BioWare’s Anthem was the undisputed highlight of Electronic Arts’ EA Play 2018 presentation in June, giving us a chance to see the colorful and dangerous world we will get to explore when the game is set to release in February. The clip we were shown introduced an enormous insect boss before cutting away, but a new gameplay video gave us a chance to see the gloriously gross creature in action.
Beginning in a mobile base of operations called the “Strider,” the demonstration follows four Freelancers on the mission “Scars and Villainy.” It’s in the Strider where you’ll be able to customize your abilities and appearance, which should make for less downtime in between objectives.
After jumping into the “Colossus” Javelin suit, the player is able to invite their teammates, guildmates, or other “like-minded” players to join her on her expedition, then they select the mission from an overworld map before venturing out of the Strider. As they make their way into a nearby cave system, gunfire erupts, and the enemy “Scars” are left dead. Here we can see the loot system, which rewards players with dropped weapons much like in Destiny 2 or The Division.
Moving ahead, the four Freelancers move deeper into the stronghold and attack insect eggs using a combination of grenade launcher rounds and a flamethrower. A nearby water-filled tunnel drops them off in an enormous underground arena called “The Hive,” where they face off against the “Swarm Tyrant” boss. Quick and supported by an army of smaller minions, the boss fires at players and slams at the ground underneath her many legs. Her obvious weak points are the giant sacks located on her back, but Freelancers have to position themselves carefully to avoid getting hit.
Fire does significant damage to the Swarm Tyrant, and after destroying one of her sacks, she’s knocked to the ground and left open to further damage. This only lasts for a moment, however, before she retreats up into the ceiling and sends in reinforcements, and we’re left with a bit of a cliffhanger.
Anthem is out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 22, 2019.
