Close Menu
GamesHorizonGamesHorizon
  • News
  • Guides
  • Features
  • Games
  • GH Picks
  • Anime
  • Movies & TV

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get the latest gaming news, guides and reviews from GamesHorizon to your INBOX!

WHAT'S HOT
jeff minter in llamasoft the jeff minter story

Digital Eclipse Announces Interactive Documentary Based On Jeff Minter’s Life

December 7, 2023
Xbox Series X and Series S placed together on a table.

Series X|S Sales Have Surpassed The Original Xbox In UK

December 6, 2023
coral island merfolk kingdom

Find A Way To Open The Gate Coral Island

December 6, 2023
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • PC
  • PS5
  • PS4
  • Xbox Series S|X
  • Xbox One
  • Nintendo
GamesHorizonGamesHorizon
  • News
    jeff minter in llamasoft the jeff minter story

    Digital Eclipse Announces Interactive Documentary Based On Jeff Minter’s Life

    December 7, 2023
    Xbox Series X and Series S placed together on a table.

    Series X|S Sales Have Surpassed The Original Xbox In UK

    December 6, 2023
    Skyrim Special Edition Has Creations Now Instead Of Creation Club; SKSE Broken

    Skyrim Special Edition Update Replaces Creation Club With Creations & Breaks SKSE

    December 5, 2023
    starfield adoring fan

    Starfield’s Lead Designer Reacts To Player Count: “Not All 12 Million Players Are Fans”

    December 5, 2023
    Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Disc Edition Cannot Be Installed Without Internet - - News | anthem,bioware,ea | GamesHorizon

    Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Disc Edition Cannot Be Installed Without Internet

    December 5, 2023
  • Guides
    coral island merfolk kingdom

    Find A Way To Open The Gate Coral Island

    December 6, 2023
    coral island recycling machine

    Coral Island Recycling Machine: How To Unlock & Use

    December 6, 2023
    A commander looking down over his troops in Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

    Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Collector’s Edition vs Ultimate Digital Pack

    December 6, 2023
    A woman from Reverse 1999 laying down on a table looking at screen.

    How to Rewatch the Story in Reverse 1999

    December 6, 2023
    Jonesy and another character in Fortnite looking at weapons on a wall.

    How Do Weapon Mods Work in Fortnite?

    December 6, 2023
  • Features
    Complete List Of Voice Actors In Reverse 1999

    Complete List Of Voice Actors In Reverse 1999

    November 25, 2023
    New Starfield Update Lets Players Munch On Food On The Fly

    Starfield Update Lets Players Eat Food On The Fly, But What’s The Point?

    November 21, 2023
    inZOI

    Everything We Know So Far About InZOI

    November 17, 2023
    Coral Island Roadmap 2024

    The Complete Coral Island Roadmap For 2024

    November 17, 2023
    Nintendo Indie World 2023 Roundup: All Titles Showcased

    Nintendo Indie World 2023 Roundup: All Titles Showcased

    November 15, 2023
  • Games
    the day before release date

    The Day Before

    December 1, 2023
    The image shows the logo for the video game SteamWorld Build, with the text "Coming 2023 to PC & Consoles." There is a western town on top of the image and a mineshaft on the bottom.

    SteamWorld Build

    December 1, 2023
    coral island fossils

    Coral Island

    December 1, 2023
    cyberpunk 2077 featured image

    Cyberpunk 2077

    November 23, 2023
    All Genshin Impact 4.2 Livestream Codes & Rewards (November 2023)

    Genshin Impact

    November 23, 2023
  • GH Picks
    nintendo play station

    Nintendo vs. PlayStation: Betrayal, Rivalry, and Console War

    October 2, 2023
    Lies of P Bloodborne PC

    How Lies of P Fills the Vacuum of Bloodborne on PC

    September 29, 2023
    lies of p sophia voice actor allegra marland

    Lies of P Voice Actor Allegra Marland Recounts Playing Sophia [EXCLUSIVE]

    September 23, 2023
    Arcade Sundown. The image features the title image of the game featuring the main characters, the demigod controlling the arcade and pinball Bob, the ball you control to play the levels.

