The ANTHEM public demo is over, and we won't be seeing the game again until it launches later this month. The demo was available for three days or so over the past weekend, boasting a handful of missions, a co-op activity, and some free roam adventuring. What's more, players could try out all four of the different Javelins, and get a good feel for gameplay in general.
But what did you think of the demo? Has it convinced you to buy the game? Maybe you're still on the fence? Whatever your position, vote in our polls, and then give us the juicy details in the comments section below.
Did you play the ANTHEM public demo this past weekend? (3,247 votes)
Yes, I spent hours playing it41%
Yeah, I tried it out38%
Nah, I downloaded it but never got around to playing5%
No, I didn't even download it16%
What did you think of the ANTHEM public demo? (3,168 votes)
It was absolutely superb22%
It was good, but nothing truly amazing31%
It was just okay14%
I thought it was disappointing12%
It was really bad4%
I didn't play it17%
Will you be buying ANTHEM after playing the demo? (3,075 votes)
Yes, but I already had it pre-ordered22%
Yeah, but I was probably gonna buy it anyway9%
Yup, the demo has convinced me to buy it12%
I'm still undecided, I'm going to wait for reviews/player reactions32%
Nah, the demo actually put me off buying it13%
Nope, I thought the demo was fine but I still won't be buying the game4%
No, I didn't play the demo and I won't be buying ANTHEM8%
Robert (or Rob if you're lazy) has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, he's played 'em all — a little too much, some might say.
Honestly I'm not sure what to think. There were some parts of the gameplay I really enjoyed, but overall I found it a bit stale and janky. I think a lot of it is gonna come down to how much there is to actually do in the full game, and how rewarding the character progression is.
@ShogunRok from what i have read so far the game on release will be rather empty of content.
it seems that EA can't even get live service correct. you know releasing a full game with lot's of content and keep on adding content in the future for years to come instead of releasing a product with little content and then dripfeeding more of that day 1 content in the future.
I wanted to see the graphics on my PC but after that it was a wrap. The game plays super bland. I don't like Destiny or the Division and I was hoping the Bioware magic would make this work but nope. At this point the only hope of getting a buy is if the reviews say that there is an amazing story hidden underneath the repetitive gameplay.
It's a well executed game but it feels like nothing special. EA and Bioware probably just wanted a basic game without any potential to cause any backlash. Gameplay alone can't carry a franchise and no raids is a bummer.
Gameplay loop was solid, one of my favorite gameplay experiences in my gaming life.
I would imagine this game will be content starved.
I don't see it having much in the way of enemy variety or challenge beyond numerical arvantages/disadvantages.
End game will see builds reduced to a few top tier choices I'm sure.
Overall I'm very excited, but setting my expectations LOW.
There is no way they will have the content to satiate the hardcore looter shooters out there.
I love looter shooters, but lead a busy life these days, so in this case I'm actually OKAY if it releases with only so much content and then drip feeds new content. It'll be a happy diversion that I hopefully won't have to dedicate too much time in order to keep a favorite build or two relevant.
@ShogunRok I feel the same some very odd design choices as well like the Fort Tarsis stuff being in first person and so slow to move. I am leaning towards keeping my pre-order as I got it at a reduced price but if I was paying full price would probably skip it. Most of my Destiny buddies are getting it so that's another plus as I wouldn't get this if I was playing solo.
I saw the $20 Javelin paint job, I'm out. I got my fill of "chasing the next best thing" type game with Destiny. I just don't want to put that much time into a game anymore and for what? So my digital avatar looks cool? Destiny had some really good times, but I just cant put that kind of time and devotion into a game again.
I had a few goes at it.I quite enjoyed it but what's with the first person mode in the hub?I really didant like that and it felt abit out of place. But I doubt I'll buy it though..but who knows?.
EA and Bioware was really kind to put out a demo for this game. Now I can NOT buy it with absolute confidence.
Dear oh dear....where to start with this...
Booted up the game for the first time to try out the demo and after 5 minutes, hard PC crash.
Eventually got my head around the incredibly convoluted menus and started my first expedition after completely giving up trying to figure out how to do free roaming. Also seems impossible to go solo as Bioware promised would be possible. Instead you are matched with other players. Always.
Gameplay mechanics in general are nice. There is a weighty feel to your javelin.
Combat is just passable. Worse than Andromeda though.
The hub World is an absolute joke. Not only is it filled with the classic Bioware-style NPCs of old, standing in one place all the time pretending to be talking with idiotic looking animations, the place is just so lifeless. There is this stupid ambient background noise of a bustling city space, but no NPCs actually have ambient dialogue among themselves.
