed. Since the last two patches, the bugs are down to next to never happening and that was done just in time for launch.

    Story: The story I have seen thus far is actually good, I am about 30 hours into the game and what I have seen has intrigued me making me want to play more. The stories you do as side quests are also interesting, they are right in line with you being a free lancer. You are hired to go do odd jobs to help people, find this or that, in a dangerous world. As the story ramps up with the plot twists, I think it has been done quite well, although the story could have kicked in a bit earlier to hook people into the game.

    Missions: Here is where I think the game needs some polish and why I would rate the game a 7.0. While I enjoy playing missions, they are kind of like destiny, short and a bit repetitive. There is a mission fairly early in the game where you have to open these tombs, this quest is really out of place and should be redone IMO. You are playing missions, get quest, go out, kill stuff, mission over and suddenly suddenly your next mission requires you to go into free play. You find one of the tombs you need to find, you go to open it and you are not worthy.. becuse you didn't complete a list of random tasks you were never told about. i.e. kill x enemies with head shots, kill x enemies with fist punch, complete x world missions, etc. You essentially hit a wall and need to go grind in a game that grinding previously was not needed. Once you complete this mission, it is back to the regular game/story with no grind needed.. its weird. That quest-line should really be tweaked, I don't see any issues with challenging people to do stuff like that, but that seems more like a weekly quest vs. a quest that is necessary to continue on with the game. Like destiny, you are going to be running out, doing a mission that will take you less than 10 minutes coming back to down, repeating that process. I wish Bioware had put a lot more time into the quests to make them unique instead of a lot of rinse and repeat style quests.

    Bottom Line: The game is good, if they continue adding content/stuff to do this will easily stand the test of time. I would recommend it, even at the $60 price tag.    … Expand
  15. willardtk
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    I don't know why someone would give this game a zero. I've seen in one of the reviews that they are disappointed that Bioware was tasked to make Anthem in lieu of a new Mass Effect game. My question to them for this is, "Did you really want another one after Andromeda?"

    For Anthem though, the graphics look great. The iron man suits look cool, and I really appreciate the level of    I don't know why someone would give this game a zero. I've seen in one of the reviews that they are disappointed that Bioware was tasked to make Anthem in lieu of a new Mass Effect game. My question to them for this is, "Did you really want another one after Andromeda?"

    For Anthem though, the graphics look great. The iron man suits look cool, and I really appreciate the level of customization available, both play-wise and visually. The level of detail in the world is great, and the visual aesthetic for the hub city is a cool blend of Middle Eastern cyber-punk.

    In my opinion, the levels of virtue signalling are at a minimum. The fact that that is something to celebrate is sad. However, the cast is incredibly diverse without trying to beat you over the head with it.

    Game play wise, Anthem is grindy. It feels less so than Destiny. Really, it's more like a 3rd person shooter version of Destiny 2 without Bungie's magical shooting touch.

    The story is okay. It isn't going to be winning any awards, but it is serviceable. Out of the cast there are perhaps two characters that are fun, Owen and Haluk. There's also a vendor with a weird fascination with making Javelins (the Iron Man suits) look fabulous.

    Overall, I don't mind Anthem. I don't regret buying it. The micro-transactions are for cosmetic items (that to be honest do not look worth paying for) which can also be unlocked with in-game currency. I'm sure since it's EA that they will manage to screw that up in the future.    … Expand
  16. FelixMts
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    Grow up! I know it's not the best game ever. But it's fun. It's a loot shooter and yeah it will get grindy! It only gets better from here. Have fun!
  17. AstroShade
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    I felt I needed to leave this review to negate the sandbag reviews. I'm going to give you a 100% honest opinion with no regard to who made this game, who published this game and how long it was in development.

    Anthem is a good game. It's not awful and it's not great either. It is "good" with the potential to be great. Many of its good features such as combat and customization are enough    I felt I needed to leave this review to negate the sandbag reviews. I'm going to give you a 100% honest opinion with no regard to who made this game, who published this game and how long it was in development.