    Arcade Sundown Encourages Trash Talk & Yelling, Says Creative Director Joakim Hanner

    September 17, 2023
    Baldur's Gate 3. The image features the Key art of Baldur's Gate 3. On the left is all the NPCs that can become a part of your party. On the right is the logo of the game

    Baldur’s Gate 3: The TTRPG Transformation Journey

    September 10, 2023
  • Anime
    Coby from One Piece as a Marine officer getting ready (Image via TOEI Animation)

    What Is Coby’s Role In One Piece?

    October 18, 2023
    Yamato in One Piece

    Is Yamato A Guy Or A Girl In One Piece?

    October 7, 2023
    Duval in One Piece, all bandaged up after his heroic actions to save the Straw Hats

    Who Is Duval In One Piece? Exploring His Complete Story

    October 4, 2023
    Kaido from One Piece anime (Image via TOEI Animation)

    One Piece Episode 1077: What to Expect & Where to Watch

    September 17, 2023
    The protagonist of Blue Lock anime, manga (Image via GamesHorizon)

    Is Blue Lock Manga Finished?

    September 17, 2023
  • Movies & TV
    Transformers

    How many Transformers movies are there? Chronological order explained

    June 17, 2023
    Ezra Miller in The Flash

    The Flash review roundup (2023): Is DCEU dying?

    June 14, 2023
    The Flash, Elemental, Extraction 2/Tyler Rake/Chris Hemsworth, The Walking Dead/The Walking Dead: Dead City/Maggie

    Movies & TV shows releasing this week (Jun 12-18)

    June 13, 2023
    Manifest, Flamin' Hot

    What to watch this weekend (June 10-11)?

    June 8, 2023
    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts review roundup – Generic all the way

    June 8, 2023
GamesHorizonGamesHorizon
Home»GH Picks
Anthem: Failed and Forgotten - - News | anthem,bioware,ea | GamesHorizon

Anthem: Failed and Forgotten

Tanay SharmaBy Tanay SharmaUpdated:August 12, 20237 Mins Read GH Picks
SHARE
Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp Telegram Tumblr

Back in 2012, BioWare started working on a dream that would initially captivate millions in the gaming industry – a promise of an open-world game that would rise and thrive in the market. Makers of the game claimed, at the time, that ‘this to-be mammoth would give the players the ultimate Iron Man fantasy’. Promises were thrown around like pennies – fly around in your own mech, meet other players in the world, go on life-altering quests, and unravel a gorgeous open world.

When the game launched, the only thing players unraveled was their newfound fear of pre-ordering half-baked experiences that never lived up to their name. This is the story of Anthem, the synergized failure of BioWare and EA.

Exo-suits and dreams that didn’t take off

Anthem: Failed and Forgotten - - News | anthem,bioware,ea | GamesHorizon

BioWare is better known for Mass Effect, the sci-fi epic that changed how modern games told a story. The company made a name for itself by creating elaborate, narrative-focused RPGs that bring its artistic ideas to life. Anthem, however, was a decision that deeply damaged BioWare’s legacy.

The game got off to a rocky start, with a variety of problems, some of which were fixed while others were abandoned. Anthem fell short due to connectivity issues, glitches, inconsistent loot, and structural issues. Although some of these issues were resolved with post-launch updates, the game’s poor support service ultimately killed it. 

Too often, the biggest failure of live-service titles is the lack of attention they receive, as ironic as that may sound. These games ask for their developers to constantly nourish the game world with new content, patches, and quality-of-life updates.

