Anthem (PS4)

Release Date: 22 February 2019

Anthem combines third-person shooter and action role-playing game elements in a “contiguous open world” shared with up to three other players in which they take the role of a Freelancer donning fully customizable exosuits called Javelins.[1] These suits can be customized to have various unique weapons and superhuman abilities.[2] Two classes of Javelins were shown during Anthem’s presentation at Microsoft’s E3 2017 Conference: the Ranger, which is an all-around and balanced Javelin, and the Colossus, which is a larger and more heavily armored Javelin made to fill in more of a tanking role.[3] Other Javelins include the Storm, which uses powerful technology to unleash the “rage of the hymn” while floating effortlessly in the air, and the Interceptor, which is focused on close-quarter combat and can move quickly into and out of combat.[4]

Players can build relationships with various non-playable characters, but they cannot establish romantic relationships with them, as was a trademark of previous BioWare games.[5] The central meeting point of the game takes place in Fort Tarsis, the central stronghold of Anthem. Built by the eponymous General Helena Tarsis, it serves as a fortified settlement against the threats of the outside world and is also the point where the player goes to receive new missions and freelance assignments. It is a melting pot where all the different factions of the game meet, including the Sentinels, Corvus, Cyphers, and Arcanists.[4]

The game features both single-player and co-operative multiplayer elements in a “shared world” that can have up to four squad members per team. Teams can fight savage beasts and ruthless marauders while exploring lost ruins and experiencing massive, world-altering terrain occurrences, such as “Shaper Storms”.[1]