Dialogue, when it happens, is complete GARBAGE. Poor writing to say the very least.
And in first person perspective. Why???
Getting back into the actual gameplay, for some unknown reason I am greeted with load screens at random times that transport me to different areas. What the actual f*ck.
An incredibly BADLY put together game. Absolutely TERRIBLE.
It was an utterly frustrating experience and I will absolutely not buy this game. Not ever!
Bioware has forgotten how to make games, that much is clear to me now.
i probably wasn't going to buy it anyway, but the demo confirmed it. to be honest, the alpha confirmed it for me. i thought the flying was a bit crap, especially in interior areas, the shooting is alright but not a strong selling point. free-play is dull as anything. the dialogue in the missions and what was seen of fort tarsis was mostly dreadful (listening to the bartender ramble on about his spot on 'dawnguard' was just cringeworthy), plus owen's uber-chirpiness just got on my nerves. plus even as of yesterday, it's still full of bugs, and the framerate definitely gets janky at times, and walking through the fort is like wading through a field of treacle wearing osmium boots.. i actually got nauseous trying to dander around it.
I thought it was okay. Was excited for the game but the demo didn't really excite me at all. Didn't leave me wanting more or have anything to look forward to. When I start up my console it doesn't make me feel like that's the game I want to play. The gameplay felt quite good but exploring felt like it got boring quickly.
If I was to give the full game a chance, I think I could probably end up enjoying it for a while. At least for the story anyway and then after that I will get bored of it which will lead to never ever playing it again.
Felt great, looked great. Hoping there is more variety in terms of enemies and tasks in the real game though. Didn't have many connection issues besides yesterday got kicked a few times towards the end. Game really really shines when you play with folks you know, playing with randoms while still ok, was a bit of a mess. Overall had a great time with it. Looking forward to diving in in a couple weeks!
As with all Games as Service I'm going to wait for a few months to see how the jank, end game, and playerbase look and then wait for a price drop. No point buying an online only game at the point when they're always at their worst.
Well I couldn't play it as prompted me to buy ps plus even though the demo was listed with all free to play. Do probably not even bother now and continue playing defiance 2050.
I felt like that its a quick made game to get on the live service bandwagon, it's got no content at launch and it will all be added as it moves forward supposedly for free but that content depends on how much they are willing to make. Let's not forget they then will move on to a new Dragon Age and maybe a newass Effect (doubt it) but from what I played it's got repeative all over it
So I am coming from Destiny 1 & 2, which I really don't play at all anymore. I'm not sure if I would be considered a hardcore gamer or not. I am in my early 40's and have been playing games since Coleco. For all the young guys it was before Atari. I have a life like best friends, I work on my truck and my 335i myself, go fishing and shooting, work a full time job and have an adult Son who I game with and a Daughter who is finishing up high school. Oh and my best friend games quite often too. So needless to say I don't have time to spend endless hours gaming all through the night playing stupid raids for hours on end. I don't have tons of cash to throw at some game hell bent on forcing me to blow my check on it to advance my pc to max everything like a crack addiction. So enough about me.
I loved the game. The concept is super cool. I understand the issues I had during the demo was from it being an earlier version of the game. That makes sense. I am optimistic about it on release. I'm fine if it doesn't contain an eternal amount of content to waste endless hours on, because well I have other real things to do in life, like take my awesome wife out on a date! The pace was pretty fast even though the frame rates were all over and the constant shuddering around blew. But again not the final edition. The artwork was pretty nice on my ps4, the last console I will ever buy, but when I buy this game it will be for PC.
The world looked promising the colors and details, the creatures and the enemies. Just cool looking. The ways to mod your Javelins was cool, a lot more control than Destiny. Well cosmetically anyway. I like the weapons and dual slots for a primary and secondary. I hope that melee weapons will be added, I didn't see anything for that. The flying will take some getting used too but seems really cool.
I didn't get to spend all weekend playing it, that thing called real life, church, friends having birthday dinners made at home, driving fast cars, vaping, helping my kids with stuff, ya know life. But from what I did see I enjoyed it, it was new and genuinely fun, exciting and well yeah it was fun. I think it will be a great way to relax after a 12 hr shift at work, a way to release a lil steam with some friends when I have some time to waste.
I am pretty excited about this game, it seems to be something greater than Destiny is, not what it was supposed to be. Destiny was heartbreaking, painfully so.
Well that's my opinion, thanks EA for letting us play it a bit before release, that's real awesome of you guys
@busbym22 I know what you mean but they essentially only mimic dungeons from other MMO's and MMO like games. Raids usually include many players with various bosses. The devs already confirmed that there won't be actual raids.
