History YMMV / Anthem2019

** After Jason Schreier published [[https://kotaku.com/how-biowares-anthem-went-wrong-1833731964 an article about the game's Development]] in April of 2019, [=BioWare=], after declining the chance to comment within the article itself, responded with a blog post less than ten minutes after the article was published. Considering that Jason's article is eleven thousand words long, it's highly unlikely that anyone would have been able to read the post and then formulate and type up a response in that amount of time. The blog post itself was not received very well, with [=BioWare=] coming across as overly defensive and dismissive to many. The overall reaction was that the post made [=BioWare=] seem tone deaf at best, and stubbornly refusing to listen to criticism at worst.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Gameplay footage shown in the reveal looks absolutely ''stunning,'' to the point that many people are anticipating a graphical downgrade of some kind before the game comes out.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** After many complaints about the Loot and Crafting Systems once the player got to the point that they were using Masterwork Gear [=BioWare=] implemented a series of changes to both systems. They removed Common and Uncommon gear from Level Thirty Loot tables, reduced the amount of Masterwork Ember needed to craft a Masterwork piece of gear from twenty-five to fifteen, and altered the way that inscriptions are rolled to prevent players getting useless or "dead" inscriptions on Masterwork gear.
** After widespread complaints, [=BioWare=] increased the drop rates of Masterwork abd Legendary Items at Grandmaster 2 and 3 difficulties, and also increased the drop rates from certain enemy types so players can farm them more effectively.
** Patch 1.0.4 removed loading screens from the Forge, made the Forge accessible from the menu and added the possibility to start an expedition from anywhere in Fort Tarsis.

** After Jason Schrier published [[https://kotaku.com/how-biowares-anthem-went-wrong-1833731964 an article about the game's Development]] in April of 2019, [=BioWare=], after declining the chance to comment within the article itself, responded with a blog post less than ten minutes after the article was published. Considering that Jason's article is eleven thousand words long, it's highly unlikely that anyone would have been able to read the post and then formulate and type up a response in that amount of time. The blog post itself was not received very well, with [=BioWare=] coming across as overly defensive and dismissive to many. The overall reaction was that the post made [=BioWare=] seem tone deaf at best, and stubbornly refusing to listen to criticism at worst.

** After Jason Schrier published an article about the game's Development in April of 2019, [=BioWare=] responded with a blog post less than ten minutes later. Considering that Jason's article is eleven thousand words long, it's highly unlikely that anyone would have been able to read the post and then formulate and type up a response in that amount of time. The blog post itself was not received very well, with [=BioWare=] coming across as overly defensive to many. The overall reaction wa thatvthe post made [=BioWare=] seem Tone Deaf at best, and stubbornly refusing to listen to criticism at worst.

** Comments from developers also suggest that most of the material types for Javelins have been made so that they're unlocked purely via progression, with no microtransactions involved.

** Bioware again accidentally introduced another bug in one of their patches that tied the damage abilities and ultimates dealt to the player's average gear score. Players quickly found out that they could easily manipulate their average gear score by taking off their lowest rated gear, inflating their average gear score and thus inflating the damage they dealt.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: After many complaints about the Loot and Crafting Systems once the player got to the point that they were using Masterwork Gear [=BioWare=] implemented a series of changes to both systems. They removed Common and Uncommon gear from Level Thirty Loot tables, reduced the amount of Masterwork Ember needed to craft a Masterwork piece of gear from twenty-five to fifteen, and altered the way that inscriptions are rolled to prevent players getting useless or "dead" inscriptions on Masterwork gear.

** The Anthem of Creation itself counts as a wasted plot element. In his angry review, [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]] pointed out how the device could've been used to offer interesting gameplay scenarios like warping reality, reversing gravity, or even opening up new realities, with its ''actual'' implementation ([[spoiler:it just spawns more enemies]]) being relatively mundane in comparison.

** The first few images and revelations of ''Anthem'' made on 2018's E3 really soured possible fans to it. The reveal that there would be no companions or romance in this game -- two things that have been a staple for Bioware and one of the fans' favorite mechanics -- resulted in fans deciding that Bioware has lost contact with them and don't know what they want anymore, while gameplay footage caused the game to be accused of being a ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' knock-off.

** Free Play mode is seen as one of the weakest parts of the game, since it essentially boils down to aimlessly wandering around the large but rather barren open world hoping you'll stumble across a world event or rare boss, since none of those are marked on the map or announced when they spawn.

*** Bioware later issued a clarification that Gladd was banned for streaming a known exploit that involved getting an infinite ultimate on the Storm Javelin. However, that reasoning is still baffling since Gladd actually reported the issue to Bioware and didn't actually materially benefit from using the exploit on stream. All around it's still considered a poor PR move on Bioware's part.

* Once again, Bioware accidentally introduced another bug that greatly increased the drop rate of masterwork items from loot drops, giving many players a sudden rush of satisfaction until Bioware swiftly fixed the bug.

