There were only a few things Anthem needed to get right to be a success — not the game of the year, or the next Fortnite-sized phenomenon, but a successful online shooter. It only gets one of those right, and when all is said and done, it’s probably the least important for the game’s long-term viability. At a glance, Anthem is a highly-polished, triple-A title from one of the industry’s most celebrated developers. But then you play the game. It starts strong, throwing you into an epic battle where monstrous aliens are facing off against this world’s heroes: Freelancers. The freelancers fly around in javelins — exosuits that can be customized with a variety of weapons and special abilities, many of which you’ll collect while taking out opposing forces.
The core of Anthem is flying through ancient caves and jungles dotted with ruins, and that part of the game could not feel any better. Punching the left analog stick to turn on forward thrusters or the right one to gracefully hover in place is easy and responsive but full of complementary camera effects and richly layered sound effects that really convince you you’re controlling a sentient rocket. Even if Anthem were just a fantasy-infused flying sim, it would still be a ton of fun.
The achievements will be a bit of a grind, though it's not as bad as it looks at first glance. There's the standard assortment of story quests for about 300 Gamerscore, plus some points for finishing up the side questlines available at launch. Beyond that, the bulk of the points will come from collectible searching and completing challenges. Those challenges appear daunting until you realize you only need the first tier of each challenge, which makes them trivially easy if still a grind. You'll have good progression naturally, especially if you're trying to work on them as you level up, so the completion shouldn't be truly difficult. It'll take a good deal of time, though. Buy Cheap Anthem Power Leveling from Mmocs.com gain a 3% discount by using the code “MMOCSVIP”.
A constant internet connection is required for Anthem, and I’m able to complete the entire campaign with friends or strangers, thanks to matchmaking for every activity. That sense of power when cruising the world alone is only amplified when paired with three other like-minded Javelins. Cooperation yields an enormous combat advantage, as specific attacks will combine together, dealing bonus damage and eliciting a satisfying (if world-breaking) visual pop up of “COMBO.” Shattering a frozen enemy mech with a bolt of lighting yields a crackle and crash, like hurling a handful of party poppers into playground concrete.
Ditching the third-person perspective of missions, Fort Tarsis is experienced in the first person, with my Freelancer walking around out of her mech suit. The fort is populated with folks to speak to. Some are crucial to the storyline, giving me quests. Others will talk about their dreams, secrets, or obsessions. One particularly verbose inhabitant talks my ear off about safety regulations and proper walkway management. Another reveals they’re a hidden member of the royal family, dreading their place in the line of succession.