The amount of loading screens felt ridiculous for a game released towards the end of this gen of consoles. Gameplay is great but feels like it could become a chore finishing missions if you aren't playing with friends that communicate with you
Massive destiny player so thought anthem was pretty poor in my opinion. Considering getting the division 2 but gonna wait aa too many games out in march
most of the content was locked out because it was a frikking demo.as for the 20 doller skin...it just isnt.its a large combo of multipal additions.drstiny has been paywalling and stiffing whales since day 1 and barely gets a mention.methinks some moaners are just trying to leap on the hate wagon with the "edgy crowd".
@supergurr ANTHEMs story has a beginning and an end though. At least that’s what they said. The main story arc will be fully available at launch. So you can wait for reviews to see if the story is worth playing or not.
Everything about this game was an okay for me. But when nothing stands out it's a no go. Anthem just feels like a hybrid of games I've played before with nothing really there to differentiate it. Games of the shooting genre really have to do something special if they want my attention.
I did wander into the bar where I got to speak with young barman who was involved with some woman who lived across from him. Did this after each mission and gave him advice and comments which progressed his intriguing involvement with her. (strange parces, deaths, mystery etc) Also did the same with another person who was going through her own decision making process I had a hand in guiding. Also spoke with other NPC's. This made the prospects of a fuller story more promising . Also the idea of working for factions sounds more interesting that the Destiny jobs.
The load times are ridiculous, open map, but heaven help you if you want to explore a cave, more loading. Then we have the issue of enemies spawning directly behind you after you have cleared an area, That is BS in my opinion. I did like the puzzle solving areas, one which you had to solve the color wheel before you could grab the part you need was a good idea. I had a little issue with sliding off the cliffs, and the fact that you can fly, but not up, as to the invisible storm that pushes you down, Nice blue sky you can see the sun but an invisible storm sends you back down when you get too high. Why not just let the javelin overheat when it gets too high? Spot on shooting and excellent control of your character makes it fun, so there is a balance between the good and the bad. Just my opinion though.
Comments 42
i didn't try it out yet. it look like Destiny to me so i have no intention to try demo out. i am not fan of Destiny games
Honestly I'm not sure what to think. There were some parts of the gameplay I really enjoyed, but overall I found it a bit stale and janky. I think a lot of it is gonna come down to how much there is to actually do in the full game, and how rewarding the character progression is.
@ShogunRok from what i have read so far the game on release will be rather empty of content.
it seems that EA can't even get live service correct.
you know releasing a full game with lot's of content and keep on adding content in the future for years to come instead of releasing a product with little content and then dripfeeding more of that day 1 content in the future.
I wanted to see the graphics on my PC but after that it was a wrap. The game plays super bland. I don't like Destiny or the Division and I was hoping the Bioware magic would make this work but nope. At this point the only hope of getting a buy is if the reviews say that there is an amazing story hidden underneath the repetitive gameplay.
It's a well executed game but it feels like nothing special. EA and Bioware probably just wanted a basic game without any potential to cause any backlash. Gameplay alone can't carry a franchise and no raids is a bummer.
It was awesome man I liked the final hours of the demo and that rift that oppened.
@Master_Shake well according to this article the director thinks it will be the most emotional shooter of the decade.
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2019/02/01/anthem-game-director-emotional-shooter/#/slide/1
just forgetting spec ops the line is a thing,and the metro games which have some emotional strings etc...
I enjoyed it alot and can't wait for the full release. I will say this game took me by surprise
Gameplay loop was solid, one of my favorite gameplay experiences in my gaming life.
I would imagine this game will be content starved.
I don't see it having much in the way of enemy variety or challenge beyond numerical arvantages/disadvantages.
End game will see builds reduced to a few top tier choices I'm sure.
Overall I'm very excited, but setting my expectations LOW.
There is no way they will have the content to satiate the hardcore looter shooters out there.
I love looter shooters, but lead a busy life these days, so in this case I'm actually OKAY if it releases with only so much content and then drip feeds new content. It'll be a happy diversion that I hopefully won't have to dedicate too much time in order to keep a favorite build or two relevant.
@ShogunRok I feel the same some very odd design choices as well like the Fort Tarsis stuff being in first person and so slow to move. I am leaning towards keeping my pre-order as I got it at a reduced price but if I was paying full price would probably skip it. Most of my Destiny buddies are getting it so that's another plus as I wouldn't get this if I was playing solo.
