'Anthem': Here's How to Play Early, Plus Open Beta Dates

With our first look at the bigger story in the upcoming BioWare title Anthem, fans are getting impatient for the new IP's February release! With a daunting enemy ahead and a stunning open world to explore, the excitement is understandable! Luckily, there are a few ways to play the game early!

For those that already have their Closed Alpha codes, that play period will begin on December 8 and will end on the 9th. After that wraps, BioWare is done testing the game and wants to simply offer a demo. Two, in fact.

The first is the VIP demo which will only be available to those that pre-ordered the title. In addition to being able to play the game early, those that pre-ordered will also have an exclusive in-game item waiting for them to show off that they were among the first to get their hands on the online game. For VIP access, those dates are January 25 - 27.

Following the VIP demo, a separate one will become available for all. From February 1 through the 3rd, players will be able to take part in the open demo to see exactly who BioWare's open-world MMORPG works.

As for the game itself, the most recent trailer - seen above - gives us what many fans were hoping to see: the actual story. Just like every tale, their must be a foe and this was our first chance at seeing the big bad 'The Monitor' lead his militaristic troops of the Dominion into battle.

When we had a chance to interview producer Mike Gamble earlier today, he mentioned that The Monitor is the perfect sociopath - truly believing his path of chaos and destruction is the best path for all.

The latest reveal also showed off a more human side to the characters we will meet. Though live-action thrilling gameplay is amazing, BioWare is known for their ability to craft a tale that means something. To see that same touch in Anthem is reassuring to many that still had their doubts about the online game, and it's certainly given us a lot to look forward to.

Thoughts on Anthem so far? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below, or hit me up on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy for even more game-age!