** In early-mid March of 2019, [=BioWare=] released a patch that accidentally caused Loot Drops to become much more generous, and then reverted them back shortly after. This was the second time that this has happened, and Players were not happy. Many were greatly enjoying the more generous drops and repeatedly asked BioWare to not "fix" the changes back to what they were, and when they did, began demanding that they then "unfix" them. What makes this particularly frustrating for players is that this is a [[HistoryRepeats lesson that many other loot-based games have already learned.]] Most notably, ''VideoGame/DiabloIII''.

* OvershadowedByControversy: Within days of the game's launch many players began complaining that the game would suddenly shoot them back to the [=PS4=] main menu or even turn it off completely, and a few even claimed that it had completely bricked their system[[note]]in most, if not all, cases, it hadn't, but what had really happened - namely, corrupted databases that needed to be rebuilt in safe mode - isn't much better[[/note]], all while [=BioWare=] remained oddly quiet.

*** Sony clarified that [=PS4s=] weren't actually being bricked, they simply needed to be restarted in safe mode to repair their databases and no permanent damage was suffered. However, considering the average console owner wouldn't be aware of or expect to actually troubleshoot their console, it's easy to make that assumption.

* OvershadowedByControversy: Within days of the game's launch many players began complaining that the game would suddenly shoot them back to the [=PS4=] main menu or even turn it off completely, and a few even claimed that it had completely bricked their system, all while [=BioWare=] remained oddly quiet.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The game received mainly lukewarm to middling reviews after release, with many critics noting that on a whole, the game is solid and competently put together, but they also felt that it lacked the charm of Bioware's storytelling, and that the gameplay doesn't feel unique or polished enough to differentiate itself from its competitors within the genre, such as the ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' series.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The game received mainly lukewarm to middling reviews after release, with many critics noting that on a whole, the game is solid and competently put together, but they also felt that it lacked the charm of Bioware's storytelling, and that the gameplay doesn't feel unique or polished enough to differentiate itself from its competitors within the genre, such as the ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' series. Ultimately, ''Anthem'' settled in as [[https://www.vg247.com/2019/03/04/anthem-lowest-rated-bioware-game-ever/ Bioware's lowest-rated game ever]].

** The Colossus is by far the most commonly used javelin amongst players. This is because it has much higher attack power and durability than the other javelins, comes with a shitload of health, is the only javelin that can use heavy weapons like Autocannons and has a cool, menacing look to it. Its only real weakness, the lack of a regenerating shield to protect its health, is also offset by the massive tower shield it comes with that absorbs a lot of damage before needing recharging.
** After the Colossus, expect to see a lot of players using the Storm javelin. Although it’s a SquishyWizard, it can stay in the air far longer than the other javelins can and has access to a multitude of elemental attacks that can deal crazy damage to groups of enemies and freeze them to allow teammates to perform powerful combos.

** After a leaked screenshot showing off the game's microtransaction store made its way online, quite a few people were upset. The screen showed armor sets (cosmetic items) being sold for 2000 shards, the game's premium currency. While how much 2000 shards cost is still up in the air, most are assuming that they're equal to about twenty dollars, both because that's how these microtransaction systems usually work and because [=EA=] is involved. The fact that [=BioWare=] only released a vague statement about how they're continuing to "iterate" on the in-game store, combined with the fact that neither [=EA=] nor [=BioWare=] have released any sort of statement that says exactly how much the microtransactions actually cost when that exact thing could put an end to the controversy has only added fuel to the fire.

** The game's convoluted release schedule has drawn a lot of ire online. Similar to ''VideoGame/BattlefieldV'', the game has multiple release dates depending on whether or not you're an Origin Access subscriber. Premier members on [=PC=] get full access to the game a week early, Other subscribers on other platforms get a ten-hour free trial a week before the game comes out, and everyone else has to wait until a week after the game launches to play it. Quite a few people who play on console or don't want to subscribe to Origin Access Premier are upset that they'll essentially have to spend a week dodging spoilers while some people get a week-long head-start on the game.
** The [[https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/acts 90-day roadmap]] was not received well by some players. The game at launch was fairly content-bare, but some were willing to give [=BioWare=] some slack because the first content drop, Echoes of Reality, was a three-part expansion, starting release in March 2019, according to the general roadmap released before the game. However, when [=BioWare=] released the 90-day Roadmap, many players were quite disappointed, as only Part One of Echoes of Reality is coming in March, with part Two in April and Part three in May. On top of that, most of the content seems to just consist of Freeplay Events or stuff like the expanded progression system, guilds, leaderboards, Legendary Missions, and Stronghold Challenges that should've been in the launched game. All told, the only actual new content in the 90-day roadmap is a single Stronghold coming in April, and the Cataclysm coming in May. For a game that many feel is very light on content already, the fact that the next ninety days hold very little in terms of content is very worrying, and only furthers concerns that the game was rushed out by EA in order to come out before their 2019 fiscal year ended in March. The Cataclysm being released in May is a point of particular contention because many players feel like three months is way too long to wait for the game to release what is supposed to be the pinnacle endgame activity.