    Anthem is a good game. It's not awful and it's not great either. It is "good" with the potential to be great. Many of its good features such as combat and customization are enough to mask most of the underlying flaws to have a fun time with it. I've had fun playing Anthem and will continue to play it for a while moving forward. But I'm not extremely addicted to it like most had hoped to be and it's not the sole game I'm playing right now because it's not good enough yet. The game has good bones and I expect it to evolve well in the next months. Comparing it to The Division would be unfair as it's far better at launch, but it has the same kind of potential to grow into its shoes long term.

    Pros:
    Most Beautiful Open World Game Available
    Great Combat/Combo System
    Great Customization
    Good Story (Nothing groundbreaking but good for the genre)
    Great voice acting
    Great Face Animation
    Microtransactions are Purely Cosmetic

    Cons:
    Just OK Quest Variety
    Occasional Long Load Screens
    Weapons Don't Feel Good at Lower Levels
    Graphics felt a bit unoptimized. You'll need serious horsepower
    Menus are clunky
    Content is sparse at launch (15 - 20 hours)

    At launch, this is a $35 - $40 game    … Expand
  18. MooSmilez
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    Anthem, a fun to play interesting looter shooter that lacks polish and depth. As with many games in this genre the story is a bit light and the content at launch is a bit light as well. There is plenty to love but plenty to want at the same time.

    The story of Anthem is enough, but it does lack a lot of depth. With how well acted the parts we did get were there is a clear miss on what    Anthem, a fun to play interesting looter shooter that lacks polish and depth. As with many games in this genre the story is a bit light and the content at launch is a bit light as well. There is plenty to love but plenty to want at the same time.

    The story of Anthem is enough, but it does lack a lot of depth. With how well acted the parts we did get were there is a clear miss on what could of been had the story been flushed out to closer to 35-40 hrs instead of just 25-30. Once completed they tease more but I found myself a little wanting as with a new world I wasn't fully immersed with what was here.

    The combat is satisfying and at times amazing, flying around is a treat. The gun sounds and music as you combat enemies is outstanding. The combat at other times though is utterly frustrating in design (looking at you GM2 and up strongholds). The loot drops will keep you going as there is enough of them, however diversity of gun models etc. could be more numerous.

    Overall Anthem is a game that will satisfy looter shooter fanatics and is not a bad game to play through even for a few weeks via the origin pass rather then outright purchasing the game. You can see what will be a year from now and see a game that will be much more deserving of a 8-9 score by then but unfortunately at the end of the day the lack of polish leaves me wanting a bit more.    … Expand
  19. Fire3master
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    Its surprising to see how many people that give it bad reviews have never played the game or have not put at least 2 hours into it. Its not the best game but it is pretty good. After a while i could see how i can be lame but they plan on adding stuff to the game later.
  20. Crcapo
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    I have 30 hrs in the game, near max level. I have been relatively "no-lifeing" it. The story is great, about 3-5 days of the story while "no-lifeing" it. if you played it casually.. most likely over a week of story. When I first played the enemies would not load into the areas and would deal damage to me, sort of like a ghost hitting me. Loading screens were a big problem, but after II have 30 hrs in the game, near max level. I have been relatively "no-lifeing" it. The story is great, about 3-5 days of the story while "no-lifeing" it. if you played it casually.. most likely over a week of story. When I first played the enemies would not load into the areas and would deal damage to me, sort of like a ghost hitting me. Loading screens were a big problem, but after I uninstalled and reinstalled on my SSD everything was good, quick loading screens and no more "ghost soldiers". Back to the story, even after you complete it is left open-ended... meaning more story WILL come out for it. After the story, you will grind Agent missions / Contracts / Strongholds / Freeplay Events. You can replay missions with friends. This game is made for people who are willing to put the time in, there is a large challenge too which you'll need to play the game consistently. Again, I've been waiting for this game for a while, I do not think its a waste of money, more so people have a negative view of EA coming into the game, which I get. At the end of the day you will either be an Anthem Fan or not, not much more to be said. This game was meant for a select group, those who enjoy Squad Action Adventure games will like this, again I know there were problems. I've been playing since Beta and since the 15th of Feb. An SSD helped me, or they could have updated it too within that time. None the less If you would like a game that you can play by yourself or squad-up in, this is it. If not move on and don't ruin the true fan's experience of this game.… Expand
  21. Dravic2006
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    This is the latest game to catch bandwagon hate. It's rough around the edges, but there's a lot there to like. Combat is well balanced and fun, the world is gorgeous and it's great flying around in it, and the motion capture facial animations give some life to characters that, admittedly, would be a bit flat otherwise. It was room to grow, and is certainly not a bad game.
  22. blueflikk86
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    First and foremost-
    Yes it is not perfect which all games is like that. yes it has bugs which all games has it.
    Anthem is a game which will grow in the future. let us not judge this game that this is through and through. Instead of killing this game, interact with Bioware, suggest the flaws and so on and so on. Its sad that alot of people is judging this game that is bad like this    First and foremost-
    Yes it is not perfect which all games is like that. yes it has bugs which all games has it.
    Anthem is a game which will grow in the future. let us not judge this game that this is through and through.
    Instead of killing this game, interact with Bioware, suggest the flaws and so on and so on.

