Anthem: 10 Things Bioware Must Deliver

8. Vertical Action

A core element of Anthem’s concept is the flight capability of its Javelin exo-suits. The gameplay so far revealed includes a spectacular plummet from the edge of the city walls, through a canopy of collapsed towers, to the forest floor.

For Anthem to make its run-and-gun third-person gameplay something different, it needs to integrate that capacity to fly into the game in ways we haven't seen before.

A vertical element to the environment would create an experience that feels, looks and plays differently to the game’s close contemporaries, such as Horizon: Zero Dawn or the Gears of War franchise. The ability to fly creates a wealth of vertical combat possibilities, from just jumping out of cover to full-on dogfights.

The suggestion of the Javelins’ underwater capabilities is promising, too. Taking combat beyond sidestepping and sending it above and below the action can make Anthem the distinctive experience BioWare needs.