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[Meifu]

I feel that many defenders of Bioware's latest title are missing the point of the harsh criticism.

I'm getting a bit exasperated from all the people coming to the defense of Anthem - we have to hold a once-great developer to a higher standard.


Examples just off the top of my head.

"I'm enjoying it, so what if it has crap end game"

"The combat is fun, so what if the strongholds are all repeats of campaign missions"

-Enjoying a straight forward action game with a shitty loot system is fine - enjoy yourself! I'm here to point out that Bioware used to make games that pushed the medium, not chase a trend.


Can anyone making these claims honestly sit there an tell me this game stands up to the experience they had when they first played...

- Mass Effect 1
-Dragon Age Origins
-Mass Effect 2

Each of these were landmark games for the genre. They evolved it in some significant way. I'm not going to just blurb this out an not back it up either. Examples follow.

• -Mass Effect 1 introduced the dialogue wheel, a living breathing universe that felt believable and immersive in a way no shooter or rpg had done before. Main weakness was combat, but it was still serviceable and fun. The graphics and production quality were rock solid for 2007. The total package was stellar.
  • Galaxy Map
  • Voiced Character lead.
  • A Universe that feels alive.
  • Squad of characters who feel real and like they know your character.
• Look at this interview with Casey Hudson and compare it to the following Anthem 2018 interview. Listen to how confident, and almost awed by his own team's work Casey is. He's not afraid to admit that some of the planets are just scannable, as that was extra content. This was pushing the boundaries for what had been done to this date, no PR tricks needed to spruce up an incomplete game.
• Now listen to this interview Casey gave on Anthem, poor guy comes back with a year left in development. Using phrases like "Things like that, HBO series of games. " "Building a Narrative arc over a longer period of time". Casey is no longer impressed with the work his people are doing, he's giving damage control PR to spruce up an under cooked product. He knows this product is not ready, nor will it be a solid release at launch, so he focuses from the beginning on how it will evolve post-launch.

-DA:O - Took the old school RPG formula and brought it up to modern standards.

• Solid graphics for the time, not the best but animations and worlds were crafted with care and attention-to detail.
• Absolutely outstanding writing. Every quest and character in this game has something interesting going on.
• Options! - You can pick multiple races, all with their own back stories. The game felt completely fleshed out from top to bottom.

-Ray and Greg - founders of Bioware giving a presentation on DA:O at E3. They bring straight up gameplay and answer all the questions. They aren't shy about any of it because they know its a solid product. Sure Dragon Age Origins isnt a technical marvel, but it gets everything right that an RPG is supposed to.

• Mass Effect 2 - Bioware's most critically acclaimed game. Evolved the formula from the original and polished it to a mirror sheen. Some of the RPG elements were stripped, and while this is something that would continue to the dismay of many Bioware pure-RPG fans, few could argue against Mass Effect 2 being an exceptionally crafted title
  • Evolution of the original formula, excellent universe, vastly improved combat, and choice that has consequence.
  • Exceptional World building through optional content and meaningful DLC expansions.
  • A cast of characters that act and react, something executed so well that no other game before or to this date has been able to replicate. I mean look at this roster... each with a loyalty mission and meaningful choices.
    • Mass Effect 2+ 3 squad included to give the range of the trilogy - you get the picture. ( Not actual game screen)
      

- Look at this interview and stage demo - solid, nothing to hide and guess what! The actual release was even better than what they showed here. They were 100% confident in this product.

-Now look at this hot garbage. Bioware has fallen to the standard of delivering a vertical slice that far exceeds the retail version.

At the end of the day, Anthem is an interesting and visually stunning video game - I'm not denying that. There are positives to be gleaned from it.

However, I'm pointing out that this is Bioware were talking about, and they are a shell of their former selves. The Bioware I grew up with created genre-defining games, not genre-chasing games. Here is hoping that with Casey Hudson back in the driver's seat from the very beginning of a project. the (hopefully) forthcoming Dragon Age and Mass Effect, we c see a return to form, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Stuart360]

I'm enjoying Anthem, fo no other reason than i'm having a ton of fun with it. I dont feel like i'm defending the game as such, just pointing out that i'm actually PLAYING the game. I'm starting to wonder how many of the games detractors have actually played it.
I was a hater by the way, i was right with you there on your points about Biowares history, BUT i can't help how i feel after actually playing the game, its fun.
I know you werent singling anyone out by the way, i'm just saying my side.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Its like i say.