** ''Anthem's'' launch was controversial enough, but [[https://gamerant.com/anthem-ps4-system-crash-sony-refunds/ news of the game]] '''bricking consoles''' instantly started making headlines, with commentators comparing the disaster of Anthem's launch to ''VideoGame/NoMansSky,'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout76.''

** "It's not a Delay." [[labelnote:Explanation]]After the announcement that EA had delayed Anthem to early 2019, EA CEO Blake Jorgensen tried to tell people that it "Wasn't a delay." He offered the explanation that they were trying to release Anthem during a quieter quarter so the game wouldn't have to compete with other games like ''Call of Duty'' or their upcoming ''Battlefield'' game. Many people pointed out the ridiculousness of the statement, [[DistinctionWithoutADifference as regardless of the reason, it is a delay]].[[/labelnote]]

* OvershadowedByControversy: Within day’s of the game’s launch many players began complaining that the game would suddenly shoot them back to the PS4 main menu or even turn it off completely, and a few even claimed that it had completely bricked their system, all while BioWare remained oddly quiet.

** Even if you do a majority of the sidequests, contracts, and other activities available to you, you'll probably be around level twenty by the time you defeat the Final Boss. However, the level cap of the game is Level Thirty, leaving players with about ten levels worth of grinding. This is a big issue because you can't play Grandmaster difficulties until you reach level thirty, and outside of a small selection of Masterwork weapons, Masterwork and Legendary items don't drop on any difficulty below Grandmaster 1.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The game received mainly lukewarm to middling reviews after release, with many critics noting that on a whole, the game is solid and competently put together, but they also felt that it lacked the charm of Bioware's storytelling, and that the gameplay doesn't feel unique or polished enough to differentiate itself from its competitors within the genre, such as the ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' series. Ultimately, ''Anthem'' wound up receiving one of the lowest review scores in Bioware's history.

** Unfortunately, any hype for the game has been hampered due to the performance of past Bioware and EA games. For example, the SoAverageItsOkay but fairly disappointing ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' tarnished the Bioware brand name in the eyes of many fans, even though the game was technically developed by their less-competent Montreal branch. The lootbox debacle over ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017'' has led many fans to cynically predict EA will find a way to ruin ''Anthem'' with lootboxes and microtransactions.

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with the absence of PvP. From the get-go, Bioware and EA have confirmed the game will not have competitive multiplayer at launch or in immediate post-launch content. Normally this announcement would elicit outrage, yet many fans are actually glad that there isn't competitive multiplayer since this means that the game could focus more on story and endgame content, which was a major problem for ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' and ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}''. It helps that the game was never advertised with such a mode, making the developers come off as honest instead of misleading.
* ThatOneLevel: The "Tombs of the Legionnaires" quest in particular has been picking up heavy criticism. Rather than following a traditional mission structure, the Tomb quest is instead a set of achievements the player must complete in the Free Play mode in order to unlock four tombs and progress the story. While most of the achievements are easy to complete, there are a few that are incredibly difficult or time consuming to complete. For example, some of the objective require you to kill a legendary enemy or open a chest, except credit only goes to the person who scores the killing shot or actually physically opens the chest. Another objective is to find 10 secret collectibles hidden throughout the game world. Suffice to say, many players were angry at the level of grind needed to complete a '''required story mission''', which brought the pacing of the entire campaign to a screeching halt. Bioware quickly changed the quest so you can passively fill the requirements at the start of the game.

** The Anthem of Creation itself counts as a wasted plot element. In his angry review, [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]] pointed out how the device could've been used to offer interesting gameplay scenarios like warping reality, reversing gravity, or even opening up new realities. What does it do instead? [[spoiler:It just spawns more enemies.]]

** There's been quite a bit of online backlash over the banning of Gladd, a notable Twitch streamer. According to Gladd, he was banned by Bioware for manipulating the economy of the game by taking advantage of a bug where chests dropped masterwork gear more often than usual and streaming it online. Fans were quick to point out the holes in Bioware's logic of why they would go out of their way to ban a player who was just opening chests for an extended period of time, and why they would protect a loot economy that's not [=PvP=] or trade focused. Not to mention, Gladd was one of the few streamers who was dedicated to consistently streaming ''Anthem'', making his banning looking like Bioware actively shot itself in the foot.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The game received mainly lukewarm to middling reviews after release, with many critics noting that on a whole, the game is solid and competently put together, but they also felt that it lacked the charm of Bioware's storytelling, and that the gameplay doesn't feel unique or polished enough to differentiate itself from its competitors within the genre, such as the ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' series.