BioWare had promised not too long ago that details on how the upcoming Anthem will handle its story and storytelling through what they’re calling “Our World, My Story” would be arriving soon, and at PAX West 2018, those details finally came. We’d previously learned that while Anthem wouldn’t have a branching storyline like what we’ve seen in past BioWare games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, it would still present choices to players on a more personal level, and now we have some more details on that.
It seems Fort Tarsis, which will be the hub location of the game’s world, will be where all the decision making mechanics will come into play. It’s where players will be interacting with NPCs, and the choices players make in dialog will affect their relationships with them- though it doesn’t look like that will have an impact on things like quests being locked, instead only on your relationships with NPCs.
BioWare confirmed that there will be no huge opportunities to make story-changing decisions during gameplay and missions out of the hub. This is where the “Our World, My Story” thing comes into play- essentially, the entire world of Anthem is consistent for all players with the same missions, similarly changing dynamic weather patterns, and more, while the actual personal choice-making mechanics will only come into play in Fort Tarsis. You can get more details on this in the video below.
Additionally, true to their word not too long ago, BioWare have also given concrete details on Anthem’s demo- more specifically, when it’s arriving. The demo will be launching on February 1, 2019, roughly three weeks before the full game launches. People who pre-order the game will have access to the demo, but if you’re on PC or Xbox One, you can have access through Origin Access or EA Access respectively.
Anthem launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 22, 2019.