The premise of the game--you and a couple of friends grind through flora and fauna for better gear and loot--seems Destiny-like, which is to say pretty generic. Class-based, but instead of focusing on solid gunplay like Destiny, focusing on movement. Is anyone excited for this game? Why or why not?

The premise of the game--you and a couple of friends grind through flora and fauna for better gear and loot--seems Destiny-like, which is to say pretty generic. Class-based, but instead of focusing on solid gunplay like Destiny, focusing on movement. Is anyone excited for this game? Why or why not?

I'm honestly curious how it stacks up to the gameplay of Destiny. As you said it's very similar in style with more focus on movement and ability use/chaining abilities instead of gunplay. Definitely going to try it out. The thing that will make or break it for me is if it requires teammates to beat some content. With the focus on abilities and chaining them makes it sound like you will always need a buddy. I'm all for playing with people, but sometimes I Just want to run solo and shoot things.

The premise of the game--you and a couple of friends grind through flora and fauna for better gear and loot--seems Destiny-like, which is to say pretty generic. Class-based, but instead of focusing on solid gunplay like Destiny, focusing on movement. Is anyone excited for this game? Why or why not?

I'm honestly curious how it stacks up to the gameplay of Destiny. As you said it's very similar in style with more focus on movement and ability use/chaining abilities instead of gunplay. Definitely going to try it out. The thing that will make or break it for me is if it requires teammates to beat some content. With the focus on abilities and chaining them makes it sound like you will always need a buddy. I'm all for playing with people, but sometimes I Just want to run solo and shoot things.

After what happened to/within BioWare RE:Andromeda, I think this one bears waiting for reviews/reactions. Gameplay footage so far doesn't make me hopeful for snappy controls or tight combat like Destiny, which are going to be vital, even if the gunplay-in-a-canyon feel is mitigated by novel traversal mechanics.

I'd wager they'll make an attempt at solo-able content, but given how much Anthem seems to be cribbing from Destiny and Warframe (without much on the surface to differentiate it); I wouldn't expect to get through much of it without teammates in some form.

I'd rather EA get on with Titanfall 3 already.

From the footage I've seen so far, the gameplay looks boring. The battles seem to have more of an RPG tone, as in, you don't actually do the battle. You just tell your character what attacks to do and watch it happen...but with the occasional needing to refocus your aim. I might be off on that, but it's the impression I've gotten so far.

My daughter is super excited about it. I think part of that excitement stems from the fact that she really enjoyed ReCore, which seems to be a similar style of play. I think she’s hoping for a good story as well.

As for my own feelings? I’m guessing it’s too much RPG and not enough shooter for my tastes.

I'll definitely be waiting for reviews. I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for in Anthem quite yet. I don't need another Destiny in my life, but, on the other hand, if it's compelling enough, I could be convinced.

I think the gameplay looks really interesting. It's much more power focused than Destiny is. It looks like there's a lot more focus on build variety and fire team synergy. It also has the old Mass Effect system where certain powers "prime" an enemy and other powers can detonate primed enemies for bonus damage or effects, which I've always liked.

Flying around looks cool, and everyone that's actually played it says it feels great.

I'm really hoping for a good, classic Bioware story, but nothing I've seen in that regard seems all that great.

I'll be paying attention to it. I'm definitely interested, but I'm not convinced yet.

There is an open demo next weekend, by the way. VIP demo for folks that preordered or for people with EA Access is this weekend.

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bioware has made some great games do not get me wrong, but the gameplay has never come close to what bungie has done in the past. the art and world im really uninterested in so i rather not play anthem (just my 2 cents)

Like I need the help!

I have extremely poor impulse control when it comes to buying video games. If something looks even remotely neat and I want it, I don't even hesitate.

I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where that doesn't cause me any problems, but damn, I really should consider more carefully. I've spent entirely too much money on games that I don't play for very long.

