After a long period in which it was difficult to really define what Anthem really is – beyond it feeling like EA’s answer to Destiny – Bioware’s multiplayer shooter is finally starting to come into focus and it looks pretty decent.
Speaking at a panel at PAX West titled ‘Anthem: Our World, Your Story’, Bioware laid out exactly how the game is going to be structured in order to accommodate a hefty emphasis on single player story content in a primarily multiplayer experience. Here’s how it works.
In Anthem, you play as a Freelancer – a javelin pilot (javelins being the powerful exosuits) who is relatively independent, much in the same vein as a ronin or superhero. As well as tackling missions, your job is to try to acquire shaper relics – these are relics left behind by mysterious progenitors ‘the shapers’ in order to harvest the energy of the anthem of creation. These are dangerous, powerful artefacts and one of your goals is to find them and power them down to avert disaster. You are supported in these activities by a pit crew; a small cast of characters in charge of keeping your suit in good nick. You also receive tactical information in the field from your Cypher – specifically a man called Owen. When out on missions, you can team up with friends or matchmake with strangers online. After each mission however, you return alone to Tarsis city; specifically, your instance of Tarsis city.
Source: Eurogamer How Anthem puts a single player story in a multiplayer game