I saw the $20 Javelin paint job, I'm out. I got my fill of "chasing the next best thing" type game with Destiny. I just don't want to put that much time into a game anymore and for what? So my digital avatar looks cool? Destiny had some really good times, but I just cant put that kind of time and devotion into a game again.
I had a few goes at it.I quite enjoyed it but what's with the first person mode in the hub?I really didant like that and it felt abit out of place.
But I doubt I'll buy it though..but who knows?.
EA and Bioware was really kind to put out a demo for this game. Now I can NOT buy it with absolute confidence.
Dear oh dear....where to start with this...
Booted up the game for the first time to try out the demo and after 5 minutes, hard PC crash.
Eventually got my head around the incredibly convoluted menus and started my first expedition after completely giving up trying to figure out how to do free roaming. Also seems impossible to go solo as Bioware promised would be possible. Instead you are matched with other players. Always.
Gameplay mechanics in general are nice. There is a weighty feel to your javelin.
Combat is just passable. Worse than Andromeda though.
The hub World is an absolute joke. Not only is it filled with the classic Bioware-style NPCs of old, standing in one place all the time pretending to be talking with idiotic looking animations, the place is just so lifeless. There is this stupid ambient background noise of a bustling city space, but no NPCs actually have ambient dialogue among themselves.
Dialogue, when it happens, is complete GARBAGE. Poor writing to say the very least.
And in first person perspective. Why???
Getting back into the actual gameplay, for some unknown reason I am greeted with load screens at random times that transport me to different areas. What the actual f*ck.
An incredibly BADLY put together game. Absolutely TERRIBLE.
It was an utterly frustrating experience and I will absolutely not buy this game. Not ever!
Bioware has forgotten how to make games, that much is clear to me now.
i probably wasn't going to buy it anyway, but the demo confirmed it. to be honest, the alpha confirmed it for me. i thought the flying was a bit crap, especially in interior areas, the shooting is alright but not a strong selling point. free-play is dull as anything. the dialogue in the missions and what was seen of fort tarsis was mostly dreadful (listening to the bartender ramble on about his spot on 'dawnguard' was just cringeworthy), plus owen's uber-chirpiness just got on my nerves. plus even as of yesterday, it's still full of bugs, and the framerate definitely gets janky at times, and walking through the fort is like wading through a field of treacle wearing osmium boots.. i actually got nauseous trying to dander around it.
@jdv95 Yeah thats says nothing i have read so many reviews and thought what?
I thought it was okay. Was excited for the game but the demo didn't really excite me at all. Didn't leave me wanting more or have anything to look forward to. When I start up my console it doesn't make me feel like that's the game I want to play. The gameplay felt quite good but exploring felt like it got boring quickly.
If I was to give the full game a chance, I think I could probably end up enjoying it for a while. At least for the story anyway and then after that I will get bored of it which will lead to never ever playing it again.
@Tasuki Haha, Good joke!
Felt great, looked great. Hoping there is more variety in terms of enemies and tasks in the real game though. Didn't have many connection issues besides yesterday got kicked a few times towards the end. Game really really shines when you play with folks you know, playing with randoms while still ok, was a bit of a mess. Overall had a great time with it. Looking forward to diving in in a couple weeks!
As with all Games as Service I'm going to wait for a few months to see how the jank, end game, and playerbase look and then wait for a price drop. No point buying an online only game at the point when they're always at their worst.
Well I couldn't play it as prompted me to buy ps plus even though the demo was listed with all free to play. Do probably not even bother now and continue playing defiance 2050.
There will never be a live service game with enough content day one ever. Gamers will always want more.
I honestly thought it was a bit wack. I enjoyed the combat in Andromeda so I don't know why I didn't dig it in this.
I felt like that its a quick made game to get on the live service bandwagon, it's got no content at launch and it will all be added as it moves forward supposedly for free but that content depends on how much they are willing to make. Let's not forget they then will move on to a new Dragon Age and maybe a newass Effect (doubt it) but from what I played it's got repeative all over it
I liked it - but It really needs a few more months of development. Especially on PC.
I'll stick with my pre-order because something to play co-op with friends till The Division 2 comes out.
It also has Tons of potential. Super fun once you and your squad get yourself into a mess... 😅
Meh!
I don't know if it's just me but I just can't get excited about it.
@busbym22 Strongholds are not raids, they are the equivalent of strikes in Destiny.