I'm also pretty lax in my expectations. If I spend $60 on a game, and I enjoy it for 6 or 7 hours but never finish it, that's an okay deal for me. I like trying new games as much as I like sinking into The Witcher 3 for a seventh or eighth play through. (:

seems to be a similar style of play.

wut

seems to be a similar style of play.

wut

I’m going by the times I’ve watched her play ReCore and the recent Anthem gameplay videos. The similarity is a product of more than just the third-person perspective, but I can’t put my finger on it.

I thought you would like to know that I am--for the first time--playing Witcher 3. I got the GOTY edition on steam years ago but at the time my PC was not powerful enough to run it.

I am 52 hours in, level 15, and still in Velen. It is a sweet game. In a lot of ways it seems like everything that teenaged-late-90's me wanted out of an RPG. My Gwent deck is destroying everyone that sits in front of me.

Don't get me started, I'll talk your ear off about The Witcher 3.

I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really think it's one of the best video games ever made. I've never felt so much like I was in a "real" world. Not even Red Dead 2 matches it in that regard (although it's not far off).

Is anyone excited for this game?

Nah.

Why or why not?

seems Destiny-like

That's why.

Don't get me started, I'll talk your ear off about The Witcher 3.

I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really think it's one of the best video games ever made. I've never felt so much like I was in a "real" world. Not even Red Dead 2 matches it in that regard (although it's not far off).

So what are you thinking about Cyberpunk 2077? I read statements like the above from you, and I'm very encouraged.

The premise of the game--you and a couple of friends grind through flora and fauna for better gear and loot--seems Destiny-like, which is to say pretty generic. Class-based, but instead of focusing on solid gunplay like Destiny, focusing on movement. Is anyone excited for this game? Why or why not?

I'm honestly curious how it stacks up to the gameplay of Destiny. As you said it's very similar in style with more focus on movement and ability use/chaining abilities instead of gunplay. Definitely going to try it out. The thing that will make or break it for me is if it requires teammates to beat some content. With the focus on abilities and chaining them makes it sound like you will always need a buddy. I'm all for playing with people, but sometimes I Just want to run solo and shoot things.

I could have sworn I wrote you a reply earlier today. Must not have submitted it. You're right. From what I've heard the gunplay isn't as good (as expected--Bungie sets a high bar), but "supers" refresh very quickly and are kind of the focus. They've said matchmaking for everything so maybe playing alone is never an issue?

I will probably try it, although I doubt it will dethrone Destiny as my "lifestyle" game (which so many games are trying to be). Plus, I don't see it jumping ahead of RDR2 or God of War or fill-in-the-blank in my queue--might happen, but I doubt it.

So what are you thinking about Cyberpunk 2077? I read statements like the above from you, and I'm very encouraged.

It's hard to know. We haven't seen enough of it. But they did put out that like 40 minute walk through of an early mission that journalists saw at E3 last year, and it looks really great.

I always get a little anxious when developers start to talk about freedom of exploration and variety and options for tackling things different ways and consequences, etc, because it's so hard to pull off. And CDPR hasn't really done anything like that. The Witcher 3 was smart in that it had some really great choices that affected important things in the world, but they've never done anything as complex as what they seem to be claiming for Cyberpunk.

If they can actually do what they say (and I'm inclined to think they can), this might shape up to be the Deus Ex sequel Cody always wanted. They're touting multiple approaches for every mission in the game, with far-reaching consequences for how you choose to tackle things depending on who you work for, who you piss off, etc.

I'm definitely interested to see if they can pull it off.

Played a bit of the old builds, not a fan. Will definitely try out the more fleshed-out demo before setting my opinion in stone, though.

From the footage I've seen so far, the gameplay looks boring. The battles seem to have more of an RPG tone, as in, you don't actually do the battle. You just tell your character what attacks to do and watch it happen...but with the occasional needing to refocus your aim. I might be off on that, but it's the impression I've gotten so far.

From what I know, I don't think you're on the mark with that one. There's direct control of your character as you would typically expect.

seems to be a similar style of play.

wut

I’m going by the times I’ve watched her play ReCore and the recent Anthem gameplay videos. The similarity is a product of more than just the third-person perspective, but I can’t put my finger on it.

I kind of see what you're saying. ReCore is an interesting go at platforming; it uses a lot of vertical space. Anthem has you flying around instead, thus the use of vertical space will be even more important.