Anthem is a game for 8 score.

There is such annoying the reviews and other "Sheep gamers" that dont give a second chance to this game and only they do is copy-paste what mamma IGN say.

 

[Dacon]

I'd say anthem is pretty bad. Mainly bc the gameplay gets so damn stale, the constant loading, and the triggering state of the loot game. Post game is pretty much dead. Tbh I'd much rather play Destiny 2. The story is also kind of crap. Incredibly subpar and generic for a bioware game.

There is such annoying the reviews and other "Sheep gamers" that dont give a second chance to this game and only they do is copy-paste what mamma IGN say.

I know it can be hard to comprehend, but people do play the game and have their own opinions about it. It may be hard to swallow people having bad opinions about something you like, and dismissing them as just people jumping on a trend can make you feel better, but there's legitimate consternation circulating around regarding how people feel about their purchase of this game.[/QUOTE]

 

[rivv3r]

It was a massive downgrade from E3, yet it still runs like absolute garbage. Maybe they should learn how to code.

 

[Kagey K]

.

 

[HagglesworthMD]

I have to agree with this sentiment. I’m done listening to the “community” and reviewers about games now. After Crackdown 3 it’s either people that are super cynical about gaming, or people that want to shit on a game, because of reasons.

It seems that most of the people shitting on games, either haven’t played it themselves and just parrot others complaints, or played it just enough to confirm their bias.

Either way it makes no difference to me because I’m having fun playing them and the Metacritic score isn’t affecting my opinion on them.

Dont let these people shit in your sundae.

I'm happy you're enjoying it but on the bright side this outrage directed towards Anthem might be a step towards big publishers NOT releasing unfinished AAA games.

 

[Stuart360]

Thanks for posting that comparison vid by the way op, its the first comparison vid i have seen where the person has actually tried to match as many of the overworld scenes as possible, and while the downgrade is obvious, the smae actual scenes look closer to each other than most of the other comparison vids i have seen.
Its an amazing looking game on PC maxed out, downgrade is real, but downgraded doesnt mean bad, not in Anthems case anyway.

 

[Kagey K]

.

 

[120v]

it's mostly an okay game, people just love a good "trainwreck". issue is it's a competent loot shooter and not much else, and with Destiny and Division on the market (among other MP games that take up that space) that's not going to cut it.

is perplexing how this was built up to be BioWare's magnum opus, the 800 lb guerrilla of 2019, ect... people will say it was rushed but it seems like the final build had been cooking for awhile now despite things obviously needing ironing out (which goes for every loot game launch)

 

[Dacon]

its mostly an okay game, people just love a good "trainwreck". issue is it's a competent loot shooter and not much else, and with Destiny and Division on the market

The loot is horrible, not to mention they didnt even include weapons that were present in the gameplay presentation at e3. I mean there isnt a single unique model for weapons in this game. Not even for masterworks.

 

[comshoplesce]

20€ max.

 

[bati]

For me it's not so much about the quality of the game but rather the wasted potential it caused. And I'm not talking about Anthem's potential but Bioware's. Game development is long and if an average cycle for RPG development (minus the time it takes to lay foundation for a new IP) is around 3 years that means that in the 6 years Bioware spent on Anthem they could have made two games that play better to the studio's strengths. Not to me mention their huge fanbase that literally devours their sometimes fanfic level of writing.

Instead we got a subpar game as a service that failed to learn from advancements their competitors made in the last 6 years since development of Anthem started.

And as the old saying in Tennessee goes, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again. People learned their lesson with Destiny, Division and then Destiny 2 and they're running out of patience. If a studio wants to branch out of their area of expertise and go against the market expectations then the GaaS they are coming out with better be A++ quality on day one.

 

[Come On Tars]

Just glad you posted a video from Nick 930. Really like that guy's channel. My buddy bought the game for me so we can play together, that son of a bitch is so generous. We'll see how it goes but from what I'm seeing it looks it has a really fun base game loop. it'sI sad to see that these types of games are more and more comming out the gate undercooked in campaign mission content. However most of these issues tend to get fleshed out over time so let's hope Anthem fills up.

 

[Kagey K]

.

 

[Dthomp]

I have to give them credit there, they did a better job on the RPG side and world building then other games before them did. I’m actually invested in some of the side stuff, like the small wheat farm, bread baking pair.