    Its sad that alot of people is judging this game that is bad like this and bad like that.

    Let us give this game a chance to grow.

    This game for me has a chance to be good down the road.

    Hopefully my comrades you have the same sympathy as mine for this game.    … Expand
  23. alexatprime
    Feb 22, 2019
    7
    I just want to open this by saying that review bombing is an extremely malicious practice and is downright despicable.

    Anthem is a great game for those who enjoy the looter shooter genre. You didn't come here to hear detailed analysis that you've already heard 100 times over. Let's get down to it. Pros: -The combat is punchy and difficult. At times it can feel extremely hectic and    I just want to open this by saying that review bombing is an extremely malicious practice and is downright despicable.

    Anthem is a great game for those who enjoy the looter shooter genre. You didn't come here to hear detailed analysis that you've already heard 100 times over. Let's get down to it.

    Pros:
    -The combat is punchy and difficult. At times it can feel extremely hectic and disorienting, but pulling off those combos and last minute evades is what separates the Freelancers from the Sentinels.

    -The story is actually interesting. This story is not the most deep dive into a narrative as some other bioware classics, but it is engaging and the cinematic scenes are well shot, and well animated.

    -As you continue through the game (as many reviewers would know IF they actually played the game) you get to watch Fort Tarsis grow, become more populated, and hear and feel the sounds of a bustling city. It's a rewarding experience

    -Each of the four available classes feels unique, and has a distinct purpose in team composition. The build diversity available allows for memorable team synergy

    -FashionForge is on point. Some of THE best player character customization out there in any third person game. You don't even have to pay for color palettes.

    -The flight system is just plain fun. The combat is fun. It's just fun

    Cons:
    -As of the official release, there is a distinct lack of mission variety in regards to your contracts. Your quests and agent contracts, however, do help to breathe new life into the repetition of these mission types.

    -Optimization is poor. If you don't have a good system, don't expect to get past the medium settings pre set

    -There are still occasional audio bugs. I believe this is related to the newest nvidia driver (as it happened to me after updating) but can't confirm.

    Honorable mentions and things to remember:
    -Load times have been reduced by 25-30% in the full release (per angry joe himself)

    -No one has reached the true end game of anthem. It simply isn't possible. While it may be true that there isn't a lot of original content at end game, no one has reached the highest possible loot tier. Don't trust people who tell you otherwise.

    -Masterwork and Legendary gear is unique (many reviewers would know this well if they'd bother to get past uncommon gear score)

    In Summary:
    Anthem is a blast to play solo or with friends. When you're killing trash mobs, it's a god simulator. When you're fighting legendary and elite enemies, it's a challenging and harrowing experience. The only times anything except your enemy's shield should feel like a bullet sponge is if you don't know how to play the game. This game isn't perfect, and if had launched with some additional content, and many more QOL changes regarding technical issues, I would be able to give it a higher score. I imagine in a week or two, it will easily be an 8. I'm hoping we get there, and keep on going up.