Nothing about it feels good, to be honest.

I'm glad I spent the $5 to get EA Access and try out the demo--now I know I can pass.

Maybe The Division 2 will be good.

I apparently promised a firent I would play Anthem with her a year ago when I had a ton of free time for video games. Now I'm reluctant to spend the money on it because I don't have the time, probably whether it's good or bad and she lost interest in Destiny very quickly — which was fine because I was always going to play D2 — if she similarly moves on from Anthem I might not be happy I bought it.

I tried to play the demo yesterday, but I needed to pre-order which was the opposite of what I was going for.

I was just saying I wish PS had the xbox game pass and that Anthem would be part of it. I forgot EA has one just for their stuff.

I signed up for EA Access to play the demo. The initial impression of the game isn't very good. I wonder how much of that is because movement is such a key component of this game and there aren't any tutorials that teach you how it works. And for those playing with a keyboard and mouse, it doesn't help that they haven't finalized tuning controls.

The story is a selling point of the game, but I don't think the demo really did it any justice. I thought the closed alpha teased the story better.

But the more time I've spent with the demo, the more the game has grown on me. The gun play isn't as good as Destiny (not much is), but I feel like it is superior to The Division (another game that's worth comparing.) I'm also getting a Diablo 3 feel from the difficulty levels, where you repeat content on higher levels to get better gear. I just hope they learned from Diablo 3 and have something like rifts and bounties to create an interesting end game loop and don't focus solely on pinnacle activities like raids. Both would be best, the later for multiplayer endgame and the former for solo or multiplayer endgame.

I'll probably get it. If all it ends up being is a fun romp through the story and some dabbling in the endgame it will worth my time. And honestly, I'm hoping it isn't a lifestyle game to the degree Destiny is. I can't make a game the focus of my life.

The Division is a really good comparison.

That and Anthem are much more RPGs than Destiny is, in that there seems to be a higher focus on the way skills and gear score affect how things feel. Enemies felt very spongy, and you are encouraged to use powers a lot more. Guns feels weak and sort of unresponsive, whereas with Destiny, even the worst, weakest guns fundamentally feel good.

They’re obviously very different, but I would actually say I like the way the Division feels more than Anthem. I’ve been playing that a decent amount recently, so some of that is probably down to the learning curve and feeling comfortable with controls. But still, I just don’t think Anthem feels all that great, and if this demo is any indication of its performance, I would definitely wait for a patch that addresses that. It was not running well on my One X.

I hope it’s good, I really do. I had decently high hopes for this game, especially after getting back into Mass Effect 3 multiplayer recently. As it stands, I’ll just keep playing that instead of getting Anthem.

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I don't mean to be the downer.

I thought if I gave it some more time, maybe I'd get used to it. Nope. This game just straight up feels bad to play and isn't fun.

I miss old BioWare. ):

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The shooting feels clunky but I had a blast figuring out the best way to pilot each javelin and how to combo abilities with teammates to be super effective. Abilities can either "prime" or "detonate" targets. You need both to pull off a combo and depending on your class and the elements you use in the combo you'll get different results. This is a game where you are definitely stronger as a team, opposed to 4 individuals doing their own thing. This may turn off some people.

This is not a game that is about gunplay (guns are the least efficient method to kill anything). Is
It's closer to an action game then a shooter. Abilities are short cooldown (even ultimates) and the emphasis seems to be on using them effectively with your mech's build.

I liked the game. Was much more team oriented than d2, and the lack of pvp means they'll be free to do some crazy things on the pve side. It's just important to go in with the expectation that it's not a shooter in the mold of bungie games (which is a welcome relief, to me).

It is interesting that Bungie seems to be trendsetting yet again, although this time for the worse.

Everybody copied Halo. Console FPS, recharging health, sandboxes, etc.

Now people have been trying to copy the 'shared world shooter'.

In my opinion, Bungie should be looking to set the next trend. Leave Destiny behind, and let the copies fight it out while they move forward. Hopefully they are. Because this time they have created a monster.

