Here you will find everything about the release, early access, gameplay, Javelin classes, pre-ordering, and multiplayer of Anthem. First impressions from the demo are also available.
Anthem is an action RPG that is often compared to Destiny, Warframe, or Division. However, we see Anthem as a mix of genres: a loot shooter with roots in (MMO)-RPG.
The most important information at a glance:
- Release:
- February 15, 2019, in early access (PC, Xbox One)
- February 22, 2019 (PS4, PC, Xbox One) as the regular launch
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, and PC
- Developer: BioWare
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Age Rating: 16 years according to USK
Anthem: Release, preload, time, and size
When can I play Anthem? Anthem has an early access start and a regular release. Whether you have access to early access depends on your platform and how you access Anthem:
Early Access Release
February 15, 4:00 PM
- Players with Origin Access Premier on PC
February 15, 4:00 PM – with 10-hour limit
- Players with Origin Access on PC
- Players with EA Access on Xbox One
Preloading Early Access
- Download Start: Starting February 13, 2019, at 7:00 PM, you can start the download of Anthem.
Regular Release
February 22, 12:00 AM
- Pre-orderers of the standard edition on PC, Xbox One, and PS4
- Pre-orderers of Legion of Dawn on PC, Xbox One, and PS4
All Release Eligibility: Yes, it is a bit confusing. Therefore, you can find the different release dates again in a practical table:
| Early Access Full Version February 15 | Early Access for 10 hours February 15 | Launch February 22 | |
| Standard Pre-order (PC, PS4, Xbox One) | No | No | Yes |
| Legion of Dawn Pre-order (PC, PS4, Xbox One) | No | No | Yes |
| EA Access (Xbox One) | No | Yes | No |
| Origin Access Basic (PC) | No | Yes | No |
| Origin Access Premier (PC) | Yes | No | Yes |
Download Size
How large is Anthem? About 51 GB.
Do I need to reinstall Anthem after the demo? Yes. The demo of Anthem was a special build. The progress from the demo will not be carried over to the release version. You can delete the demo version to free up space on your hard drive.
System Requirements for PC
The PC system requirements for Anthem are already higher for PC. It may well be that you need to upgrade your PC again to play Anthem with nice graphics.
Minimum Requirements:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 or AMD FX-6350
- RAM: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon 7970 / R9 280X
- Graphics Card Memory: at least 2 GB VRAM
- Direct-X: Dx11
- Operating System: Windows 10 (64 Bit)
- Hard Drive: at least 50 GB of free space
Recommended System Requirements:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 (@ 3.6GHz) or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (@ 3.5 GHz)
- RAM: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480
- Graphics Card Memory: at least 2 GB VRAM
- Direct-X: Dx11
- Operating System: Windows 10 (64 Bit)
- Hard Drive: at least 50 GB of free space
Technical Aspects for PS4 and Xbox
No 60 FPS, regardless of which console: Neither on the standard versions nor on the stronger PS4 Pro or Xbox One X will 60 FPS be achieved. The consoles reach 30 FPS.
Transfer saves to the new console generation: On PS4 and Xbox One, saves should be transferable to the next generation consoles.
Someone who currently plays Anthem on the PS4 could then transfer their progress to the PlayStation 5.
BioWare has designed Anthem for many more years of development and seems to be planning ahead.
Pre-order Anthem: Price, Editions, Bonuses
What editions are there?
- Standard Edition: 59.99 euros (PC), 69.99 euros (PS4, Xbox One)
- Legion of Dawn Edition: 89.99 euros (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
What bonuses does the Legion of Dawn Edition have?
- a armor pack
- a legendary weapon
- a Javelin equipment expansion
- the digital soundtrack
How to redeem and equip your bonus content is explained here.
The trailer for the Legion of Dawn Edition reveals some details about the story behind the Legion. Here you can also see what the exclusive skin looks like.
The exclusive “Legion of Dawn” skin
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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![Anthem - Standard Edition - [PlayStation 4]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51X6WKJdeoL._SL160_.jpg)
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![Anthem - Standard Edition - [Xbox One]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51S9TrA1zfL._SL160_.jpg)
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What is Anthem about?
