5 Problems With Anthem BioWare Needs to Fix ASAP
The Shooting
With Anthem’s release date of Feb. 22 fast approaching, the general populace has had a chance to play BioWare’s first foray into the MMO-shooter space during first the game’s rocky VIP weekend, and the recent public beta.
BioWare should be applauded for the risks it is taking and the things it gets right. The flight and general feel of piloting a Javelin is fantastic and nails the feeling of flight in a way that hasn’t really been done in a game like this before.
However, if BioWare wants to be a part of this space and carve out a piece of the player base with Anthem, then they have a lot of work to do, and quite frankly, a rough road ahead of them.
First things first: the shooting and general feel of gunplay are simply not up to par with other games of this genre. Guns feel floaty and underpowered, and shots lack the feeling of impact and feedback when fired when compared to the games Anthem will be competing with, like Destiny or The Division.
For a game where you spend most of your time shooting things, this is a pretty big problem and needs to be addressed immediately.
BioWare’s previous experience with the Mass Effect series should have given the team some understanding of this, but Anthem’s most basic gameplay action feels like a step back from Andromeda, a game that was not exactly praised for its gunplay.
When the biggest competitor you have is Bungie and the Destiny series, and players who will be drawing direct comparisons between the two, then you have a real problem.
In Destiny, each gun feels unique and impactful to use. In Anthem, firing a light machine gun and an SMG feels virtually the same, with the only real difference being the fire rate.
Shooting is such a fundamental part of this game and unfortunately not something that can be fixed overnight. Anthem will surely launch with gunplay in its current state –nobody is expecting them to fix it so quickly– so it will be interesting to see how players of games such as Destiny respond.
5 Problems With Anthem BioWare Needs to Fix ASAP
More to Do in Fort Tarsis
Anthem’s central hub of Fort Tarsis, which gives the player a glimpse into the people and lore of this new world that BioWare wants you to become invested in, could also use a bit of work.
While it is at least visually interesting, with a fresh look and vibe to it, there just isn’t a whole lot to do. Players can fiddle around with their mechs before the next mission… but that’s kind of it.
There are NPCs scattered around, but unless they are relevant to the mission you are about to embark on, they don’t have a lot to say. The environmental barks that you will hear as you walk around, too, are mostly forgettable.
Bizarrely, the perspective shifts to the first-person while in Fort Tarsis, which seems unnecessary at best and disorientating at worst. This was probably done to avoid having to create and render player avatars, but it just feels off.
Perhaps the most egregious issue the hub has is probably the easiest to fix: the maddeningly slow walking speed at which you move around. This at least could be fixed before launch, but the other issues may need to be dealt with at a later date as they would require significant reworks to bring up to standard.
Anthem would do well to add some more interesting NPC’s, whether they be vendors or just characters to better fill out space. Anthem would do well to follow in the footsteps of other shared-world shooters and look to seasonal events to shake things up for the long term, but for now, Fort Tarsis could use some more distractions to make it feel more like the player’s home.
5 Problems With Anthem BioWare Needs to Fix ASAP
The Loading Times
While certainly, something that can be improved with some patched, Anthem, unfortunately, has several lengthy loading screens standing in between the player and the action. The footage showcased in the E3 reveal stretched the reality of the situation when showing the transition from hub to open world.
If the last Anthem footage you had seen was the gameplay reveal trailer shown off at E3 in 2017, you might be under the impression that the game seamlessly transitions between Fort Tarsis and the open world. Sadly, BioWare seemed to have changed that aspect of the game, probably due to technical limitations.
As things stand, you face lengthy load times every time you either head out on a mission or return from one. On the missions available during Anthem’s public demo there were loading screens to enter and exit structures.
Annoyingly, if a member of your Fireteam wanders off a little too far, they will be forcibly teleported back to the main group, which means another loading screen for them. This feels like a far cry from the open world promised on the E3 stage back in 2017.
In Anthem’s defense, Destiny has incredibly long load times too. On its own, this isn’t a game-breaking issue, but anything that could be done to alleviate the downtime would be appreciated.
5 Problems With Anthem BioWare Needs to Fix ASAP
Multiplayer vs. Narrative
The world of Anthem is certainly interesting, and BioWare’s greatest strength as a developer has always been creating vast and complex worlds that players can lose themselves in.
It’s unfortunate then that this is somewhat lost due to the simple fact that it’s hard to focus on a game’s narrative when that same game pushes you towards grouping up with friends. Chances are you will be in a voice channel, chatting away, when Anthem want’s you focused on the plot.
When an NPC is trying to set a scene and impart gravitas in the narrative, the effect is somewhat ruined by the need to jump back into the action with your squad, who have either already seen the cutscene or have just skipped it entirely.
Granted, this isn’t BioWare’s fault. This is something that is true of all multiplayer games that feature story elements.
It is something that should be kept in mind going forward, as a clever developer can find a way to keep a player invested in a storyline while delivering on the multiplayer action. BioWare themselves achieved this in The Old Republic, and would do well to learn from their success there.
5 Problems With Anthem BioWare Needs to Fix ASAP
The UI
Anthem’s UI needs some work. While it is certainly functional, there is a lot of room for improvement, especially compared to similar titles like Destiny, who have had the better part of a decade to clean things up.
Simple, crucial things like a teammate’s current health need to be displayed on the screen in easy view. As it stands, the game relies too much on players themselves communicating their current situations.
Granted, players should be communicating with their teammates, but if you are playing with someone that doesn’t have a microphone, then there needs to be a simpler solution.
Changing your Javelin’s equipment or customizing its appearance needs to be done in the Forge, either before a mission or while in Fort Tarsis. This is done through a convoluted series of menus that need refinement.
Destiny players that are used to being able to change their equipment on the fly, and even during loading screens, are going to have a really tough time with this restricted method.
These are just some of the issues facing Anthem at launch. If BioWare can find some way of alleviating these pain points and highlighting the things the game does well, then they may have a very solid game on their hands, as the mobility and narrative that sets Anthem apart is a fantastic bedrock for something great.
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