    Strong Alone, Stronger Together.    … Expand
  24. Wackaloon
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    Well yeah, the game is not super-duper cool, but it is ok, there are few bugs and loading screens are pretty long, but the game itself is pretty good, and all DLC will be free, that's something. Maybe you will not buy it now, but it definitely worth to look at it after a month o two to check if it became better. Moreover if you are hesitating, you can get an origin basic access and get 10Well yeah, the game is not super-duper cool, but it is ok, there are few bugs and loading screens are pretty long, but the game itself is pretty good, and all DLC will be free, that's something. Maybe you will not buy it now, but it definitely worth to look at it after a month o two to check if it became better. Moreover if you are hesitating, you can get an origin basic access and get 10 hours of gameplay, I've used that option and decided to buy a full game, even if it is not so cool at start, I'm not a hardcore gamer, for me it is a game I'll play an hour or two after work - it is a good choice for me and something new and fresh. P.S. it is really not so bad as everyone says, people had too big expectations and no their expectations weren't met - they put 0/10, which is ridiculous, even worth game I've ever played deserved at least 1/10 for something. Anthem deserves 7 of 10 IMHO but is not lower than 5 at any point.… Expand
  25. Deathpunch85
    Feb 27, 2019
    7
    Much better game than I gave it credit for originally. It's fun. Rough around the edges, skippable dialogue, and repetitive 'Destiny' qualities. Haven't made it through the first 30 levels. Will update later.

    I would urge you to take the reviews that are 4 and below as disappointment from a game that was expected to be so much more... although I don't see why given most top developers    Much better game than I gave it credit for originally. It's fun. Rough around the edges, skippable dialogue, and repetitive 'Destiny' qualities. Haven't made it through the first 30 levels. Will update later.

    I would urge you to take the reviews that are 4 and below as disappointment from a game that was expected to be so much more... although I don't see why given most top developers reputation in the past 10 years.    … Expand
  26. Ionianwarrior
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    I played the beta for Anthem and thought it was extremely cool looking, but had a very rocky start in terms of performance. I thought the small glimpse we had of the game was just that; a small glimpse. It turns out that was basically the whole game. Add a little javelin customization and a lot of dull dialog, and that's all there is so far. The game is beautiful, and I love the flightI played the beta for Anthem and thought it was extremely cool looking, but had a very rocky start in terms of performance. I thought the small glimpse we had of the game was just that; a small glimpse. It turns out that was basically the whole game. Add a little javelin customization and a lot of dull dialog, and that's all there is so far. The game is beautiful, and I love the flight mechanics of the javelins. I played the main campaign well before max level; and even the grind to get from there to level 30 was a bit mind-numbing. The masterwork items are making it slightly interesting once you reach max...but that's about it. I won't spoil the ending to the story-line here, but what was the point of the little after-bit that doesn't go anywhere? It made me feel like I had reached the halfway point of the game, and then it stopped.

    I really wanted this game to be awesome, and it's just not. I'll probably continue to play it a bit longer, or until one of the other big games of 2019 comes out, but I'm sad that this one will likely sit on the shelf until they expand/improve it substantially.    … Expand
  27. Isolfer
    Feb 23, 2019
    7
    The story is an okay shell of a story, but it is by far not BioWare's best effort. I believe had this game come from anyone else the story wouldn't be tanking the reviews as hard as it is. Overall the game makes a lot of missteps but is on the whole one of the better playing experiences I've had in some time.

    I think it's main point of failure is EA forcing the use of it's frostbyte    The story is an okay shell of a story, but it is by far not BioWare's best effort. I believe had this game come from anyone else the story wouldn't be tanking the reviews as hard as it is. Overall the game makes a lot of missteps but is on the whole one of the better playing experiences I've had in some time.

    I think it's main point of failure is EA forcing the use of it's frostbyte engine that is not made for this kind of thing. With a better engine and writing the game could be one of the best of the year, but instead it falls a bit flat.
    Sound, world building, and gameplay however are top tier, and very enjoyable. The world to a decent degree makes sense, and with the recent event the open areas of nothing made more sense as they are more stages for boss fights than for general use, yet it needed another year in the oven to get the bugs worked out. If EA doesn't pull an EA and actually supports anthem it could become something good, but that is a big IF with EA's track record.

    Story and the engine are where this game fails, and that is due to the fact that the game feels like it should have been more to it instead of the paint by numbers meh we got. I would love to know if EA called for a rewrite at some point to make the game something else, instead of what it was supposed to be.