It’s much better then the Destiny I don’t have time to explain story.

The only thing is that the town stuff is so separate from the gameplay and I had a friend get mad because I wanted to do the dialogue instead of jumping to the next story. He just holds B and picks a random answer, but I actually do want to see what some of these people say. So he’s sitting at the Jav and I’m still running around talking.

There should be rewards for listening and talking.

It really is the one thing that I think is better, but it has more people polarized then ever.

There is a reward, problem is many of todays younger gamers don't care about story and lore involved. I find myself excited to return to the Fort after every mission and see if there is more conversations to be had. Most gamers just want to shoot things and get instant reward, they just aren't interested in story in shooters anymore.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Bioware fell a long time ago. This is not the Bioware I grew up with, far from it. This is the EA Bioware, and one i'll never buy into, i'm affraid.

 

[ethomaz]

It is a mediocre game in any standard.

It is not even good as a loot shooter.

 

[Kagey K]

.

 

[Kagey K]

.

 

[Neverwas]

I'm enjoying it.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

I'd say 6/10 is a fair score. While flying and iron man simulator is fun it has some the most baffling design decision I've seen in a AAA title ever.

Why do all the guns look the same?
Why are you tethered to random players, and then lose your loot if you don't pick it up in 20 seconds before getting booted into a loading screen.
Why is the world empty? why are there whole cities with the lights on but nobody is there?
Why can't we run in fort tarsis?
The story is the most derivative I've ever seen. If Bioware ever thinks they are going to sit on a panel talking about writing they should be laughed off the stage.

On top of all of that it has a mountain of bugs and issues. And it has gotten worse since launch. Their latest patch has skyrocketed CPU usage on PC. My i7 7700K @5Ghz is running 100% on all 8 threads in Fort Tarsis since the patch. My GF's i5 8400 is now 100% all the time her game went from running the game great to looking at 40-50 fps all the time. Numerous reports on reddit but apparently according to a Bioware dev's reply its not a high priority fix.

 

[Arun1910]

I'd say 6/10 is a fair score. While flying and iron man simulator is fun it has some the most baffling design decision I've seen in a AAA title ever.

Why do all the guns look the same?
Why are you tethered to random players, and then lose your loot if you don't pick it up in 20 seconds before getting booted into a loading screen.
Why is the world empty? why are there whole cities with the lights on but nobody is there?
Why can't we run in fort tarsis?
The story is the most derivative I've ever seen. If Bioware ever thinks they are going to sit on a panel talking about writing they should be laughed off the stage.

On top of all of that it has a mountain of bugs and issues. And it has gotten worse since launch. Their latest patch has skyrocketed CPU usage on PC. My i7 7700K @5Ghz is running 100% on all 8 threads in Fort Tarsis since the patch. My GF's i5 8400 is now 100% all the time her game went from running the game great to looking at 40-50 fps all the time. Numerous reports on reddit but apparently according to a Bioware dev's reply its not a high priority fix.

Why can't we add waypoints in Freeplay?
Why can't we see other players in the Freeplay Map?
What chooses the god awful respawn system placement when you die?
Why is there no text chat on PC?
Why is the UI just Menu upon menu?
Why do they slow their game down to having to do 30 odd challenges to go into a tomb (loading screen) to pick something up, then leave (loading screen).

 

[mcz117chief]

iron man simulator

I keep hearing this but have yet to see any kind of example of this in any gameplay video. Is this like a inside joke? I don't get it.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

Why do they slow their game down to having to do 30 odd challenges to go into a tomb (loading screen) to pick something up, then leave (loading screen).

Fuck that mmo "quest". imagine expecting some awesome Legion of Dawn tomb after 4 hrs of trying to find 15 chests, or what ever lame mmo fetch quest they decided would be fun, and what we got was a ROOM.

I keep hearing this but have yet to see any kind of example of this in any gameplay video. Is this like a inside joke? I don't get it.

A mech suit that shoots rockets and can fly???

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

What standards?

 

[JTCx]

It's a very average and boring game by any standards. The most basic fucking functions in this game are either missing or don't work. I couldn't even bring myself to continue playing it after finishing the main story. One of the few games I own that I regret buying.

 

[Woo-Fu]

Why can't we add waypoints in Freeplay?
Why can't we see other players in the Freeplay Map?
What chooses the god awful respawn system placement when you die?
Why is there no text chat on PC?
Why is the UI just Menu upon menu?
Why do they slow their game down to having to do 30 odd challenges to go into a tomb (loading screen) to pick something up, then leave (loading screen).