It is interesting that Bungie seems to be trendsetting yet again, although this time for the worse.

Can you expand on that statement? I'm not seeing it. I'm going to need direct examples because you can't just generalize such a broad game type.

It is interesting that Bungie seems to be trendsetting yet again, although this time for the worse.

Can you expand on that statement? I'm not seeing it. I'm going to need direct examples because you can't just generalize such a broad game type.

Let's put it this way: can you point to a "shared world shooter" that lacks a crippling investment system?

It is interesting that Bungie seems to be trendsetting yet again, although this time for the worse.

Can you expand on that statement? I'm not seeing it. I'm going to need direct examples because you can't just generalize such a broad game type.

Let's put it this way: can you point to a "shared world shooter" that lacks a crippling investment system?

Nope, can't think of one, but I have been playing Destiny for a while and haven't had a ton of time to play others.

It is interesting that Bungie seems to be trendsetting yet again, although this time for the worse.

Can you expand on that statement? I'm not seeing it. I'm going to need direct examples because you can't just generalize such a broad game type.

Let's put it this way: can you point to a "shared world shooter" that lacks a crippling investment system?

That's not fair to put that on Bungie, though. Games are changing, revenue streams are changing and everyone is trying to figure out what works.

Also, I don't accept your argument which is based on lack of evidence by the opposition :P

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Please define “crippling investment system”?

I spent most of my time with The Division in its first 6 months of existence and then came back to try out the new content as it dropped. But I have too many bad memories of bullet sponges and one shot kill shotgun rushers enemies. When they added the new Pier area I remember the game felt pretty good, but most of my friends had stopped playing it then.

Where I think Anthem can beat The Division is in mobility. I found it satisfying to jetpack around enemies and get into and out of trouble through flying. The Division didn't have that tactical depth during fights.

I think Anthem really needs to provide UI around powers. Too many people held on to their ultimates and I think in some games I didn't even see people use them. I noticed there's a icon for combo detonators, but not one for primers. Hopefully that will be cleaned up and we'll see all the javelins have better capabilities for self combos instead of just the storm.

Having to play the game to do stuff

The shooting feels clunky but I had a blast figuring out the best way to pilot each javelin and how to combo abilities with teammates to be super effective. Abilities can either "prime" or "detonate" targets. You need both to pull off a combo and depending on your class and the elements you use in the combo you'll get different results. This is a game where you are definitely stronger as a team, opposed to 4 individuals doing their own thing. This may turn off some people.

This is essentially Mass Effect 3's system, and one of the best things about the co-op. Figuring out how to synergize your abilities with your team is essential for higher-level play, so while it's a neat CC gimmick at lower levels, doing your own thing when things get rough can cost you, and hopefully will come into play when you approach the as-yet-unannounced endgame experience.

This is not a game that is about gunplay (guns are the least efficient method to kill anything). Is
It's closer to an action game then a shooter. Abilities are short cooldown (even ultimates) and the emphasis seems to be on using them effectively with your mech's build.

Yeah, Bioware seems to lean more on mobility and abilities in their games, while the gunplay is historically just serviceable (though they are capable of crafting some really fun guns).
The gunplay has looked lame and weak since the first gameplay video, and nothing seems to have improved over Andromeda. That said, maybe their Legendary or Exotic guns will behave in more interesting ways. In ME3, some of the N7-tier weapons are really fun on their own.

I liked the game. Was much more team oriented than d2, and the lack of pvp means they'll be free to do some crazy things on the pve side. It's just important to go in with the expectation that it's not a shooter in the mold of bungie games (which is a welcome relief, to me).

Yeah, I see a lot of Division-meets-Warframe comparisons online post-demo. Destiny comparisons are pretty much gone now.

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Nothing about it feels good, to be honest.

I'm glad I spent the $5 to get EA Access and try out the demo--now I know I can pass.

Maybe The Division 2 will be good.

I tried it for a couple of hours, and boy is it not a good time. The Novelty of taking off at any time wears off quickly once you start to Overheat constantly, and what's worse? In a game ostensibly about mobility and flight, you are grounded and locked into small enclosed areas thanks to a persistent "Return to battlefield" prompt, and a blinding smoke effect if you fly just slightly too high.

