BioWare's Anthem demo is free-for-all this weekend, play it now

[DPennington]

Highly anticipated: From the makers of Mass Effect comes Anthem, an upcoming open-world shooter set to release on February 22nd. Starting now and continuing through February 3rd, the Anthem demo is free to play on Origin, PS4, and Xbox One.

After the VIP demo for early-access Anthem purchasers ended in disaster, BioWare and Origin are opening up the game to everyone starting right now. Through February 3rd, Anthem is available to play for free on Origin. If you're gaming on PS4 or Xbox One, the demo can be downloaded via the PlayStation and Microsoft stores.

This is set to be the game's final open demo before it launches on February 22nd.

Anthem, from the makers of Mass Effect, is aiming to be a co-op multi-player game with an engrossing story. Given the character and story development present in the Mass Effect trilogy (sorry, Ryder), expectations are high for Anthem and its ability to let gamers craft their own story. At Pax West in September, BioWare described the synergy of multi- and single-player story lines, with individual encounters with NPCs and lore shaping a unique experience for each player.

Server issues non-withstanding, the hands-on time I did get with the initial demo was impressive. While the demo only showcases a small sample of a story that is detached from the greater storyline, the gameplay felt great, with satisfying combat and unique character classes providing something for everyone.

Mass Effect's influence is obvious, with much of the dialogue seeming almost recycled. It'll be interesting to see if BioWare can pull off the game-within-a-game experience that will appeal to both story-driven gamers and those who prefer co-op and multi-player.

If you're a PC gamer, grab the demo on Origin. In case you missed it, here's the official trailer from Pax West...

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https://www.techspot.com/news/78543-bioware-anthem-demo-free-all-weekend-play-now.html

 

[Burty117]

Yeah Na, I'll wait and see how they monetize it first before I even consider playing it. Also, after the controversy of Mass Effect 3 and the (more recent memory) terrible Andromeda, is that really something you'd want to be associated to?

"From the makers of Mass Effect comes Anthem"

Yeah, that's screaming quality...

 

[Skjorn]

Yeah Na, I'll wait and see how they monetize it first before I even consider playing it. Also, after the controversy of Mass Effect 3 and the (more recent memory) terrible Andromeda, is that really something you'd want to be associated to?

"From the makers of Mass Effect comes Anthem"

Yeah, that's screaming quality...

Different BioWare but cool attack.

BioWare Montreal made Andromeda, was shut down and is now apart of Motive.

Why not play it to see if you would even like the gameplay? Why wait until the mtx is implemented to wonder if you would like the gameplay?

 

[Burty117]

Different BioWare but cool attack.

BioWare Montreal made Andromeda, was shut down and is now apart of Motive.

Does it matter? The way it's written here, in this article, they don't make the distinction?

Why not play it to see if you would even like the gameplay? Why wait until the mtx is implemented to wonder if you would like the gameplay?

What?! Why wouldn't you wait until the full game has been released?! Lets say the game is actually fun to play and genuinely good to spend time on, Then a couple of months after release it's completely ruined with micro-transactions, loot boxes and whatever else EA can throw in there (just look at the history of most EA games from the past 3 years) Why give EA your initial £60? Why give them the satisfaction of taking your money then ruining the product you've already purchased with even more stuff requiring money?

They've been doing it for years now, It's time they got the message that charging me £60 for a game, then drip feeding me bits of it for extortionate prices (usually with a gambling element to it) just simply cannot continue. Basically, voting with my Wallet.

If it turns out in a couple of months though that Anthem doesn't have some kind of disgusting Loot Box system in it, then I'll give it another look.

 

[Nero7]

Why play an EA game?
Why think highly of a thing such as "Bioware"? Whatever that is supposed to be these days.
Seriously why even consider anything EA?
There are at least two alternatives to every EA product and every single time they're vastly superior.

Time itself is too precious to waste it with an EA game, they could give me Anthem and every microtransaction for free and I wouldn't waste my time with it. Just look at it, a generic 3rd persion loot shooter that couldn't possibly be any more mediocre at best. Borrows a bit of everything already out there.

Graphics are embarrassing but hey its a console port. Destructible environments or PhysX effects or "Levolution"? NOPE, but hey buy a 800$ GPU to play it with average 45fps in 1440p ( I guess). They could port this thing to the Xbox 360 all they'd have to do is cut down the poly count and texture resolution and frames and render resolution.

