Anthem: 10 Things Bioware Must Deliver
If this is 'the next Mass Effect', it needs to be perfect.
Anthem was one of the stars of the E3 conference. Its promise of gorgeous-looking, team-based science fiction action was compelling, from the sheer lushness of its graphics to the possibility of a new, deep intellectual property to drive the next years of console sales.
BioWare's pedigree is enough to get it noticed, and Microsoft certainly felt it worthy of a prominent place at their press conference. However, we still haven't seen very much of Anthem, be it hands-on show floor demos or additional post-E3 trailers. Its 2018 release date and the emphasis placed on it during the Microsoft's presentation means there's plenty time and desire to speculate on what the game will really bring.
BioWare's reputation is almost relying entirely on the response and reception Anthem can garner going forward too, especially after Andromeda put them back on the ropes. Put simply, they need every aspect of this to be spot on.
Will Anthem prove a franchise-starter and console-shifter, or will it become yet another heartbreaker that fails to live up to the hype? Much of the answer is up to Bioware themselves, and whether they respond to fans' questions with answers they want to hear.
10. That Cool Middle-Eastern Aesthetic
Anthem’s teaser gave us a tantalising hint of a heavily atmospheric city setting reminiscent of a Middle Eastern souk.
It’s a refreshingly different aesthetic for a science fiction game after the rusty junkyard look or the military-industrial spaceship schtick too common to science fiction games. In a gaming future full of ruined cities, factories and military bases, Anthem has the opportunity to present a different vision.
For Anthem to stand out and create a world in the minds of its players, a distinctive and well-realised aesthetic is essential in a crowded marketplace, and the spice-laden feel of an Arab or North African-inspired city would help make it feel unique.
All we've seen is a grimy market, but the possibility of handsome minaret-laden cityscapes, colourful silks, teeming streets and other distinctive future-Arabic locales is tantalising so far.