I'd chalk up almost every one of these with Bioware using Frostbite and developing first and foremost for console, as they have ever since KOTOR. Love for the PC version is something that comes when you have some spare time, not when you have a release date coming up and a half-complete game.

The world is beautiful and it has the best action gameplay of any Bioware title ever. The rest of it though, is one bad idea piled on top of another and riddle with bugs.

 

[Hendrick's]

I finished the main campaign last night (talk about anticlimactic) and now it's just grinding for boring loot. I'm still having fun with the combat, but I'm not sure how long it will keep my interest.

 

[DonF]

Quality Post, OP!

To people saying that the game deserves more, Fine. But what OP is saying, I agree with wholeheartedly. I played Anthem in 2 instances. Closed Alpha and the Demo. Both showed a very lacking game, both in technical and gameplay aspects. And it was very easy to tell that Bioware from the Mass Effect 2 and 3 era is long gone. I mean, Mass Effect 2 was a fucking amazing game in every aspect. I remember when it was released that the graphics blew me away, the game solved most of the problems of the first, and the gameplay and universe, the scope of that game is on another level. Now look at anthem. Its a jungle. Thats it. It took them 6 years to develop a jungle and a temple. The difference is staggering.

If you play Mass effect 2 or 3 and then anthem, back to back, you can't tell that both games where done by the same studio.

 

[Ascend]

I wouldn't have included Mass Effect 2 in these examples. That's where the standards began to drop. Why I say that? Because it was the first game where they were chasing the mainstream, rather than following their passions and ambitions. They wanted the audience that liked Gears of War and Uncharted.
Did they do it well? Yes they did do it well for ME2. But they sacrificed a lot to do it. This is why there is a specific group that likes Mass Effect 1 the best, including me. We were there before ME2, and we noticed the changes that didn't meet our expectations of a BioWare RPG, despite everyone else liking it.

BioWare has been chasing the mainstream ever since. They seemed to have tried to deviate from that with ME3, but after that ending, it seems like they completely ditched any sort of originality.

Anthem is basically Mass Effect Andromeda Online with improved jetpacks, while at the same time it has stripped the final essence that was left of BioWare RPGs, which are worlds that contain plot, choice, and characters, rather than what we have now, a world which is a looter shooter, with tacked on conversations.

 

[mejin]

Bioware bled talent along the years and now they don't have autonomy to do what they want. They probably would have another fate if they were acquired by Sony, for example. But this is real life, shit happens.

 

[Hendrick's]

I wouldn't have included Mass Effect 2 in these examples. That's where the standards began to drop. Why I say that? Because it was the first game where they were chasing the mainstream, rather than following their passions and ambitions. They wanted the audience that liked Gears of War and Uncharted.
Did they do it well? Yes they did do it well for ME2. But they sacrificed a lot to do it. This is why there is a specific group that likes Mass Effect 1 the best, including me. We were there before ME2, and we noticed the changes that didn't meet our expectations of a BioWare RPG, despite everyone else liking it.

BioWare has been chasing the mainstream ever since. They seemed to have tried to deviate from that with ME3, but after that ending, it seems like they completely ditched any sort of originality.

Anthem is basically Mass Effect Andromeda Online with improved jetpacks, while at the same time it has stripped the final essence that was left of BioWare RPGs, which are worlds that contain plot, choice, and characters, rather than what we have now, a world which is a looter shooter, with tacked on conversations.

Agreed. ME2 was the beginning of the end for Bioware. They took all the complexity of RPG's out, and decided to make a TPS with romance sim.

 

[Typhares]

I wouldn't have included Mass Effect 2 in these examples. That's where the standards began to drop. Why I say that? Because it was the first game where they were chasing the mainstream, rather than following their passions and ambitions. They wanted the audience that liked Gears of War and Uncharted.
Did they do it well? Yes they did do it well for ME2. But they sacrificed a lot to do it. This is why there is a specific group that likes Mass Effect 1 the best, including me. We were there before ME2, and we noticed the changes that didn't meet our expectations of a BioWare RPG, despite everyone else liking it.

BioWare has been chasing the mainstream ever since. They seemed to have tried to deviate from that with ME3, but after that ending, it seems like they completely ditched any sort of originality.