EA games are only "highly anticipated" because the gaming media is paid to tell us that. No one would talk about it if it wouldn't have the names "EA" and "Bioware" on it. Despite their disastrous history. Arguably the last worthwhile EA games came out around 2010 with Mass Effect 2 and NfS Hot Pursuit and even they showed clear signs of an impending downfall.

Why anyone even remotely believes that an EA game could even work half way correctly is beyond me. And yet some people will buy a fancy player skin for 20$ in Anthem despite it being replaced by Anthem 2 in a year or it simply dying.

 

[brucek]

They lost me at "Origin".

 

[DPennington]

Different BioWare but cool attack.

BioWare Montreal made Andromeda, was shut down and is now apart of Motive.

Why not play it to see if you would even like the gameplay? Why wait until the mtx is implemented to wonder if you would like the gameplay?

Unfortunately mtx is the way the industry is going. Look at the absolute trainwreck that was Fallout 76. I think Anthem is worth checking out, even if EA has left a sour taste in your mouth. I still give BioWare the benefit of the doubt, even if they are working with EA for distribution. ME1 was so far ahead of it's time and BioWare had something of a cult following back then. Good point on BW Montreal - it's simply not the same studio as Andromeda, and that's exactly why I only referred to the ME trilogy. IMO, BioWare deserves a mulligan for Andromeda. EA is going to screw with monetization, but Anthem actually looks like it has potential.

Does it matter? The way it's written here, in this article, they don't make the distinction?

It probably didn't come through because it was a snarky aside, but yes, I was dismissing Andromeda and referring only to the ME trilogy. BioWare messed up by relegating Andromeda to their "B" studio, and I think that became clear once BW Montreal was dissolved.

Call me naive, but I don't think EA is going to mess with Anthem the same way they messed with games like Battlefront. Too much goodwill was lost with Andromeda, and if EA didn't get the message between that and BF2 then I'd be very suprised. Feel free to make me eat crow in a couple of months if it turns out to be a mtx-riddled disaster, though.

 

[amghwk]

C'mon...it's a free-to-play demo. Just play the damn thing and ditch it off. No one's gonna charge 'ya for playing a demo. Funny to read philosophies here over a demo.

On another note, it's good to see publishers coming out with demos, like past days. Nowadays, gamers have the nerve to even pre-purchase games instead of trying out the games before buying.

 

[m4a4]

First, it's a demo. It's pretty sad if you're unwilling to play something you don't have to pay for AND you don't have to commit to, all because they potentially might do something later past the demo.

Second, they've set it up so that the mtx are for vanity items only (and it looks like they're doing it right, no lootboxes). I doubt that they're stupid enough to change that setup, especially after the BF2 mess up.

And lastly, the "iron man" like gameplay I find is actually good. This is the first EA game in a loooong time that I would even consider getting. And that's also after skipping Andromeda.

I'll still definitely be waiting for reviews, but I feel like it will be well received. I'd even say that it has that Bioware spark that we all miss...

 

[Evernessince]

First, it's a demo. It's pretty sad if you're unwilling to play something you don't have to pay for AND you don't have to commit to, all because they potentially might do something later past the demo.

Second, they've set it up so that the mtx are for vanity items only (and it looks like they're doing it right, no lootboxes). I doubt that they're stupid enough to change that setup, especially after the BF2 mess up.

And lastly, the "iron man" like gameplay I find is actually good. This is the first EA game in a loooong time that I would even consider getting. And that's also after skipping Andromeda.

I'll still definitely be waiting for reviews, but I feel like it will be well received. I'd even say that it has that Bioware spark that we all miss...

As a long time Bioware fan who played the original NN and BG, no this game has nothing even close to that "Bioware spark". This game is action oriented. I've watched and played a good chunk of anthem myself and it feels braindead. It's mostly pointless grinding with some story sprinkled in. Due to it being online, it comes with a host of disadvantage single player games do not, like for example your zero impact on the game world.

If you love Bioware games when they were actually Bioware with the original founders, the writers, ect then avoid this game. It is not for you. Otherwise I like action games as well and this game is not worth playing in that respect either. I wouldn't be surprised to see this game on many most disappointing games of 2019 lists.

 

[m4a4]

As a long time Bioware fan who played the original NN and BG, no this game has nothing even close to that "Bioware spark". This game is action oriented. I've watched and played a good chunk of anthem myself and it feels braindead. It's mostly pointless grinding with some story sprinkled in. Due to it being online, it comes with a host of disadvantage single player games do not, like for example your zero impact on the game world.