The post-launch roadmap for Anthem was often derailed by features that were either abandoned or delayed and released far too slowly. A looter-shooter that lacks an engaging, replayable endgame is a sure-shot way to an early grave. In contrast, this is what games like Destiny 2 get right. Anthem’s development was a lesson EA and BioWare had to learn the hard way, but it didn’t have to be like that.

Some of the problems can be broken down into:

Wrong timing

While Destiny and Anthem were popular choices for those who wanted live service shooters, BioWare’s core fans – who were still upset over “Mass Effect: Andromeda” in 2017 – wanted the developer to go back on track and deliver the much anticipated Dragon Age: Inquisition sequel. Anthem had a famously complicated production process, and only EA and a small group of BioWare developers were fully invested in it. The resignation of lead developer Casey Hudson, whose direction was essential to Mass Effect’’s success, was one of the game’s major problems. Then there was EA’s demand that BioWare keep using the cumbersome Frostbite engine, which had already given rise to several technical difficulties during the creation of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Not only did Anthem struggle with a live-service model, it also didn’t set solid expectations with its player base. It never clearly knows where to put its focus and what to deliver.

Misplaced focus 

The planned update roadmap for BioWare had to be scrapped. People who already owned the game weren’t returning to it, and neither were new gamers. But BioWare was compelled to concentrate on Anthem’s significant technical challenges rather than turning its attention to updating the content. It took BioWare almost six months after the game’s release to even attempt to make the necessary repairs because the game was still in need of finishing touches. It was obvious that BioWare sought to emulate Hello Games’ success with No Man’s Sky with Anthem.

Dealing with abandonment

The game was unable to locate a player base. People didn’t want to buy or play the game at all, let alone spend money on the numerous microtransactions that EA relies on and which are the whole reason the business has been promoting live service. Simply put, EA and BioWare were unable to identify a core player base for Anthem that would support the prolonged expense of development. What, then, could Anthem have done differently? What can other game designers learn from this? Perhaps Anthem wouldn’t be in this situation right now if it had opted for a freemium business model sooner. It desperately wanted to be Destiny, and BioWare should have developed the game like Bungie did – expand as a free-to-play game.

Vast but shallow gameplay

Other than its management, bugs and planning, Anthem had another major issue that couldn’t be solved easily – how vast it wanted to be considering how empty the game world truly was. All of the things they BioWare promised you could do weren’t included, despite their assurances.

At the time, it looked like Anthem hadn’t delivered when compared to games like Destiny, Fortnite, and World of Warcraft, which have attracted large player bases that spend hours crafting unique in-game goods and building their characters.

These games didn’t serve as competition simply because they were successful, they were huge worlds that kept the player’s interest with all the things you could do in the world. For example, with Destiny, there were dungeons, co-op quests, quality loot and of course, the classic Raids. With Fortnite, you had multiple game modes, evolving seasons with new gameplay mechanics and a map that kept changing. Anthem couldn’t match up to the hype of these games purely on a gameplay level.

Anthem: Failed and Forgotten - - News | anthem,bioware,ea | GamesHorizon

A disheartening failure

As people who love video games, we also admire the potential of great ideas. Anthem had some clever tricks up its sci-fi fantasy pocket, and we were all for it. Anthem had immense potential; it was just a great game with poor management.

Even if the mission diversity did not improve, the combat was worth the time. On the strength of the gunplay, even the most dull and repetitive missions felt tolerable, entertaining even.

There is a compelling case to be made for Anthem – it features some of the best looter-shooter combat the genre has ever seen. Every Javelin (exo-suits from the world of Anthem) delivered an engaging gameplay experience, but the Storm Javelin stood out for its striking appearance and powerful punch. It was always thrilling to experience the uniqueness of each Javelin.

Despite being underused, Anthem’s world-building and characters nonetheless stood out. The game has stunning visuals and a strikingly memorable art direction right away. This might have been another landmark sci-fi game, like Mass Effect, had BioWare been permitted to explore Anthem’s universe in a new setting.

