After a bumpy launch and negative backlash from the gaming community, BioWare is finally redesigning Anthem — the online multiplayer RPG that debuted back in January of last year.
It has been a bumpy road for the developer. The initial promises couldn’t be delivered and that has hindered a lot of gamers sticking with Anthem for a considerable amount of time. They haven’t given up on the project — though — as they’re keen on completely re-designing it from the ground up.
Since reports of a re-design, things have been noticeably quiet from BioWare. That is until recently when studio director Christian Dailey took to BioWare’s official blog to provide fans with an update. Much of the update centers around loot and equipment.
Starting off, BioWare wants to increase the frequency of loot drops in Anthem. That has been one of the main grievances from players since launch. Players spend a lot of time grinding through missions only to come up short in loot despite their best efforts. It’s good that BioWare is adjusting this, making the end justify the means.
According to this latest blog post, all loot items will be better and more competitive. That should help progression a bit and make it less grindy. BioWare also plans on changing how players approach loot. There will still be random drops, but players will be able to decide which specific items they go after.
Having added direction of what you’re going after seems like a great decision on paper. It should let players know exactly what is up for stakes and bring more fairness to the rewards that they’re able to collect should they actively seek them out.
There will also be rare enemies walking about that leave behind bundles of valuable loot items. Seeing them in Anthem should bring a new wave of excitement as it will be your chance to score some noteworthy gear without having to grind for hours.
How loot is customized and equipped are being reworked to be more user-friendly. Equipment sheets — for example — can be pulled up anywhere so that players can quickly see which items are in certain slots.
The developer then goes into future plans for the re-design, such as making gunplay more responsive and rewarding. It’s clear BioWare wants to connect with the community to see what they want most. That bodes well for them moving forward as they try to get Anthem back on a promising course.