BioWare has shown Anthem numerous times over the last year, but hasn’t talked much about the story or the possibility of a villain. A new trailer that debuted at the Game Awards finally gave us a little of both of these things, including a look at a character named the Monitor, who will be a recurring threat, both to you and the world.
The Monitor is one of the leaders of a faction of humans called The Dominion. They are aggressive, militaristic, and want to bring peace through force. They have their own javelins, and believe that Fort Tarsis needs to adopt their philosophies. This of course will likely lead to war. You’ll need to protect Fort Tarsis from The Dominion, and are also tasked to stop The Monitor from using the Anthem of Creation. He believes he’s found a way to wield its Force-like powers to bring a new age to the world.
The trailer also gives us a look at a character named Fey, who is one of the few people in Fort Tarsis that is a cipher, someone who is trained to use the Anthem to broadcast her voice over great distances. She’s essentially the eyes of the Freelancers. She sits in an amplifier to boost her powers.
Fey isn’t your cipher however. That role falls to a character named Owen. BioWare describes him as an ambitious and happy-go-lucky guide. You’ll hear his voice as your explore the world. The trailer also gives us brief snapshots at other key characters, such as the blonde-haired Agent Tasen, who works for Corbis, a division that is basically the MI6 of this world. They have access to rare javelins.
Corbis is just one of the ways peace is kept in Fort Tarsis. The streets are patrolled by Sentinels, which are this world’s form of police. They are the law and order, and you get a chance to work with them. Sentinel Brin is one of the characters you’ll gain side missions from.
Anthem is slated to release on February 22. People who are eager to suit up in a javelin will get the chance to do that at two different dates in the new year. From January 25-27, BioWare is launching a VIP demo for a select group of players. A few days later on February 1-3, that demo will be made available for everyone to play. This isn’t a beta or a sever test. It’s a small slice of the game that should give you a taste of what this multiplayer experience has to offer.
We took a deep dive into Anthem earlier this year with our July cover story, which you can read in its entirety here. We also spoke to Bioware at PAX about Anthem’s universe and how it might relate to Mass Effect.
Source: Game Informer Anthem's Villain Revealed In New Story-Focused Trailer