What is the background story? In the beginning, there were the gods, known as Shapers. They controlled the “power of the Anthem” with special tools. With this, the Shapers created the world of Anthem.
In English, Anthem means “Anthem”, hence the name of the game.
Before the Shapers completed their work, however, they disappeared. Only their tools of creation remained. The world is still unfinished.
The conflict in Anthem: No one can tame the Anthem without the tools of the Shapers. Those who sought to harness the power of the Anthem were corrupted by world-changing cataclysms.
The emergence of the Javelin: The world was then dominated by chaos, and people sought a way to survive. Their ancestors created the Javelin exosuits. These are handcrafted armors that give their wearers superhuman powers. The Javelin were to tame the chaos and bring peace to humanity.
Who you play in Anthem: You play as a Javelin pilot, referred to only as Freelancer. You have the ability to operate the exosuits and harness their power.
Where you live in Anthem: You live in the city of Fort Tarsis and protect its inhabitants from the dangers lurking outside the walls. Your task is to protect people from the chaos outside the wall.
In the video below, you can see more of the struggle for survival of the people in Fort Tarsis.
Deep RPG story despite multiplayer?
BioWare stands for deep storytelling: The studio has made a name for itself with well-thought-out and engaging single-player role-playing games. The story is central to the series about Mass Effect.
Some fans of the studio are concerned that Anthem, as a multiplayer game, will not have a deep story.
Anthem follows a principle that the developers call “Our world, your story”. This aims to create a balance between multiplayer and story.
You will experience the main story in single-player: The city of Fort Tarsis serves as a base for players and is a solo experience. The main action takes place here. Only your own decisions and actions influence this place. There are dialogues where you can choose between two responses. Your character is fully voiced.
The world of Anthem will be a world that you share with other players, but the base belongs to each player alone. Here, Anthem becomes a single-player experience. This is how BioWare aims to ensure that Anthem can tell a strong story.
No BioWare-style romance: In Anthem there will be deep relationships between characters, but these will remain purely platonic.
How extensive will the story be? BioWare is keeping it secret. They do not want to commit to a playtime. According to the developers, it depends on the player themselves. After all, there are side missions that everyone can complete at their own pace.
BioWare intends to expand the story like a good Netflix series. New characters may be added or well-known NPCs may die. The environment can change due to the power of the Anthem.
You also follow a multiplayer story: Missions and co-op experiences take place in the open world. Everything that changes in the open world also affects all players equally. If, for example, a mountain in the open world is destroyed, it applies to everyone.
The multiplayer part of the story is event-driven: Regularly, major events are meant to shake the world of Anthem, impacting each player.
A taste of this was given in the open demo of Anthem, in which suddenly a giant titan made the open world unsafe.
Why the developers are glad that fans show more interest in gameplay than in the story in Anthem.
Gameplay and Features of Anthem
Anthem builds on superhero fantasy: The Javelins can all fly, and they have superhuman powers. According to BioWare, the framework of Anthem is based on superhero fantasy, with flying playing a particularly important role. This creates vertical gameplay that the entire map of Anthem is designed around.
Anthem comes without PvP, co-op is in focus: The developers at BioWare emphasize that Anthem gives you more in multiplayer than alone. There will be no PvP mode at the launch of Anthem. Anthem is meant to be a pure PvE experience. A large part of the community does not want any PvP either.
Social Features
What are social features? We understand them in multiplayer games as components that specifically support playing together. This can include features that make it easier for you to find friends.
Matchmaking for all content in Anthem: The map will be part of matchmaking. Players can see what other players are doing. The group search is enabled for all activities. Anyone wanting to play alone must manually turn off matchmaking first.