Anthem is basically Mass Effect Andromeda Online with improved jetpacks, while at the same time it has stripped the final essence that was left of BioWare RPGs, which are worlds that contain plot, choice, and characters, rather than what we have now, a world which is a looter shooter, with tacked on conversations.

Hmm thinking about it I would tend to agree with you. I remember enjoying ME2 quite a lot but I think it was more because I was happy to continue with the characters.
ME3 I didn't even finish (so I never got the drama around the original ending until I watched on youtube).
But then again I am enjoying Anthem right now for what it is, for the price of one month of premiere I will finish the story feeling like a badass iron man and that'll do.

 

[Cranberrys]

I feel that many defenders of Bioware's latest title are missing the point of the harsh criticism.

I'm getting a bit exasperated from all the people coming to the defense of Anthem - we have to hold a once-great developer to a higher standard.

It is absolutely impossible to determine a good and a bad game because it depends on the individual playing it. Everyone is telling me that Nintendo are great but I don't like their universes or their characters, it's not my taste, I can't do anything about it. So what am I going to do? Force myself to play their games on the pretext that Nintendo is a historical and mythical publisher? Of course not.

As for Bioware, Mass Effect Andromeda has been widely criticized and yet I have feasted with this game. So who do I listen to? People I do not know who say it's bad or myself who had a great time with it? It's obvious that I will always choose my own opinion.

From my point of view, BioWare didn't lose anything. I discovered the studio with KotOR on Xbox and then Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc. I liked all these games, even Mass Effect 3, even Dragon Age 2. None of these games made me want to put my gamepad down and move on. So, it's proof to me (and I emphasize "to me", it's not an universal truth) that these games are good. Yes, I prefer some to others obviously but none has annoyed me and at the end of the day this is my only requirement: Am I having a good time or not? Whether it's BioWare, 343 or Capcom doesn't have any kind of importance in that regard. I have no expectation over a specific studio but I respect the work done. I may not like Nintendo but I will never say anything bad about them because it's a tough job and they work hard so the least I can do is respect them, even if I Don't like their games.

I have not yet played enough to have a definitive opinion about Anthem but what I have done for the moment is encouraging and I will probably have a good time with the game.

 

[The Shepard]

I'm enjoying the shooting and flying but the story is bland so far at lv 16 and the characters are terrible, annoying, I avoid them like the plague and have started to skip dialogue. It does not feel like a bioware game so far but I'm enjoying it for what it is, a loot shooter. This game is in the mid 70 range atm.

 

[Zog]

Mass Effect 2 was a downgrade from Mass Effect. The RPG elements mattered.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

So people are wondering why after 6 year there are only 1 other armour sets per javelin, 2 if you count the legion of dawn set locked behind a pay wall.
Answer: There are more, but they are being real coy at how you actually get them.

So instead of providing a complete game at lunch and then adding more content later on, Bioware seem fit to remove content and then drip feed it back into the game.

 

[nowhat]

So instead of providing a complete game at lunch and then adding more content later on

Well, I mean, you have to save something for diner, right?

 

[Meifu]

It is absolutely impossible to determine a good and a bad game because it depends on the individual playing it. Everyone is telling me that Nintendo are great but I don't like their universes or their characters, it's not my taste, I can't do anything about it. So what am I going to do? Force myself to play their games on the pretext that Nintendo is a historical and mythical publisher? Of course not.

As for Bioware, Mass Effect Andromeda has been widely criticized and yet I have feasted with this game. So who do I listen to? People I do not know who say it's bad or myself who had a great time with it? It's obvious that I will always choose my own opinion.

From my point of view, BioWare didn't lose anything. I discovered the studio with KotOR on Xbox and then Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc. I liked all these games, even Mass Effect 3, even Dragon Age 2. None of these games made me want to put my gamepad down and move on. So, it's proof to me (and I emphasize "to me", it's not an universal truth) that these games are good. Yes, I prefer some to others obviously but none has annoyed me and at the end of the day this is my only requirement: Am I having a good time or not? Whether it's BioWare, 343 or Capcom doesn't have any kind of importance in that regard. I have no expectation over a specific studio but I respect the work done. I may not like Nintendo but I will never say anything bad about them because it's a tough job and they work hard so the least I can do is respect them, even if I Don't like their games.

I have not yet played enough to have a definitive opinion about Anthem but what I have done for the moment is encouraging and I will probably have a good time with the game.

