[2019] This is Anthem: Story, Progression, and Customization

The first video in our gameplay series tells you what you need to know about the world of Anthem, your powers, and what you’re up against.

Dive into an unfinished world ravaged by the Anthem, an energy source of pure creation that causes catastrophic disasters, violent storms, and terrifying mutations. Unleash your power with the javelins, suits of armor that give you superhuman abilities and help you fight back against overwhelming odds.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

The Freelancers

It’s only been a few centuries since the Legion of Dawn fought back the deadly forces of this raging world and created a safe place for their people to live within. But the dangers outside humanity’s fortified cities never truly disappear, and an old enemy called the Dominion is rising anew to threaten that hard-won peace.

You are a Freelancer, an elite javelin pilot dedicated to protecting Fort Tarsis and the ones you love. To do this, you and your team must venture into the deadly world and stop the Dominion, no matter the cost.

Fort Tarsis

Fort Tarsis is a fortified settlement where you interact with a cast of unique characters from all walks of life, pick up contracts from different factions, upgrade your javelins, and more.

Fort Tarsis is your ultimate center of operations and a beacon to return to when the day is through. All adventures begin and (if you’re lucky) end back at the Fort.

• Named after General Helena Tarsis, the leader of the Legion of Dawn, Fort Tarsis is one of several walled cities built after the Legion freed humanity from the chaos that engulfed their world.
• Fort Tarsis contains the Forge, where Freelancers can customize the gear attached to their javelin and personalize its appearance.
• Fort Tarsis is where you’ll dive into Anthem’s single-player role-playing experience, meet new characters, and bond with them.

Your Crew and Your Friends

When you’re out in the world of Anthem, your crew will have your back, assisting you with mission intel, maintaining your mobile base of operations, and piling on the banter. You can meet and talk with them in the confines of Fort Tarsis, where you can get to know them, their stories, and their hopes for the future:

• Owen is an optimistic and ambitious young cypher who’s learning the trade at your side. He can get himself in trouble in his urge to prove himself but is always enthusiastic and vital to the success of your missions.
• Faye is a mysterious cypher who comes from a prestigious background. She is fascinated by the Anthem of Creation and driven to learn more about it, to the point that her personal relationships have suffered.
• Haluk is a grumpy but dedicated Freelancer who keeps your javelin in working order. He’s a legend in the Freelancer world and your begrudging mentor, though he hasn’t suited up himself in quite a while.

Meanwhile, other players will join you in javelins of their own and team up with you in the world outside Fort Tarsis. Together, you’ll complete missions, find gear, and earn experience points to level up your suits.

The Dominion

A ferocious militaristic society in the mountainous North, the Dominion seeks to subjugate all of humanity under their rule. They have long been your enemy, but now the Monitor, a ruthless Dominion commander, believes he can harness the the power of the Anthem and use it to end all the “needless suffering” he has seen.

It’s up to you to stop him from seizing control of it. If that happens, it will be too late to stop him.

GEAR AND PERSONALIZATION

The Javelins

There are four basic javelins for you to choose from: the versatile Ranger, the powerhouse Colossus, the agile Interceptor, and the elemental Storm. Each handles a bit differently and favors a different attack pattern - the bulky Colossus, for instance, can’t maneuver as well as the Interceptor, but can do a lot more damage in a single hit. Each javelin can execute two unique abilities, depending on the gear they have equipped, and a devastating ultimate ability.

• Players that favor heavy firepower over mobility should jump into the Colossus, which trades speed for powerhouse offensive abilities.
• The Storm, while light on armor, can move quickly and unleash powerful elemental attacks to take down enemies.
• The Interceptor uses incredible speed to dodge in and out of danger, landing quick but impressive hits without being touched.
• Players who want a bit of everything should try their hand at the Ranger and take its well-rounded arsenal for a spin.

Javelin Gear

Each javelin has two pieces of offensive gear, one piece of support gear, six components, and two weapons that can be switched in and out to customize your loadout. And every piece of gear has a power level that adds to your javelin’s overall Gear Score, which determines how powerful your suit is. As you level up, you’ll be able to find and equip more powerful gear when you explore the world and complete missions. Bring everything you find back to the Forge in Fort Tarsis , where you can customize your loadout to match the way you want to play.

• There are six rarity levels for gear: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Masterwork, and Legendary. The higher a gear piece’s rarity, the higher its potential power.
• Beating enemies, completing objectives, and other actions throughout the world will reward you with new gear pieces.
• You can craft gear using blueprints recovered during your adventures into the world of Anthem. Any gear pieces you create will match your level at the time you craft it, so you can use the same blueprint to re-craft items as your level increases.

Personalizing Javelins

Once you’ve got your javelin customized just the way you like it, it’s time to add a bit of flare. In the Forge, you can personalize your suits with different materials, paints, vinyls, and more to change how it looks. Each javelin has multiple pieces that can be personalized, so you can mix and match according to your preference to complete a suit that’s entirely unique. Visuals aren’t tied to function, so you can make your loadout and your appearance both fit you perfectly.

• A javelin’s paint job is made up of two parts: paint and materials.
• Materials change the texture of your javelin, making it look metallic, leathery, and everything in between. Each javelin is broken into six areas that can be assigned their own materials, so you can have multiple textures across a suit.
• You can pair different paints and materials to create a truly unique javelin. Want to use battle-stained canvas and neon orange leather on the same suit? No problem.
• You can add five character animations to your loadout, including an arrival animation, a victory pose, and three emotes.

See What’s Out There

Team up with friends or attempt to take on missions and villains on your own -- the world of Anthem is waiting for you. Are you ready to face it?

Pre-order now and get VIP access to a pre-launch demo.*

Keep your eyes open for more as we’re ramping up to Anthem’s release. Make sure to not miss any of it by signing up for the Anthem newsletter for all the latest Anthem news, updates, behind-the-scenes content, offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email.

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Anthem launches February 22, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, and PC. Early Access begins on February 15 for Origin Access and EA Access members.**

*CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/anthem/pre-order-disclaimer FOR DETAILS.

**CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE ea.com/en-gb/ea-access/terms AND origin.com/store/origin-access/terms FOR DETAILS.