Death of a Game: Anthem
nerdSlayer Studios・30 minutes read
Anthem, originally aimed to be a masterpiece like Bob Dylan's music, failed to meet expectations since its launch in 2018, facing criticism from Bioware's RPG fans and significant departure of key team members. Despite efforts to revamp the game with new content and updates, Anthem's poor reviews, technical issues, and lack of engaging content post-launch led to the announcement of a planned reboot in February 2020.
Insights
- Anthem, initially envisioned as a timeless masterpiece inspired by Bob Dylan's music, fell short of expectations post-launch in 2018, facing criticism for its lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and technical issues.
- Bioware's struggles with Anthem's development, marked by key departures, rushed decisions under EA pressure, and a shift away from narrative focus, highlighted significant challenges in creating a cohesive and engaging experience, leading to a planned reboot in 2020 to address loot, progression, and end-game content issues.
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Recent questions
What challenges did Bioware face during Anthem's development?
Bioware encountered numerous challenges during Anthem's development, including key figures like Casey Hudson leaving, which impacted the project's direction. The Edmonton studio, renowned for its RPGs, struggled with setbacks and lost crucial team members. The game underwent significant changes and challenges, such as a shift towards a Destiny-like co-operative online shooter. Additionally, pressure from EA executives led to a rushed demo creation to impress stakeholders, further complicating the development process.
How did Anthem's gameplay differ from Bioware's previous games?
Anthem's gameplay differed significantly from Bioware's previous games by focusing on a shared-world action-RPG experience where players, as Freelancers, explore and confront dangers in a visually stunning open world. The game's unique hook involved customizable Javelin exosuits that allowed players to fly, leap, and climb through the game's world, emphasizing co-operative play and mission-based activities rather than traditional narrative-driven RPG elements.
What were the criticisms surrounding Anthem's launch in February 2019?
Anthem faced significant criticisms upon its launch in February 2019, with poor reviews highlighting its lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and technical issues. Reviews from Metacritic, IGN, PC Gamer, and GameSpot pointed out flaws in the story, loot system, missions, endgame content, and technical aspects like loading times. Despite high expectations and a day one patch, the game failed to meet player and critic expectations, leading to widespread disappointment.
How did Anthem's post-launch content updates fare with players?
Anthem's attempts to introduce new content through seasonal events and updates were met with criticism from players for reusing existing content and failing to address the game's content drought. The Cataclysm event, meant to revitalize the game, was perceived as a repetitive leaderboard mode lacking substantial innovation. Bioware's roadmap for Anthem, including the Cataclysm event, faced delays and vague promises, leading to skepticism among players regarding the game's future updates and improvements.
What led to Bioware announcing a planned reboot for Anthem in February 2020?
Bioware announced a planned reboot for Anthem in February 2020 due to the game's performance issues, bugs, and lack of engaging content post-launch. The company acknowledged the need for significant improvements in the loot experience, progression, and end-game content to address player concerns and revitalize the game. The decision to reboot Anthem reflected Bioware's commitment to salvaging the project and delivering a more satisfying experience for players moving forward.
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Summary
00:00
Anthem: Bioware's Struggle to Meet Expectations
- Anthem, initially named "Dylan," was intended to be a timeless masterpiece akin to Bob Dylan's music but has failed to live up to expectations since its launch in 2018.
- Bioware, known for its RPGs like Mass Effect Andromeda, faced significant criticism and failure with Anthem, surpassing previous setbacks.
- The development of Anthem faced challenges early on, with key figures like Casey Hudson leaving, impacting the project's direction.
- Bioware's Edmonton studio, renowned for its RPGs, struggled with Anthem's development, facing setbacks and losing crucial team members.
- Project Dylan, later renamed Anthem, underwent significant changes and challenges, including a shift towards a Destiny-like co-operative online shooter.
- The game's development faced pressure from EA executives, leading to a rushed demo creation to impress stakeholders.
- Anthem's gameplay reveal at E3 2017 surprised even its developers, showcasing visually impressive features and a focus on co-operative play.
- The game was described as a shared-world action-RPG where players, as Freelancers, explore and confront dangers in a visually stunning open world.
- Anthem's unique gameplay hook involved customizable Javelin exosuits for players to fly, leap, and climb through the game's world.
- Bioware's decision to exclude romances, a staple in their previous games, hinted at a shift away from narrative focus in Anthem, raising concerns among fans.
12:02
Bioware's Anthem: Development, Challenges, and Reception
- Aaryn Flynn, known for his work on Mass Effect 1 and 2, left Bioware after 17 years following the failure of Mass Effect Andromeda.
- Casey Hudson rejoined Bioware as General Manager to address the company's challenges, including Anthem's struggles and the development of Dragon Age 4 and a new Mass Effect game.
- Bioware faced significant departures of key developers and creative talent, impacting projects like Anthem and Dragon Age.
- Anthem's development faced delays and challenges, with EA Motive focusing all efforts on the game.
- Drew Karpyshyn's departure from Anthem raised concerns, but Casey Hudson reassured that it wouldn't affect the project.
- Anthem's gameplay loop involved mission-based activities, strongholds, and freeplay exploration with friends.
- Anthem's Javelin exo suits were divided into four classes, each with unique abilities and playstyles.
- Anthem's demo weekends prior to launch faced technical issues, but Bioware assured fans that the game was stabilizing.
- Despite high expectations and a day one patch, Anthem's launch in February 2019 received poor reviews and criticism for its lack of content and repetitive gameplay.
- Reviews from Metacritic, IGN, PC Gamer, and GameSpot highlighted Anthem's flaws in story, loot, missions, endgame content, and technical aspects like loading times.
23:55
Anthem's Troubled Journey: From Launch to Reboot
- Anthem lacked a clear design philosophy or GDD set, blending RPG elements from Bioware with action-oriented gameplay in the Frostbite engine.
- The looter shooter aspect of Anthem was criticized for poor loot handling, with upgrades feeling insignificant and repetitive.
- RPG elements in Anthem were hindered by issues arising from its attachment to the looter shooter part, impacting narrative coherence in co-operative gameplay.
- Despite earning $100 million in digital revenue, Anthem faced performance issues, bugs, and a lack of engaging content post-launch.
- Bioware's roadmap for Anthem, including the Cataclysm event, faced delays and vague promises, leading to skepticism among players.
- The Cataclysm event, meant to revitalize Anthem, was perceived as a repetitive leaderboard mode lacking substantial innovation.
- Anthem's attempts to introduce new content through seasonal events and updates were criticized for reusing existing content, failing to address the game's content drought.
- Bioware announced a planned reboot for Anthem in February 2020, acknowledging the need for significant improvements in loot experience, progression, and end-game content.