If you are love Bioware games when they were actually Bioware with the original founders, the writers, ect then avoid this game. It is not for you. Otherwise I like action games as well and this game is not worth playing in that respect either. I wouldn't be surprised to see this game on many most disappointing games of 2019 lists.

I disagree. Just because it's not a full blown RPG doesn't mean it can't have some of the fun older Bioware games had. That's all I'm getting at. If you want something with Bioware heart and soul like the old games, go play them. You're taking this too seriously.

 

[Evernessince]

I disagree. Just because it's not a full blown RPG doesn't mean it can't have some of the fun older Bioware games had. That's all I'm getting at. If you want something with Bioware heart and soul like the old games, go play them. You're taking this too seriously.

No, Athem has none of anything I'd call Bioware fun. RPG? No. Amazing characters? No. Great story? No.

It has more in common with destiny and a korean MMO then any original Bioware game.

"You're taking this too seriously"

If you weren't as serious you wouldn't be replying. Clearly you have something invested in protecting the game. I freely criticize games no matter if I bought them or not, whether I like them or not.

 

[m4a4]

No, Athem has none of anything I'd call Bioware fun [opinion]. RPG? No [wrong, you would've been better off saying it's not a "Bioware RPG" lol]. Amazing characters? No [subjective]. Great story? No [Ha! You haven't even played the story. Subjective].

It has more in common with destiny and a korean MMO then any original Bioware game [a different style of game is different???? No way!].

"You're taking this too seriously"

If you weren't as serious you wouldn't be replying [that's.. that's not how this works]. Clearly you have something invested in protecting the game [calling out BS in a reply is investment enough lol]. I freely criticize games no matter if I bought them or not, whether I like them or not [like you "freely" jumped on the hate bandwagon?].

Looks like most of what you said is technically wrong, and opinion at best. Sounds more like you were prejudiced against this game from the start (which, EA and Andromeda doesn't help lol).

Tell ya what? I'll go have fun playing the demo some more (you know, taking this topic super seriously), and you can spend more time finding new ways to spin why you don't like a different type of game. Sound good?

 

[Nobina]

Looks like something between Destiny and Warframe plus it's EA and it requires Origin. That early access launch was an absolute shitshow, I'll pass.

 

[Burty117]

I get your points here, it's a demo and therefore free and you can just ditch it afterwards. My train of thought is this, the last few major EA games to come out have been absolute sh*t shows, Anthem will not be anything different, why give EA the time of day? Why bother loading up Origin, using your bandwidth to download a demo of a game that will be ruined shortly after launch?

EA need to really work hard to gain trust again, Clearly BFV didn't sell nearly as well as they hoped (I guess that's what happens when you say "don't buy our game if you think Nazi's were in WWII") And they're trying to get Anthem out the door for this quarter.

Since it's been a little while now, there are plenty of YouTube videos out of Anthem and I've got a friend who's been playing it, everything I've seen, read and heard has pretty much confirmed most peoples worries, It's not game changing, it has too many explosions (heard this complaint several times) and there have been leaked images of the micro-transactions, Gameplay is fine but very generic, enemy's aren't anything special but mostly bullet sponges. Doesn't seem to be anything close to Mass Effect quality characters or story telling, it's just a graphics fest and basically a third person Destiny.

Why anyone was expecting anything different after the last few years of the rubbish EA has been pulling is beyond me.

 

[Evernessince]

Looks like most of what you said is technically wrong, and opinion at best. Sounds more like you were prejudiced against this game from the start (which, EA and Andromeda doesn't help lol).

Tell ya what? I'll go have fun playing the demo some more (you know, taking this topic super seriously), and you can spend more time finding new ways to spin why you don't like a different type of game. Sound good?

No it's just anthem specifically. There are tons of other action oriented games that do combat better.

"Looks like most of what you said is technically wrong, and opinion at best"

I find that people who can't state specifics are trying to write off an argument without providing actual points against it. And yes, your's and my point of view are both opinions. What did you think only my side was an opinion and your's was fact? That's awful self indulgent.

Enjoy your mentally predetermined fun.

 

[m4a4]

No it's just anthem specifically. There are tons of other action oriented games that do combat better.

"Looks like most of what you said is technically wrong, and opinion at best"

I find that people who can't state specifics are trying to write off an argument without providing actual points against it. And yes, your's and my point of view are both opinions. What did you think only my side was an opinion and your's was fact? That's awful self indulgent.

Enjoy your mentally predetermined fun.

...Says the guy who made sweeping generalizations, and based off of an unreleased game? You don't have any specifics in the first place! But nice try, -10 points for trying to hide your generalizations. "Tons of other action oriented games" lol, so specific.