Yes, you make a fair point, however you are still missing the argument I posted and you quoted. I'm not saying Anthem or ME:A are horrible games. By broad entertainment standards they are enjoyable, cool products.

What I'm trying to emphasize is that, the harsh criticism comes from the fact that when ME:A came out, it was a solid game but no where near the quality of past mass effects. When Anthem was released it is no where near the quality of anything pre - ME:A.

Quality of a game is not a green light red light like you are trying to paint it - its a scale, and Bioware's last two sharted out titles fall towards the worse end of the spectrum.

Bioware has a high floor for its quality, and these two games havent reached that.

 

[Iorv3th]

I'm enjoying Anthem, fo no other reason than i'm having a ton of fun with it. I dont feel like i'm defending the game as such, just pointing out that i'm actually PLAYING the game. I'm starting to wonder how many of the games detractors have actually played it.
I was a hater by the way, i was right with you there on your points about Biowares history, BUT i can't help how i feel after actually playing the game, its fun.
I know you werent singling anyone out by the way, i'm just saying my side.

Its like i say.

Anthem is a game for 8 score.

There is such annoying the reviews and other "Sheep gamers" that dont give a second chance to this game and only they do is copy-paste what mamma IGN say.

I have to agree with this sentiment. I’m done listening to the “community” and reviewers about games now. After Crackdown 3 it’s either people that are super cynical about gaming, or people that want to shit on a game, because of reasons.

It seems that most of the people shitting on games, either haven’t played it themselves and just parrot others complaints, or played it just enough to confirm their bias.

Either way it makes no difference to me because I’m having fun playing them and the Metacritic score isn’t affecting my opinion on them.

Dont let these people shit in your sundae.

This sentiment is ridiculous. Lots of people played the game and don't like it. There is one review that is 80 and every other reveiw is 70 and below on metacritic. You can't tell me none of them played the game and gave it a fair chance?

Then say all the people that wanted to like the game and are dogging on it just didn't give it a fair chance or try it out?

I played it on PC with early access and then played it on ps4 with my wife when it came out on ps4. The game is a huge fucking mess. It has so many problems with the game. You can like the game all you want, but to dismiss everyones complaints/concerns and say "well I enjoy it because I actually played it" is really annoying.

This isn't just a bad game by BioWare standards. It's just a mediocre game in general.

For a "looter" shooter it sure has a lack of variety in loot. The loot it does have is so poorly put into the game that you can roll stats with 0's or stats that are useless (having an impact grenade that rolls something like + 10% acid damage for acid grenades). The game has no armor drops at all so they don't have to worry about having an excess list of loot drops to work on and customize to have different looks for each javelin etc. But the guns themselves are all repeats from uncommon to matsterwork.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

This sentiment is ridiculous. Lots of people played the game and don't like it. There is one review that is 80 and every other reveiw is 70 and below on metacritic. You can't tell me none of them played the game and gave it a fair chance?

Then say all the people that wanted to like the game and are dogging on it just didn't give it a fair chance or try it out?

I played it on PC with early access and then played it on ps4 with my wife when it came out on ps4. The game is a huge fucking mess. It has so many problems with the game. You can like the game all you want, but to dismiss everyones complaints/concerns and say "well I enjoy it because I actually played it" is really annoying.

This isn't just a bad game by BioWare standards. It's just a mediocre game in general.

For a "looter" shooter it sure has a lack of variety in loot. The loot it does have is so poorly put into the game that you can roll stats with 0's or stats that are useless (having an impact grenade that rolls something like + 10% acid damage for acid grenades). The game has no armor drops at all so they don't have to worry about having an excess list of loot drops to work on and customize to have different looks for each javelin etc. But the guns themselves are all repeats from uncommon to matsterwork.

The message I want to give is that, do not judge a game without trying it.

Unfortunately in this environment of gaming there are 2 carcinogenic media, Youtubers, Video Game Reviews ..

I avoid all this plague and I prefer to judge it by trying it.

 

[Cranberrys]

Yes, you make a fair point, however you are still missing the argument I posted and you quoted. I'm not saying Anthem or ME:A are horrible games. By broad entertainment standards they are enjoyable, cool products.

What I'm trying to emphasize is that, the harsh criticism comes from the fact that when ME:A came out, it was a solid game but no where near the quality of past mass effects. When Anthem was released it is no where near the quality of anything pre - ME:A.

