Can Bioware's latest match the pedigree of their past, or is it destined for failure

Gameplay loop; Playstyle variety

Storytelling; Bugs; Poor design decisions

Javelins are unique and fun to tweak; Solid, enjoyable combat; A fantastic, character-driven tale;

Lack of stuff to do once the story’s over; A lot of grinding for comparatively little reward; A cluttered and confusing UI and menu system;

Since EA absorbed it into its growing Katamari of game studios, Bioware has lost its identity. From the disaster that was Mass Effect 3 's ending, to the disappointment that was Mass Effect Andromeda , EA's heavy hand has been felt all around, as it has with each of the other studios it has...

The truth is, we never felt compelled to play Anthem. In the sea of competing titles released in just the last few weeks alone, it falls short on almost everything, and there's rarely the temptation to stay up too late to have One More Go, finish off one more mission, or whizz about, idly collecting more stuff. It's weird because, again, it's not a bad game, and whilst we're in the grips of it - tackling a Stronghold, perhaps - it's not boring, either. But beyond the Javelins and pottering about in The Forge, obsessively tweaking your loadouts to boost your level, nothing in Anthem stands out. We're not sure what BioWare can do to inject a little more colour into the game's bland, underwhelming world (and it's possibly already too late to do so). It's not even that the studio - famed, quite rightly, as it is for its astonishing single-player stories and complex, compulsive world-building - doesn't have the chops to pull it all off. It simply feels like in its desperation to tick all the boxes and appeal to all players, Anthem, as mechanically solid as it is, has become nothing for no-one.

Javelins are unique and fun to tweak; Solid, enjoyable combat; A fantastic, character-driven tale;

Lack of stuff to do once the story's over; A lot of grinding for comparatively little reward; A cluttered and confusing UI and menu system;

"...Anthem transforms BioWare's strengths into weaknesses, and only some decent character moments, impressive visuals, and fun combat salvage the experience." © 2019 Electronic Arts, BioWare. All rights reserved.

Pretty to look at; combat is a blast; some good character moments

Main plot and villain are weak; frequent and long load times; gameplay loop is repetitive; loot is uninteresting; lack of world and enemy variety; tethering mechanic is far too aggressive

Anthem is the first major title of 2019: A brand new IP from Bioware after Mass Effect Andromeda , and this one has hit the stores after much waiting to mixed feelings from reviewers but many players lapping it up like a cat that got the cream!

This game is actually really good. Big maps, lots of good gun play, plenty of variety and it is really fun to play. This game is a mix between destiny and mass effect, but without all the issues (and the painful pvp cry babies who get awesome weapons nerfed and just ruin games for all involved). You have the storytelling style of ME but not as in depth, allowing you to follow along the story and have the option to not have to talk to lots of random strangers (remember to be cautious of stranger danger kids) in order to get the best gear. The over the shoulder 3rd person style fighting handles really well and the freedom to fly around the map and even under water is pretty cool. This game may have similar points here and there but it is no destiny. Go on try it out, you won't regret it.

shaken apart by its own identity crisis

Anthem may never get the chance to live up to its potential due to a series of unfortunate game design decisions and issues. The first IP from BioWare in over ten years displays moments of grandeur with fun and unique gameplay that unfortunately is undermined by the game's current condition.

This review has taken many different shapes over the last week and a half that I have spent with Anthem . If you'd asked me a week ago what I thought of Bioware's first foray into the ‘games as a service' category, I'd have told you I was tearing my hair out.