Bioware's Anthem is being "substantially reinvented!" https://kotaku.com/bioware-plans-a-substantial-reinvention-of-anthem-1841577386
This is potentially fantastic news. Anthem's combat is the best combat of any combat-based RPG/RPG-ish game I'm familiar with, but the "campaign" was tiny, warped, hard to even figure out or find what to do at times, and buried under endlessly slogging your way round a giant, static base to talk to boring NPCs. The fictional world barely even pretends to be a real place instead of a bunch of linked corridors to the next fight/loot.
Bioware promises "to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards—while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting."
Yeah, baby. Anthem with more fighting & flying and much, much less slogging around the base. Loins soaked.
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There are a couple of existing Anthem threads, but they are old and I thought maybe a new thread is the best way to treat the new iteration, anyway. This, I think, is the most recent: http://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=23363.0
So does this translate into a SP campaign, eventually?
Well there already was a sort of SP story. It just wasn't very good. L:-)
But I would assume they don't change the looter/shooter gameplay. Just make it more compelling and invent the next carrot to chase so people keep on playing, much like Diablo does things.
The Javelin concept is cool and the vertical gameplay at its core is very fun, so the fundament for a great title is already there.
But, like its become with Destiny for me, I am not waiting for another 'tick off your grocery list this week' gameplay. It's not rewarding at all for me. There is no deeper meaning (for me at least) to endlessly hunt for yet another rifle that shoots barely differently than the previous legendary.
It pains me as well cause the world of Destiny (and that of Anthem) are super cool worlds to be in and learn more about.
I just wish there was more traditional RPG gameplay.
In the end it feels shallow and meaningless.
Yskonyn is spot on.
But I have high hopes for what "substantial reinvention" might mean. This is Bioware after all, they clearly have all the RPG tools in their kit.
It would be really disappointing if they design this superior action combat and then swing and miss twice in a row on building an actual game around it.
Quote from: glen55 on February 11, 2020, 11:05:41 AM
But I have high hopes for what "substantial reinvention" might mean. This is Bioware after all, they clearly have all the RPG tools in their kit.
I don't know, man. Bioware is not the same company it was 10-15 years ago. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think you may want to temper your expectations a bit.
Me and my friends all bought this for £4 on PS4 in anticipation of the rumoured overhaul.
I don't think they'll include more narrative stuff - it's too much work for relatively little game. They'll want the core gameplay loop to be more interesting and sustainable in the medium term, to buy themselves more time to then create new endgame content for anyone who's still around.
There are several precedents of companies sticking with games to really turn them around - I think Destiny is a good example, as is Rainbow Six Siege and most Ubisoft games. There is only so much you can do though.
For example the first Division game had a very wonky end-game that the devs just couldn't fix, but the Level 1-30 journey was actually really well done. It the Division hadn't had that Level 1-30 journey though, then I doubt the team would have been able to put it in after the fact. Same with Anthem - The initial RPG journey is what it is, and while they might be able to throw in some more quests or w/e, they're not going to be able to chuck in a brand-new RPG layer.
They'll work on the core loop, make it more entertaining to try and win people back and and buy themselves more time.
Quote from: Martok on February 12, 2020, 12:29:58 AM
Quote from: glen55 on February 11, 2020, 11:05:41 AM
But I have high hopes for what "substantial reinvention" might mean. This is Bioware after all, they clearly have all the RPG tools in their kit.
I don't know, man. Bioware is not the same company it was 10-15 years ago. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think you may want to temper your expectations a bit.
Few have followed Bioware more closely than me, I can guarantee you that. Notice I said "hopes," not "expectations."
But the room for improvement here is massive. The basic combat experience is the best I've experienced in any single-player game--and I don't say that lightly--but they did soooooo little with it.