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Anthem Is A Lot Of Fun Because It’s Not A Shooter For Me

by Abdul Azeem

Anthem

Is A Lot Of Fun Because It’s Not A Shooter For Me

The new action RPG Anthem is already playable in a headstart. Our author Schuhmann says: This is much better than I thought. It’s like playing a modern MMORPG where I run only instances.

That’s my thesis: Unlike many testers who see Anthem as a “shoot shooter” and compare it to games like Destiny, The Division and Warframe, I think Anthem is a kind of “MMORPG light”. As an MMORPG, always press the “Search for group” button.

Anthem is for me as if BioWare had considered in 2012 what MMORPGs 2020 might look like and then they landed at Anthem.

They have left out a lot of what we associate with MMORPGs today, especially the “massively” is gone and there are no side activities either. But this is the central Coop experience, with 4 men to run a mission, in the foreground.

anthem-storm-view
The Storm is the Flying Elemental Magician of Anthem – and the Javelin of my choice.
That’s what I’ve done so far in Anthem: According to Origin, I spent 11 hours in Anthem. In the meantime, I made it to Lvl 18, completed dozens of missions and side missions, and defeated the first fortress.

I’m stuck in the main story but the Grind Quest, which I do not agree with my thesis at the moment. Since I have to find 14 treasure chests – and had so far no desire to rumzurinden so. Everything else until then, but I’ve grazed: There are in addition to the main quest still 3 quest lines of the factions.

So I arrived about two thirds through and at the end of the midgame. I can not say anything about the endgame and the loot systems yet. I just take the highest-level items – as I would in an MMORPG as well, playing a char upstairs.

Unlike professional testers and streamers who need to work Anthem, I played about 2 hours each day after work: so I have a much more relaxed game experience.

anthem-storm-ultima
Skills are a big source of damage while you level up.
That’s how I played Anthem: I went solo with the Storm, a kind of “magician-javelin.” About 4 days later, I also read a guide to the Storm and learned that I should have been floating all the time because then I get a bonus sign and am generally cooler. Ups.

The interesting thing is that “playing solo” in Anthem is like playing an MMORPG and running only instances with a “Looking for Group” tool. Because before each mission you get 3 team members, who are traveling with one.

So as I solo quest in “normal” MMORPGs to work my way up, I run in Anthem 4er missions, which are basically “instances,” but built differently. You are a bit freer.

Anthem Haluk angry
NPCs like Haluk (left) or Faye are pretty broken but charming.
So I’ve turned on the difficulty: I’ve played the first-day Anthem on “Normal” – in the setting are the missions to four but ridiculously easy and you rush through, without really noticing what to do there.

So later I switched the missions to “hard”, then the opponents do about 50% more damage and keep 50% more out – the game is much better then.

In free play, where you’re more likely to be sold, and in the fortress, I switch back to “normal” – but I’m not that hard.

Anthem titanium
That’s what makes Anthem so good: in my mind, I do not play anthem as a “shoot shooter”, but as MMORPG light by constantly pressing the “sign up for instance” button.

Compared to the MMORPGs that I know, Anthem has some advantages:

The gameplay is really cool – the pure combat loop with skills, shooting, jumping and flying has much more action than in a typical MMORPG. Matchmaking is instant – there are hardly any waiting times in the game when it starts. From the long loading screens, I am spared thanks to SSD. But as soon as a mission starts, there is actually 15 minutes of action.

Anthem Ranger Flying

An important element of Anthem: Flying from point to point makes you laugh.
it’s fun to fly to the next point – usually in MMORPGs the time between two fights is boring, you just barge there. At Anthem, I fly like Iron Man to the next pointless. Hose-like fighting – in MMORPGs instances are hose-like. You know exactly who the next opponent pack is and have breakfast. Fights are shattered at Anthem, people do their thing. But that can be different in the endgame.

The presentation is strong – the characters are set to German, the graphics are really good. Characters like Brin (she simply hates Skar) or Owen (a bit broken, but in a good mood) I find the really successful
anthem-ranger colossus.

I released Colossus and Ranger at level 18 but have not played yet.
This is how my approach worked in practice: The first 11 hours I have had with the attitude of mind, “Anthem is an MMORPG, where I always press on looking for groups” had really good experiences.

I’m curious how it is in the endgame. But the first week and the first 11 hours have kept me entertained so far.

I have not even tried the other javelin – from the demo, but I know that play completely different than my Storm.

The 15 €, which I paid for the access, are with me in the conversation already loose in it again. How the game is after 30 hours, you will see. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it and go look for treasure chests tonight.

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Abdul Azeem
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