BioWare Offers a Total Crash Course On ‘Anthem’ In New ‘This Is Anthem’ Video

With the VIP demo coming up for BioWare’s Anthem, excitement is high regarding the studio’s newest IP. To keep that excitement going, the team behind the open-world online title has shared a brand new video titled “This is Anthem” and it’s pretty much the best crash course anyone could have asked for.

From how the Javelins themselves work in the game — an intricate part of how the entire narrative works with players assuming the role of a dedicated Freelancer, to who the enemies truly are and what they want — this is the perfect video to get caught up on all things Anthem.

Freelancers

In addition to a swanky new video, the team behind Anthem also provided a massive update to their website breaking down everything seen in the above footage. To get started, let’s talk Freelancers. 

According to BioWare, “It’s only been a few centuries since the Legion of Dawn fought back the deadly forces of this raging world and created a safe place for their people to live within. But the dangers outside humanity’s fortified cities never truly disappear, and an old enemy called the Dominion is rising anew to threaten that hard-won peace.”

Players will be assuming the role of a Freelancer charged with the protection of Fort Tarsis and all of its inhabitants. 

Fort Tarsis

“Fort Tarsis is a fortified settlement where you interact with a cast of unique characters from all walks of life, pick up contracts from different factions, upgrade your javelins, and more,” describes the studio. “Fort Tarsis is your ultimate center of operations and a beacon to return to when the day is through. All adventures begin and (if you’re lucky) end back at the Fort.”

• Named after General Helena Tarsis, the leader of the Legion of Dawn, Fort Tarsis is one of several walled cities built after the Legion freed humanity from the chaos that engulfed their world.
• Fort Tarsis contains the Forge, where Freelancers can customize the gear attached to their javelin and personalize its appearance.
• Fort Tarsis is where you’ll dive into Anthem’s single-player role-playing experience, meet new characters, and bond with them.

Your Crew

We previously did a full breakdown on some of the characters players will meet with our hands on time with the game earlier last year. Now BioWare is breaking it down in a much more simple way so that fans that aren’t planning on playing the demo can get excited about who they will meet. 

According to BioWare: 

“When you’re out in the world of Anthem, your crew will have your back, assisting you with mission intel, maintaining your mobile base of operations, and piling on the banter. You can meet and talk with them in the confines of Fort Tarsis, where you can get to know them, their stories, and their hopes for the future”:

• Owen is an optimistic and ambitious young cypher who’s learning the trade at your side. He can get himself in trouble in his urge to prove himself but is always enthusiastic and vital to the success of your missions.
• Faye is a mysterious cypher who comes from a prestigious background. She is fascinated by the Anthem of Creation and driven to learn more about it, to the point that her personal relationships have suffered.
• Haluk is a grumpy but dedicated Freelancer who keeps your javelin in working order. He’s a legend in the Freelancer world and your begrudging mentor, though he hasn’t suited up himself in quite a while.

But they are just the start as players meet even more faces with characters they will grow to learn. 

The Dominion, the Enemy

The Dominion is something that players will become intimately familiar with within their journey outside of Fort Tarsis. “A ferocious militaristic society in the mountainous North, the Dominion seeks to subjugate all of humanity under their rule. They have long been your enemy, but now the Monitor, a ruthless Dominion commander, believes he can harness the the power of the Anthem and use it to end all the “needless suffering” he has seen.”

It will be up to the player and their friends to stop them before they destroy everything this world built in an age of survival. 

Gear and Personalization

Javelins are your best friend in the game. Not literally, they are your armor – but they are something you can customize, tailor, and become intimately familiar with while taking on certain missions out in the wild. 

“There are four basic javelins for you to choose from: the versatile Ranger, the powerhouse Colossus, the agile Interceptor, and the elemental Storm. Each handles a bit differently and favors a different attack pattern – the bulky Colossus, for instance, can’t maneuver as well as the Interceptor, but can do a lot more damage in a single hit. Each javelin can execute two unique abilities, depending on the gear they have equipped, and a devastating ultimate ability.”

• Players that favor heavy firepower over mobility should jump into the Colossus, which trades speed for powerhouse offensive abilities.
• The Storm, while light on armor, can move quickly and unleash powerful elemental attacks to take down enemies.
• The Interceptor uses incredible speed to dodge in and out of danger, landing quick but impressive hits without being touched.
• Players who want a bit of everything should try their hand at the Ranger and take its well-rounded arsenal for a spin.

Players can also level up their gear how they see fit, and BioWare outlines how that will work both in and out of the Gear Store: 

• There are six rarity levels for gear: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Masterwork, and Legendary. The higher a gear piece’s rarity, the higher its potential power.
• Beating enemies, completing objectives, and other actions throughout the world will reward you with new gear pieces.
• You can craft gear using blueprints recovered during your adventures into the world of Anthem. Any gear pieces you create will match your level at the time you craft it, so you can use the same blueprint to re-craft items as your level increases.

Once the play style is set and the Javelin is customized to the player’s desires, it’s time to spruce things up again with some individual flare: 

• A javelin’s paint job is made up of two parts: paint and materials.
• Materials change the texture of your javelin, making it look metallic, leathery, and everything in between. Each javelin is broken into six areas that can be assigned their own materials, so you can have multiple textures across a suit.
• You can pair different paints and materials to create a truly unique javelin. Want to use battle-stained canvas and neon orange leather on the same suit? No problem.
• You can add five character animations to your loadout, including an arrival animation, a victory pose, and three emotes.

All of this and more can be seen in the video above while we await the second part of this highly anticipated video series. As for the game itself, Anthem makes its grand debut on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on February 22nd! 

Thoughts on Anthem so far? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below, or hit me up over on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy.