BioWare has finally unveiled Anthem, formerly known as Project Dylan, in a media presentation of Electronic Arts before E3 2017 launches on June 13.
Anthem is a new IP with a sci-fi theme, and it looks like it will be a new challenger in the social action video game genre popularized by Destiny and The Division.
What Do We Know About 'Anthem'?
The teaser that BioWare used to reveal Anthem lasts less than a minute, which means that it leaves more questions than answers. However, it does give a good glimpse into what players can expect once they fire up the game.
The video talks about a wall that protects people from what lurks outside and shows a large beast outside what appears to be ruins of a civilization.
"Out there, you either live with the choices you make, or die trying to change them," the narrator states, with the video showing armored suits that people presumably use to fight against the beasts. This gives it an Attack on Titan feel, as people use technology to fight back against massive creatures threatening their existence. The armored suits, meanwhile, resemble the mechs from Titanfall.
According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, Anthem will have an online component that will urge players to interact with one another. Wilson added that the game will be in the action-adventure genre and not an RPG, which is a change of pace for BioWare as it is best known for RPG franchises such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The strengths of BioWare will still be on full display though, as Anthem will feature the character development and story progression found in the developer's RPGs.
Anthem is expected to be released in fiscal year 2019, which is sometime between spring 2018 and spring 2019. However, according to the YouTube channel of Anthem, BioWare and Electronic Arts are looking to hit the earlier side of that timeframe, with the game planned for a spring 2018 release date.
More details of Anthem will very likely be revealed at E3 2017, with an extended gameplay video of the game planned to be shown at the Xbox E3 briefing on June 11, 2:00 p.m. PT. Anthem, however, will not be an exclusive for the Xbox One and the upcoming Xbox Project Scorpio, and will also be released on the PlayStation 4.
'Anthem' Vs. 'Mass Effect' Vs. 'Destiny'
While Anthem shares the sci-fi theme with Mass Effect, the two franchises are unrelated.
During the production of the latest entry in the Mass Effect franchise, Mass Effect: Andromeda, BioWare was already working on what was then known as Project Dylan. BioWare has since revealed that it was placing the Mass Effect franchise on hiatus, which gives the developer breathing room to focus on Anthem.
Anthem is believed to offer a multiplayer component, likely similar to the cooperative gameplay found in Destiny. There is no information yet on the rest of the game's mechanics, but it is said to be "built around a live service" that will have players constantly hooked to an ever evolving landscape.