There will be a social hub: After a mission, you can head to the “Launch Bay”. This will be the multiplayer hub where you can see your teammates. Here you can:
- simply hang out and chill
- use the forge to manage your Javelins and loadout
- take on new quests in the form of Contracts
- interact with a total of 16 players
Form alliances with friends: Alliances are a shared reward system. If you and your friends from your friends list play an expedition, meaning missions, Contracts, Freeplay, and Strongholds, you will receive alliance XP at the end.
These are not only your own earned points. The points of other players count as well. You even receive rewards when you’re not playing. This can be in the form of coins, the in-game currency.
There will not be guilds at launch, but they are planned: More information about guilds is not yet available.
These are the classes from Anthem: The Javelins
The Javelins are overpowered exosuits that you fight against monsters and factions with. They each have individual skills and ultimate attacks. You operate the Javelin and develop them continuously to defeat stronger opponents.
There will be four classes at launch:
- The Ranger will be the all-rounder, particularly versatile.
- The Colossus will be a walking turret equipped with cannons and flamethrowers. He can also fill the role of the tank.
- The Storm will be a mage class utilizing elemental attacks like fire and ice. He can hover longer than the other classes.
- The Interceptor is designed for close combat and fulfills the role of the assassin. His strength lies in taking down individual targets.
Will there be more Javelins after launch? The developers confirmed that more Javelins will be added after the release. Further details are not yet available.
No female Javelins: BioWare decided against female forms of the Javelins. The exosuits are tools that do not need to be specifically tailored to gender, it was stated.
Customization of the Javelin in Gameplay
Extensive customization: Your Javelins can be enhanced and customized with many different equipment components. The loot system resembles Diablo more than Destiny. There are again the classic colors that determine the rarity of equipment. This ranges from common to legendary equipment.
These parts can be modified on the Javelin:
- Components
- Support Gear
- Weapons
- Additionally, there are two slots depending on the Javelin
For example, the Colossus has a heavy rocket launcher, while the Ranger is equipped with a light launcher and grenades.
Are there armor sets? Anthem initially comes without armor sets. However, there should be more than enough legendary weapons available.
Parallels to Destiny and Division: As in the two mentioned online shooters, Anthem also has a score that shows the level of your equipment. This value is referred to as Gear Score.
Unwanted equipment can be dismantled, and generally, the inventory should have enough space for the multitude of loot found in Anthem.
Customizations of the Javelin for Cosmetics
Optical customization options: In Anthem, there will be a variety of cosmetic items. Your Javelin can be customized down to the smallest detail. You can determine how worn the suit looks or what material it should be made of. There are also entire skins called vinyl. Players can even create custom colors for Javelins.
These parts can be individually modified:
- Helmet
- Arms
- Chest
- Legs
- Color
- Logos
- State of the Javelin (e.g. old, dirty, new, clean)
You can see the color adjustments in this short video by RoryPlays:
Microtransactions: The payment elements
Optical adjustments can be purchased: There will be cosmetic items known as “vanity items.” These can be special skins or armor pieces. You will be able to buy these directly with the premium currency “shards.” However, there will be no loot boxes.
Everything cosmetic can be earned: Paying for optical adjustments is optional. Because cosmetic items can also be earned. With in-game currency “coin,” you will be able to earn and pay for all items. How long it takes to unlock each skin and adjustment is still difficult to estimate.
Only cosmetics can be purchased: There will be no way to pay to become more powerful. BioWare claims that Anthem comes without pay-to-win elements. This means there are no purchasable items that alter the stats of characters and Javelins.
The Endgame of Anthem
When does the endgame start? BioWare defines the endgame from level 30 for the pilot. From there, everything revolves around upgrading and improving your personal Javelin exosuit. It can be modified with weapons, components, and skills. You will face tougher opponents, for which you will need stronger items.
These endgame contents are available
Legendary Contracts: These are randomly generated, dynamic quests. You receive the contracts as missions from factions, and this can occur fairly early in the game. The legendary contracts are particularly challenging and designed for the endgame.
Anthem has 6 difficulty levels: The difficulty is to be set by you before you leave Fort Tarsis. The higher the difficulty, the more likely you are to receive rare loot. Enemies will have more health points and deal more damage.
