Bioware Shows off New IP at E3, Anthem

BioWare is good at a lot of things, but not at making a good first impression. While both Mass Effect and the Dragon Age games have a deep, rich lore that's unique and rewarding to explore, on the surface, they look like very generic sci-fi and high fantasy settings, respectively. That's the problem that their otherwise intriguing new IP, Anthem, has: for all the hype surrounding it, the first look was decidedly very generic.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me properly introduce you to the world of Anthem:



In Anthem, which has been called EA's answer to Destiny, you play a freelance warrior called... a Freelancer. There's a huge walled city, a primeval, dangerous landscape outside the walled city, and your job is to protect this walled city (with the help of friends, as the game has seamless online multiplayer) and its inhabitants. Seems pretty bland, but again, BioWare's charm comes from the details, and we're certainly wanting for that.

Anyway, gameplay wise, it looks like it borrows heavily from Mass Effect, but still has its own flair to things. Flying around certainly looks swell, and there's no shortage of things to explore... which can be good or bad, depending on how much of a completionist you are. One of the biggest gameplay thrusts will be the suits, apparently, which are fully customizeable, allowing you to go either full-on tank, glass cannon, or anything in-between.

Chatting with NPC's also looks better. Less fish-eye... for now, anyway.

Anthem was so hyped, it showed up in both the EA and Microsoft portions of E3: while it's got a fall of 2018 release date, we've got no info on what platforms it'll be on... but if I had to wager, the big three. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of Anthem in the years to come, though.