Quality of a game is not a green light red light like you are trying to paint it - its a scale, and Bioware's last two sharted out titles fall towards the worse end of the spectrum.

Bioware has a high floor for its quality, and these two games havent reached that.

You are right but I have a problem with the whole "harsh criticism" concept.

The problem is that it leads to nothing. If I tell someone you suck, you're a big piece of crap (basically exactly what everyone's been saying to Bioware for years now), do you think it's constructive? Once you say that, you can't go any farther. So then what ? What good can be gained from harsh criticism?

I fully respect your opinion about the past and present of Bioware because you seem like an eloquent person but what you call "harsh criticism" is a dangerous slope: it can be an excuse for some people with far less good intentions than yours to have a hateful behaviour. I prefer to use something like "challenging criticism".

 

[zeorhymer]

To me, Anthem is fun for a few hours. I do not expect spending a lot of time with it as I do not see any end game loop that I will enjoy.

 

[DonF]

I just did a very quick research to see where is key staff from Mass Effect 2 now:

Director: Case Hudson: Now he is the General Manager at Bioware.
Designer: Preston Watamaniuk: Senior Creator Anthem, Still at Bioware.
Programmer: David Falkner: Still at bioware as director of programming.
Lead Writers: Mac Walter: still at Bioware, but he hasn't updated anything on his twitter or linkedin since 2017
Drew Karpyshyn: worked on anthem but left on March 2018 to work on other things.
Art Director: Derek Watts: Still art director at bioware.
Senior Project Manager: Yanick Roy, Still at bioware as studio director of the montreal office.

I seriously cant believe that key people of Mass Effect 2 still work at bioware...what a mess.

 

[RAIDEN1]

What were people's experiences when they first played Jade Empire? All well and good Mass Effect 2 et all...but J.E is a hidden gem surely?

 

[Kagey K]

What were people's experiences when they first played Jade Empire? All well and good Mass Effect 2 et all...but J.E is a hidden gem surely?

I love JE, but I love all things Kung Fu, I think it definitely threw some people off at the time because it didn’t play like KOTOR.

 

[Iorv3th]

What were people's experiences when they first played Jade Empire? All well and good Mass Effect 2 et all...but J.E is a hidden gem surely?

I really liked Jade Empire. I remember thinking that some stuff was short or some areas weren't fleshed out with dialogue etc the same way KOTOR was. I played through it like 3-4 times though with the different fighting styles and good/evil endings. I would have really liked the game to get a sequel.

 

[Meifu]

You are right but I have a problem with the whole "harsh criticism" concept.

The problem is that it leads to nothing. If I tell someone you suck, you're a big piece of crap (basically exactly what everyone's been saying to Bioware for years now), do you think it's constructive? Once you say that, you can't go any farther. So then what ? What good can be gained from harsh criticism?

I fully respect your opinion about the past and present of Bioware because you seem like an eloquent person but what you call "harsh criticism" is a dangerous slope: it can be an excuse for some people with far less good intentions than yours to have a hateful behaviour. I prefer to use something like "challenging criticism".

You are totally right. I do think its important to remember that Bioware/EA are asking for money for this product though, and this is why criticism can be tough.

Angry Joe and Jim Sterling have been some of the hardest critics of the game, but they are also constructive I should point out. They offer insight as to how they think the game could be improved. This should be the norm, rather than "THIS SUCKS!"

It is to be expected though - this isn't a homework assignment, its a product they are being paid to create. Passionate fans who loved their old games want to be heard, and yelling and being harsh unfortunately is usually the easiest path.

 

[HagglesworthMD]

I’m pretty sure we saw that argument last year with BFII, Destiny 2 and a few others. It doesn’t seem to be slowing them down (FO76, Anthem)

I always wonder what exactly an unfinished game means? Destiny and Destiny 2 were unfinished? The Division... unfinished, Warframe definitely unfinished. Cod BO4 unfinished, BFV unfinished.

Where is the line as to what is a finished game and what is a completed one these days? Shit even if we look at games that were great when they launched like Overwatch and Rocket League, they would feel unfinished by comparing what they offered at launch compared to what they offer now. Those 2 games also carry with them gaming s biggest sin... Lootboxes.

The difference with Destiny 2 is it actually sold well. When companies see their GaaS games bomb they will be more reluctant to invest in their initial development