    The main reason I say this is the E3 trailers world was different, and the play style in regard to the world seemed different than what was delivered. Suggesting there was a rather large change at a some point. A change that impacted a lot of things, this feels like destiny all over again, where we see one idea of the game, then there is a massive change and no one lets us know about it.

    Having beaten the main story, played through it all I can say some design choices were well intentioned but stupid. The tombs were designed to push people into other things then freeplay to get them to help other players through quickplay, the same as the path of valor is setup to do. The issue I see with this is that it leads to burnout rather quickly as you end up doing stuff you have done over and over again. Which brings us back to time, the game is solid, but it needed more time in development to release with more content.

    This is the curse of we can patch it, developers and publishers need to stop having this mindset. Release a full title, then patch it, stop releasing half a game or less and saying we will patch it later. Anthem as it is now feels like act 1 of a 3 act game. It needs the other two acts, as it is the devs come off as liars as my fort and my friends are near identical, I have seen and felt no impact at all of my choices in the fort. Thus the game feels half baked in the story aspect of its world.    … Expand
  28. Argamas
    Feb 24, 2019
    7
    The combat mechanic is fun, and the game is beautiful. The biggest problem is the general mission structure; it is highly repetitive. It usually alternates between killing enemies and finding stuff scattered around. Occasionnally, you may be presented with a mini-puzzle but they always work the same; look around, find the pictograms and match them with what's being presented to you.The combat mechanic is fun, and the game is beautiful. The biggest problem is the general mission structure; it is highly repetitive. It usually alternates between killing enemies and finding stuff scattered around. Occasionnally, you may be presented with a mini-puzzle but they always work the same; look around, find the pictograms and match them with what's being presented to you.

    The story is ok, but not great. Some characters are just plain annoying and irrelevant. But the main characters are interesting enough and well developed, for the most part. The biggest problem is that most of the character/story development happens between the missions, at Fort Tarsis; not very imaginative.

    I haven't really played the game before the day 1 patch but since the launch, I haven't run into any major bug personally; the game is stable and the loadings are not too big either. Although I most admit I am mostly playing solo, with a fast SSD (Samsung 960 Pro).

    Overall, I think the game is promising but in its current state, it isn't for everyone. This game may succeed; it will depend on Bioware's ability to deliver content regularly, while adding content diversity. But right now, it feels a bit simplistic amd rushed.    … Expand
  29. Makatak
    Feb 25, 2019
    7
    Gameplay is nice, shooting is nice, even the story is ok. But for the game that was in development for years, I have expected more. Story is too short, there should be much more content to begin with. More strongholds, more weapons, more free-play activities. And last issue for me - loading. This is something that shouldn't be made that way. Even with game on NVMe drive it take some time.Gameplay is nice, shooting is nice, even the story is ok. But for the game that was in development for years, I have expected more. Story is too short, there should be much more content to begin with. More strongholds, more weapons, more free-play activities. And last issue for me - loading. This is something that shouldn't be made that way. Even with game on NVMe drive it take some time. 10 years before it would be ok, but now it is very big flaw. I mostly like this game, but if not for those i think this would be much better received game, that would have much better reviews.… Expand
  30. Poltergeist1985
    Feb 25, 2019
    7
    Objectively, the game is undercooked and unfinished, with bugs still plagin many users and fundamental flaws in some of the game mechanics. Despite all of the issues I still have a lot of fun playing the game. Many issues reported after the launch (15th) have been fixed (not all tough) and in my personal experience, they weren’t that gamebreaking to begin with - but I guess I was lucky notObjectively, the game is undercooked and unfinished, with bugs still plagin many users and fundamental flaws in some of the game mechanics. Despite all of the issues I still have a lot of fun playing the game. Many issues reported after the launch (15th) have been fixed (not all tough) and in my personal experience, they weren’t that gamebreaking to begin with - but I guess I was lucky not to encounter them.

    The game is faaaar from perfect, but not even close to the buggy, underdeveloped, cash-graby asset flip of Fallout 76.