Oh, and I went (generalized) point for (generalized) point against what you said in my previous reply, you seemingly wrote that off. So much hypocrisy.

And "mentally predetermined fun"? Man, that's a pretty desperate "insult" for the game. The closest type of media to that would be a movie/show (and if you think Anthem is close to that, you might want to make sure you're talking about the video game lol).

Anyways, we're done here. You keep making incorrect statements, not technically opinions, and get upset when I call you out on it. Then you go and make hypocritical claims to try bolstering your "argument". You seem too desperate to put down the game in some sort of vendetta against Bioware/EA that just blinds you. I'm saying this game can be fun, but nope, you're seriously stating that Anthem specifically just isn't fun. Which is hilarious because it just seems like you can't fathom it being a style of game you don't want to play. Next thing you'll state is that Fortnite is the worst game ever, and then expect people to take you seriously lol

 

[loki1944]

I'm not wasting my expensive data cap on the chance of another DAI or MEA. Fool me twice....

 

[loki1944]

First, it's a demo. It's pretty sad if you're unwilling to play something you don't have to pay for AND you don't have to commit to, all because they potentially might do something later past the demo.

Second, they've set it up so that the mtx are for vanity items only (and it looks like they're doing it right, no lootboxes). I doubt that they're stupid enough to change that setup, especially after the BF2 mess up.

And lastly, the "iron man" like gameplay I find is actually good. This is the first EA game in a loooong time that I would even consider getting. And that's also after skipping Andromeda.

I'll still definitely be waiting for reviews, but I feel like it will be well received. I'd even say that it has that Bioware spark that we all miss...

Saying you're not paying for it is a generalization, 44GB download size is almost the entirety of my 50GB monthly data cap on the most expensive data plan available in my area. It would cost me another $75 to go over that data cap by 25GB.

 

[m4a4]

Saying you're not paying for it is a generalization, 44GB download size is almost the entirety of my 50GB monthly data cap on the most expensive data plan available in my area. It would cost me another $75 to go over that data cap by 25GB.

You're literally not paying EA to play the game (demo). Paying for bandwidth (that of which doesn't have to be used on a video game) is something else entirely.

 

[LeroN]

I tried to play it on my XB1. The game looks like pre-alfa and they are going to sell it after three weeks, really? No adequate tutorial and the picture looks like it's upscaled from 720p. I turned off visual effects to get it more clear and sharp but no chances. One thing I got from the game's visualisation is a nostalgy by PS3. A next thing really surprised me that it was not a way to find the controller's layout. I'm sure it's somewhere in but couldn't find it anyhow.
Supposdly with other more performance platform it's possible to get a better expirience but I wouldn't play the game even for free on XB1. The most intresting that M$ didn't annonce the beta access to Anthem and perhaps because of how terrible it looks and feels. A huge step back comparing to SWBT2 for example while sunset of current gen.
And Anthem has nothing in common with Mass Effect only suits. The game looks made from other game pieces by an unskilled tailor.

 

[matty boi]

I played the anthem demo and I really liked it

 

[harm9963]

I rather play battlefront ll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFMzQ24U2pk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0RcBgksq2U&t=28s

 

[seefizzle]

I played the anthem demo and I really liked it

No doubt. A lot of griping in this thread about a game people are refusing to play. I played it all weekend and it was a lot of fun. It's a good game.

 

[Evernessince]

...Says the guy who made sweeping generalizations, and based off of an unreleased game? You don't have any specifics in the first place! But nice try, -10 points for trying to hide your generalizations. "Tons of other action oriented games" lol, so specific.

Oh, and I went (generalized) point for (generalized) point against what you said in my previous reply, you seemingly wrote that off. So much hypocrisy.

And "mentally predetermined fun"? Man, that's a pretty desperate "insult" for the game. The closest type of media to that would be a movie/show (and if you think Anthem is close to that, you might want to make sure you're talking about the video game lol).

Anyways, we're done here. You keep making incorrect statements, not technically opinions, and get upset when I call you out on it. Then you go and make hypocritical claims to try bolstering your "argument". You seem too desperate to put down the game in some sort of vendetta against Bioware/EA that just blinds you. I'm saying this game can be fun, but nope, you're seriously stating that Anthem specifically just isn't fun. Which is hilarious because it just seems like you can't fathom it being a style of game you don't want to play. Next thing you'll state is that Fortnite is the worst game ever, and then expect people to take you seriously lol

Looks like I was right. Anthem turned out just as I said it would.