So I am coming from Destiny 1 & 2, which I really don't play at all anymore. I'm not sure if I would be considered a hardcore gamer or not. I am in my early 40's and have been playing games since Coleco. For all the young guys it was before Atari. I have a life like best friends, I work on my truck and my 335i myself, go fishing and shooting, work a full time job and have an adult Son who I game with and a Daughter who is finishing up high school. Oh and my best friend games quite often too. So needless to say I don't have time to spend endless hours gaming all through the night playing stupid raids for hours on end. I don't have tons of cash to throw at some game hell bent on forcing me to blow my check on it to advance my pc to max everything like a crack addiction. So enough about me.
I loved the game. The concept is super cool. I understand the issues I had during the demo was from it being an earlier version of the game. That makes sense. I am optimistic about it on release. I'm fine if it doesn't contain an eternal amount of content to waste endless hours on, because well I have other real things to do in life, like take my awesome wife out on a date! The pace was pretty fast even though the frame rates were all over and the constant shuddering around blew. But again not the final edition. The artwork was pretty nice on my ps4, the last console I will ever buy, but when I buy this game it will be for PC.
The world looked promising the colors and details, the creatures and the enemies. Just cool looking. The ways to mod your Javelins was cool, a lot more control than Destiny. Well cosmetically anyway. I like the weapons and dual slots for a primary and secondary. I hope that melee weapons will be added, I didn't see anything for that. The flying will take some getting used too but seems really cool.
I didn't get to spend all weekend playing it, that thing called real life, church, friends having birthday dinners made at home, driving fast cars, vaping, helping my kids with stuff, ya know life.
But from what I did see I enjoyed it, it was new and genuinely fun, exciting and well yeah it was fun.
I think it will be a great way to relax after a 12 hr shift at work, a way to release a lil steam with some friends when I have some time to waste.
I am pretty excited about this game, it seems to be something greater than Destiny is, not what it was supposed to be. Destiny was heartbreaking, painfully so.
Well that's my opinion, thanks EA for letting us play it a bit before release, that's real awesome of you guys
@busbym22 I know what you mean but they essentially only mimic dungeons from other MMO's and MMO like games. Raids usually include many players with various bosses. The devs already confirmed that there won't be actual raids.
The VIP beta definitely gave me reason to start looking at The Division 2 for some online co op shooter looter action, that's for sure.
"If you ever wanted to pay $80 for warframe this is your best option" -Sonicmeerkat
put it on the box and ship it EA.
The amount of loading screens felt ridiculous for a game released towards the end of this gen of consoles. Gameplay is great but feels like it could become a chore finishing missions if you aren't playing with friends that communicate with you
Massive destiny player so thought anthem was pretty poor in my opinion. Considering getting the division 2 but gonna wait aa too many games out in march
It’s interesting how the poll looks much more positive towards anthem compared to the comment section.
I have given up on online only games, just don't have the time, prefer story based games that I can actually complete
most of the content was locked out because it was a frikking demo.as for the 20 doller skin...it just isnt.its a large combo of multipal additions.drstiny has been paywalling and stiffing whales since day 1 and barely gets a mention.methinks some moaners are just trying to leap on the hate wagon with the "edgy crowd".
@supergurr ANTHEMs story has a beginning and an end though. At least that’s what they said. The main story arc will be fully available at launch. So you can wait for reviews to see if the story is worth playing or not.
is it just me, or does 2400 seem like a rather high number of votes compared to the usual number for these kind of polls?.
Everything about this game was an okay for me. But when nothing stands out it's a no go. Anthem just feels like a hybrid of games I've played before with nothing really there to differentiate it. Games of the shooting genre really have to do something special if they want my attention.
I did wander into the bar where I got to speak with young barman who was involved with some woman who lived across from him. Did this after each mission and gave him advice and comments which progressed his intriguing involvement with her. (strange parces, deaths, mystery etc)
Also did the same with another person who was going through her own decision making process I had a hand in guiding.
Also spoke with other NPC's. This made the prospects of a fuller story more promising . Also the idea of working for factions sounds more interesting that the Destiny jobs.
@Joesheepdog Just posted a comment about the chats you could have with NPC's
Simply put, 30 minutes of waste time in my life that I will never get back.
Destiny is better and Warframe e free...
The load times are ridiculous, open map, but heaven help you if you want to explore a cave, more loading. Then we have the issue of enemies spawning directly behind you after you have cleared an area, That is BS in my opinion. I did like the puzzle solving areas, one which you had to solve the color wheel before you could grab the part you need was a good idea. I had a little issue with sliding off the cliffs, and the fact that you can fly, but not up, as to the invisible storm that pushes you down, Nice blue sky you can see the sun but an invisible storm sends you back down when you get too high. Why not just let the javelin overheat when it gets too high? Spot on shooting and excellent control of your character makes it fun, so there is a balance between the good and the bad. Just my opinion though.
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