Anthem: Failed and Forgotten - - News | anthem,bioware,ea | GamesHorizon

The bitter end

Some players still believed in this game despite the unimpressive reviews and slow sales. Anthem did, after all, function well on its basic game design elements. The combat was exciting and engaging, and soaring around the exotic biomes while wearing an exo-suit could be really exciting.

The main problem was the filling around the margins, which was frequently annoying and malfunctioning. But BioWare could course-correct only if they made a sincere effort. For this reason, a release date for the rumored Anthem Next, a complete overhaul of the game’s entire loop, was eagerly awaited by players. 

Anthem Next could change the game’s course and rekindle interest, much like No Man’s Sky did following its similarly rough launch. Sadly, EA revealed later that it would be altogether abandoning Anthem, turning off the hook on what once was its most eagerly awaited release. Thousands of fans were left in the dust.

The truth is – video games like Anthem die when developers abandon ship and players are left on the servers by themselves, regardless of what the game’s legacy is. There’s a similar case to be made for Titanfall 2’s multiplayer – an excellent game with great potential that was eventually abandoned by the people who made it. 

It’s one thing to let go of a project you love, but it’s another to abandon the potential of it completely. That was, unfortunately, the fate Anthem suffered.

Anthem BioWare EA GH Revisits
Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp
Tanay Sharma
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • LinkedIn

Tanay is a writer at GamesHorizon. He wears many hats - musician, gamer and interactive storyteller to name a few. He's pursuing a Master's in Behavioural Sciences and holds a Bachelor's in Human Centred Design. You'll often find him taking tough life decisions in unreal worlds. Some of his favourite game studios include Quantic Dream, Rockstar Games and Telltale Games.

RELATED POSTS
coral island merfolk kingdom

Find A Way To Open The Gate Coral Island

4 Mins Read
coral island recycling machine

Coral Island Recycling Machine: How To Unlock & Use

3 Mins Read
A commander looking down over his troops in Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Collector’s Edition vs Ultimate Digital Pack

6 Mins Read
A woman from Reverse 1999 laying down on a table looking at screen.

How to Rewatch the Story in Reverse 1999

2 Mins Read

LATEST POSTS

jeff minter in llamasoft the jeff minter story

Digital Eclipse Announces Interactive Documentary Based On Jeff Minter’s Life

Xbox Series X and Series S placed together on a table.

Series X|S Sales Have Surpassed The Original Xbox In UK

coral island merfolk kingdom

Find A Way To Open The Gate Coral Island

coral island recycling machine

Coral Island Recycling Machine: How To Unlock & Use

A commander looking down over his troops in Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Collector’s Edition vs Ultimate Digital Pack

A woman from Reverse 1999 laying down on a table looking at screen.

How to Rewatch the Story in Reverse 1999

Jonesy and another character in Fortnite looking at weapons on a wall.

How Do Weapon Mods Work in Fortnite?

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader enemies standing in front of a big wall.

Is Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Cross-play or Cross Platform?

The yellow circle on the map in Fortnite.

What Do Yellow Circles Do in Fortnite?

smalland survive the wilds

Smalland Survive the Wilds Full Release Date

FOLLOW US
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get the latest gaming news, guides and reviews from GamesHorizon to your INBOX!

TRENDING GAMES
the day before release date

The Day Before

December 1, 2023By Vijay Vaghela
The image shows the logo for the video game SteamWorld Build, with the text "Coming 2023 to PC & Consoles." There is a western town on top of the image and a mineshaft on the bottom.

SteamWorld Build

December 1, 2023By Vijay Vaghela
coral island fossils

Coral Island

December 1, 2023By Vijay Vaghela
cyberpunk 2077 featured image

Cyberpunk 2077

November 23, 2023By Vijay Vaghela
GamesHorizon
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • About Us
  • Editorial Standards
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2023 GamesHorizon.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

GamesHorizon
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!