Ever since I saw the trailer for it, I was wary and skeptical about Bioware’s new game “Anthem.” To me it looked like Destiny-with-jet-packs and not much else, with only the gimmick and allure of said jet-packs as a major selling point. But after playing several hours of the public demo, I feel as though Anthem could become something very special if it sells well when it releases on February 22nd.

  There isn’t much to say of the plot, since the demo didn’t divulge much of Anthem’s overarching storyline, but what I did see indicated a unique science-fantasy world and story with some interesting elements. Bioware also seemed to pay great attention to this world’s environmental design. The hub area of the game, Fort Tarsis, has a heavily Middle Eastern style of architecture, which I’m not sure I’ve seen done in a sci-fi setting, but I would certainly like to see more of. Not to mention the wilds that surround this last bastion of humanity. Bioware didn’t miss out on the potential of the flying mechanics, incorporating plenty of verticality in the world in the form of sheer cliffs and thundering waterfalls, crumbling ruins and forgotten cities, meaning that the jetpack becomes essential in certain situations. The same thoughtfulness doesn’t seem to have gone into the enemies.

  Some, like the Ash Titans and Frost Wolves, have really cool designs. But there are many enemies that feel like Bioware decided on whatever was the first and most generic idea for their design. Human outlaws look like those Rebels from the beginning of A New Hope with those weird helmets, and all the bug enemies are painfully generic. The race of enemies known as the Scars seem to be a copy paste of “the Fallen” from Destiny, sharing the same kind of aesthetic and characteristics; love building machines, rust on everything, vaguely insectoid, etc. But the way you combat the enemies is a whole different story.

  As a player, you use a kind of exosuit called a Javelin, and these things can be stupidly fun. I loved playing as an Interceptor, nimbly jumping and dashing around the arena, throwing plasma shurikens into the faces of those who opposed me. Let me repeat that. Plasma. Shurikens. It’s that kind of fun that permeates the combat of Anthem. There’s no cover based shooting or enemies that will rip you apart instantly; it’s just you and a group of friends bashing, dashing, shooting, and looting your way through enemies.  

  If Bioware can improve on Anthem throughout the future as they say they are going to, with free DLC and public events, then I think that this game could end up being a big presence in the gaming industry for years to come.