The difficulty levels are:
- Easy
- Normal
- Hard
- Grandmaster 1
- Grandmaster 2
- Grandmaster 3
Grandmaster levels will be unlocked from level 30. You can think of these as the qualification levels in Diablo.
Strongholds: Strongholds are like dungeons or smaller raids from other games. These missions are somewhat longer and designed for group play. In a stronghold, you have to navigate through and solve various sections. At the end, there is a boss. Strongholds should be particularly challenging and yield the best loot.
Daily, weekly, and monthly trials: Challenges are milestones with a limited time window. These challenges must be completed within a certain timeframe. If you complete the trials within the given timeframe, you will receive additional rewards.
Cataclysms and Shaper Storms: These are major events in the world of Anthem. We already know that these global events can last several weeks and are accessible to all players simultaneously. BioWare describes these events as seasonal and they can change large parts of the game. A small preview of the endgame events was already given in the demo when a giant titan made the area unsafe.
Long-term motivation: What is planned for the future of the endgame?
This is still to come: BioWare relies on an event system in Anthem. Through the large Cataclysms and Shaper Storms, the world is meant to continuously change and offer something new. Players should feel like they are following a larger story, like in a good Netflix series. This should avoid large content gaps.
Whether this will truly maintain long-term motivation is difficult to judge at this time. Anthem first needs to be out for a few weeks to months.
More information about the endgame: We have a detailed special that highlights every endgame activity:
Initial conclusions and reviews from the Anthem demo
What many players like: In the demo, especially the gameplay of the Javelins was well received. The vertical gameplay involving flying is felt as a refreshing change. The game world is often praised as it is full of mysteries and looks appealing. Already after the demo, there were first fan favorites: the Klauninchen.
It is often noted that all Javelin exosuits feel and play completely differently. Our author Sven conveys this gameplay feeling in his opinion:
What many players do not like: In the demo, it quickly became apparent that Anthem still has significant technical flaws. There were some bugs, and the load times were unusually long for a game from 2019. However, BioWare promises that many of the problems from the demo will be fixed by launch. Gameplay-wise, some players on PC feel the controls while flying and diving are awkward.
Moreover, there has often been criticism that the AI in Anthem is too dim-witted and behaves more like bullet sponges.
Comprehensive conclusion of the demo: In the article below, you can read again in detail what went well and what went poorly in the demo. You will also find some player voices sharing their experiences:
Technical issues are to be expected at launch: It may take a while for BioWare to truly eliminate all technical flaws. Anyone wanting to play Anthem right from the start should prepare for that.
Who will enjoy Anthem
Anthem might appeal to you if:
- you enjoy loot shooters like Warframe, Destiny 2, or The Division 2. Anthem is indeed in a similar vein.
- However, it should be noted that at its core, Anthem is an action RPG. The abilities of the Javelin play an important role and create more of a synergy with the weapons. The gunplay is not the focus of Anthem.
- In terms of loot systems, parallels can be drawn between Anthem and Diablo.
- Anthem is also designed to offer a strong co-op experience and is best played in a group. For solo players, Anthem may not be suitable.
Anthem might NOT appeal to you if:
- you want to compete against others. There will be no PvP in Anthem. A player-versus-player mode is currently not planned. BioWare wants to wait to see how significant the demand is from players, so the developers do not rule it out entirely. However, you should not expect this. If you particularly enjoyed the PvP in Destiny, you might miss it in Anthem.
- If you want to go solo in Anthem, you will face challenges in the endgame. Many contents are designed for groups to combat the strong opponents. However, the story can be played solo and will also be continuously expanded.
- If you expect a pure loot shooter in Anthem, you might want to rethink. Anthem has more RPG elements.
Anthem vs. The Division 2: Which game is worthwhile for whom? The Division 2 releases on March 15, which is close to the launch of Anthem. Some players are torn between these two titles as they are both shared-world shooters in a similar vein. Therefore, we have written a comparison of the games.
Find here the comparison between The Division 2 and Anthem and find out which title suits you better.
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