The first trailer for Anthem looked stunning. But perhaps a bit too good. Can this really all be true?
At E3, BioWare once again let the cat out of the bag and finally unveiled the mystery of “Project Dylan”. It is now called Anthem, set in a wild world where only the “Freelancers” leave the protection of the wall and venture into the wilderness.
However, the gameplay trailer makes me skeptical. Even though it was recorded in “real-time in-game”, I just don’t believe the trailer. No “pre-alpha footage” looks that incredibly bombastic.
Sure – the behavior of the “players” is completely scripted for the benefit of the trailer, but that is only logical and perfectly fine, so let’s set this aspect aside.
The world is too detailed. My last great “open world” experiences were with Witcher 3. Sure, that has aged as well, but when I see the detail richness of Anthem, with its dense jungle, hundreds (if not thousands) of smaller and larger creatures stomping, crawling, and roaming in herds through the world, I become skeptical.
Furthermore, there is the suggested “destructibility” of the world. One of the huge machines crashes down, taking several trees with it, which break off at different points and later actually lie in the landscape (thus also representing obstacles or providing cover) – that sounds unconvincing to me.
I consider such a technological leap unrealistic
There is a possibility that all the incidents are scripted and only part of this specific mission. Anthem is ambitious and wants to set new standards in many areas, which is generally a good attitude. But I find it completely unrealistic that the game can set the bar as high as it claims in the first trailer.
Finally, the “huge world that you can freely fly through” – sure, a cool feature that also looks bombastic with the shown material. However, reality will later be fast travel points. I can even imagine that, as in many other games, individual areas are instantiated and the “open world” isn’t as vast as it now seems. But that is just a guess.
The danger of disappointment is high after the trailer – But BioWare has a chance
I have bad memories of the first gameplay trailer for “The Division” or even “Watchdogs”. Sure, both have become good games – but comparing the first “in-game gameplay trailers” with the finished product shows that the quality and detail richness have plummeted.
Maybe Anthem is the big exception and will smash all my skepticism and concerns – but BioWare must first prove that.
I am definitely curious about what Anthem will become and convinced that I will play it – but I simply do not believe most aspects of the trailer. To me, this is too good to be true. But I am happy to give BioWare the opportunity to convince me.
But how do you see it? Do you think the finished version of Anthem will look as beautiful? Or is the trailer more smoke and mirrors than an actual product?
P.S.: Does anyone else find it strange that there is legendary loot for a mission where both players must use exactly one skill each?
Whether Anthem remains exclusive to Xbox One X, we reveal in this article.