    Pros:
    - Fast paced and dynamic gameplay. Jumping, flying, dashing, charging, shooting - it all feels very fluid and responsive. Blasting hordes of enemies with your abilities, dodging incomming attacks by doing barrel rolls midair or flaying inches above the ground still feel fresh and give me a ton of fun, even after 90hours of game time.
    - Characters are played very well and animations in in-engine cut scenes are realistic and fluid. The actors did a great job, even if writers did not.
    - Best served with friends. Even if they're new people you've just met on a Discord you've joined a day before the launch. Ton of fun to be had, lulz, facepalm moments, mutual support and cheering for other team members. If you want to get most of the game - join a Discord server and start playing with others.
    - Up until certain point, the progression is rewarding, with first couple of masterworks or legendaries bringing shouts of joy. Unlocking higher levels of gear, abilities and components is fluid and natural (until Masterworks rank.)
    - Cosmetics can be obtained with in-game currency. Challenges (and there's a lot of them...), alliance system, daily, weekly and monthly challenges, world chests and even some monsters drop coins all the time. There really is no need (at least now) to spend a dime on "premium" currency.

    So-so:
    - Main story: Too many forced puns, predictable turns of events, short. Actors playing the characters redeem it somewhat, and the final ending of last fight caught me by surprise. So yeah, even tough it’s bland it has its moments.
    - Cosmetics: so far only 2-3 additional skins for every Javelin and some semi-interesting vinyls. We still don’t know the pricing of legendary skins, so it can turn out, that those 200k coins I’ve accumulated so far are not enough (epic skin sets: 61k, rares: 52k.)
    - Small amount of masterworks and legendary items. Some inscriptions (main mods of a weapon) need rework - they’re either meaningless or game breaking overpowered.
    - Sound: music is great, with vibe and ambience perfectly suited for the environment (my personal opinion…) Sound effect could use a little work, especially weapon effects sound hollow or flat in some cases.
Chatter in the city or soundscape in the wilds is also lacking.
    - Although the graphics are great, they are at times a far cry from what we saw in the first trailer, especially when it comes to lighting and world details.
    - Masterworks components are locked behind disproportionately high grind. Odd, given the fact, that using masterworks weapons unlocks their blueprints quickly.
    - World is nice, but lack variety and life. Exploration and world events can only last you so long, but first dozen or so hours is fun.

    Cons:
    - After 90 hours I’ve pretty much consumed all there is to the game… Cataclysms, legendary contracts, new strongholds, new loot. I know it’s been less than a week from opening access to wider audience, but if one week of hardcore gaming led me through everything there is…
    - Most legendary weapons and abilities are underwhelming at best, flat out useless at worst.
    - Affixes (additional modifiers to every item) are pulled from one table, regardless of the item type. Example: you get a masterwork weapon you wanted, but every single affix rolled affects different weapons… BW already promised to fix that in near future, but for now - no point in crafting, as it’s a crapshoot.
    - Loading times: on HDD they’re bad, on SSD they’re comparable to other big world games. Still - there’s a lot of them, especially when switching between different UIs.
    - Speaking of UI - both UI and UX are baffling at times. Example: you load into the Forge to equip your Javelin, you remember you wanted to finish couple of challenges, which require you to use a certain ability or weapon. You can’t access the Journal to look them up, you need to exit the Forge, check the required weapons and abilities, load back to Forge and pray to God Emperor of Mankind that you remember the names right…
    - Repetitive missions and world events. It’s really only a handful of scenarios, which differ only in narrative, while the main loop boils down to: fly there, shoot stuff, do something, fly there, shoot stuff, do something…    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 62 out of 76
  3. Negative: 9 out of 76
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    May 15, 2019
    69
    After a while, suspicion sets in: perhaps EA doesn’t believe in BioWare anymore, and had them release not only unpolished, but basically unfinished product to cut losses and avoid another total rework. [Issue#237, p.44]
  2. Riot Pixels
    Apr 20, 2019
    56
    If you want to see Anthem’s lush jungle and glistening Javelins, do it right away — this game is losing audience fast, and there’s almost nothing to do after the campaign ends. Or check it out on YouTube to save yourself some nerves and money.
    Read full review
  3. PlayGround.ru
    Apr 8, 2019
    60
    It's obvious that Anthem didn't have enough development time, but had some great potential. It's a real shame, that everything turned out this way. Even now, the game can bring out positive emotions. Hasty climbers have sudden falls. No matter how ironic this proverb may seem, it's incredibly relevant for Anthem.
    Read full review
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