So now you're stuck in close proximity to enemies, but your melee has a cooldown(!). So you pull back to a map corner, and peek from cover to kill the enemies standing uselessly while their AI reboots, only to be knocked off the edge by an enemy AoE attack. Return to battlefield! So you make it back, only to be killed by enemy splash damage... And there you sit, watching the "Respawning" meter for minutes on end while your teammates peek from cover at the bullet sponge that downed you. And there's more waves spawning.

Fun.

Also, the thing that kills the game for me is that it is a 60+fps game trapped in a <30fps body. How do they fix the speed and lack of optimization? The motionest motion blur to ever mote. It's unacceptable. And here's the thing, in games like Red Dead 2, or Spider-Man, you eventually adapt to the blur, and it becomes imperceptible. Here, firing your gun? Motion blur. Turning around? Motion blur. That Heavy Javelin across the room from you fire his 100 round Nuke launcher? Motion blur and screen shake!
Are you casually walking in the town? You guessed it!

And the bugs and crashes and god-awful writing and dialogue...

Anyway, this moment was just the cherry on top of my time with the game:

Yep, you nailed it. I wasn't lying when I said "It's shit." It's actually shit. It's a poorly designed mess, as far as I can tell.

And holy jeez, that motion blur. I am not one that's usually a stickler for framerate. I think Destiny feels totally great at 30fps. I'm totally fine with Bloodborne and Dark Souls at 30fps.

But this game feels like dogshit. The motion blur is worse than that nonsense that was in Halo Reach, and far more aggressive. But god help you if you turn it off. Then it's just a constant barrage of chop and screen tearing. It's just awful. And that's on a One X.

Yep, you nailed it. I wasn't lying when I said "It's shit." It's actually shit. It's a poorly designed mess, as far as I can tell.

And holy jeez, that motion blur. I am not one that's usually a stickler for framerate. I think Destiny feels totally great at 30fps. I'm totally fine with Bloodborne and Dark Souls at 30fps.

But this game feels like dogshit. The motion blur is worse than that nonsense that was in Halo Reach, and far more aggressive. But god help you if you turn it off. Then it's just a constant barrage of chop and screen tearing. It's just awful. And that's on a One X.

It's much better on PC (where I can disable motion blur) but it's still not exactly fun. Abilities are kind of meh, and flight controls are not great when you have to steer with the mouse. I was glad to see that I could run missions solo by setting my group to private, but that became a lot less fun on the second mission where there's a boss fight with infinitely respawning enemies and very little cover. If I hadn't convinced a friend to download it to try it out with me before I tried it out myself, I probably would have already uninstalled it.

-Disciple

Overall I've had a good time. It's clearly an older build (perhaps Beta would have been a better term to use than Demo).

I played almost exclusively with friends (communication really helps with combos and such).

The flying mechanics are great! Each Javelin feels unique in flight/movement/combat.

There are a ton of modification areas for the final game that are locked in the Demo, things like extra armor, or slower overheating for flying longer, pretty much everyone is going to truly have a unique loadout.

Only being able to take out two weapons into each mission/free roam feels weird in an age of Destiny. I got use it but I would like to be able to switch if I'm 30 minutes into a Stronghold and realize my loadout is bad.

The UI/map/mission selector feels weaker than Destiny's Director. Just clucky or not as intuitive.

I'm ultimately still excited to see what BioWare is doing with Anthem. If anyone else gets it and wants to play, hit me up!

The end made me laugh.

I tried the demo, but it just didn’t hook me. I only have room in my life for 1 lifestyle game so I’ll pass on this one.

I tried the demo, but it just didn’t hook me. I only have room in my life for 1 lifestyle game so I’ll pass on this one.

Completely agree. The UI sux. (D2's current UI is worse than D1, but Candland set such a high bar they've got a long way to fall). I couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Facial animation was pretty great. I felt like I didn't know anything about what the story was supposed to be about. I think Bungie made a great choice grounding their game in our solar system. i found the voice over irritating. Just didn't like it.