Support NeoGAF

[Ogbert]

I actually think the game is good, but lacks that “something special”... and good but not great means it will likely underperform.

BioWare, when they want, can make great single player games and even decent multiplayer modes. To me, that’s what they could continue doing, the market for GAAS is getting saturated.

Agree.

My overall impression was simply that they are trying too hard. Too many systems, too many explosions, just too much stuff.

I think in a year or so, it will be a perfectly enjoyable looter shooter.

 

[angelic]

I think people need to stop thinking Bioware are the same company of even ten years ago. They proved 3 years ago that they're not, they're apparantly a highly toxic place to work (SJWs rule the roost, papa EA on high), they're building a game based on a 5 year old trend (the Destiny shooter) rather than try to innovate, they're chasing the streamer crowd and whales, they tried to fool everyone with a ridiculously over estimated target movie, they were caught with their microtransaction pants down by a naughty screenshot, the technical performance wasnt there in the demo a mere 2 months before release, and the level of bile waiting for the game is more than I can remember for anything recent.

I don't even think reviewers will give it an easy ride. Even the release date is designed to hit the end of the financial year, just like Andromeda. It's the most cynical AAA gaming release of the last few years, and if EA think 7 million is bad, wait til they see the Anthem numbers. Then its bye bye Bioware, as theyre converted into the EA equivalent of a map making studio, responsible for all female content modelling in future Battlefields.

 

[Aintitcool]

Co Op games are usually reviewer proof, FYI. The games you play with your pals are less criticized than Single Player story driven games. 5 years is not late to a trend...
5 years is usually when a gaming trend reaches peak and then starts disappearing for the next thing.

Unlike destiny this game is more open world catering more to a GTA crowd than Bungie, lots of numbers popping up like in MMO's and customization like no other games for the suit.

I think frame rate and performance will be fixed in day 1 patch. At least on consoles.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

I had lots of fun with the demo, we'll see if the full game delivers more or if that was the extent of it.

 

[PleaseDontBanMe]

They should have used Anthems gameplay, combined with a solid story and created a decent Mass Effect sequel

 

[Woo-Fu]

They should have used Anthems gameplay, combined with a solid story and created a decent Mass Effect sequel

A significant part of Anthem's gameplay comes from a Mass Effect sequel.

 

[Sentenza]

I was never too fond of the concept, so imagine my surprise when I played the demo and it turned out to be far worse than I anticipated in many ways.

I disliked basically everything about it: the quest hub, the fight mechanics, the poor ass performances regardless of the settings I picked, the overabundance of loading screens, the warning "Go back to the combat are in ten seconds, nine, eight... etc" barely 40 meters away from an enemy group.
To be honest even assuming from the beginning this was going to be a pseudo-Destiny (which, once again, is not really my genre) I expected something far more polished and with a vastly more developed "RPG side" to it.
When the overwhelming majority of the player base seems to agree that you could replace your entire quest hub with some sort of quick menu and nothing of value would be lost you are probably failing somewhere along the road.

And that's without going into a user interface that seems almost deliberately designed to be as convoluted and annoying as possible.

 

[VertigoOA]

You guys already playing the full release?

No, they’re full of shit like the commentary on every single online game here...

 

[ZywyPL]

[...]they're building a game based on a 5 year old trend (the Destiny shooter) rather than try to innovate.

The question is, do you really need to innovate? Look at BR as the best example - everyone is following the same formula, with their all twists, and everyone is successful. The principal is to "simply" make a good game, which (most) EA devs aren't capable of anymore as it seems. I'm not a fan of Destiny, the gameplay/gunplay is boring as hell, but just being a TPP game alone got me interested into Anthem, that reveal gameplay was absolutely brilliant, but the game doesn't represent what was shown back in that day, not only graphically.

 

[Inviusx]

As much as I despise the concept of Anthem I'm sure it will probably sell a decent amount just based on pure marketing towards normies.

There is no way that it's going to pull Apex numbers though, Bioware can only dream about 300k+ twitch viewers.

 

[Inviusx]

The question is, do you really need to innovate? Look at BR as the best example - everyone is following the same formula, with their all twists, and everyone is successful. The principal is to "simply" make a good game, which (most) EA devs aren't capable of anymore as it seems. I'm not a fan of Destiny, the gameplay/gunplay is boring as hell, but just being a TPP game alone got me interested into Anthem, that reveal gameplay was absolutely brilliant, but the game doesn't represent what was shown back in that day, not only graphically.

BR isn't successful just because it's BR. There have already been a handful of BR games that have launched and failed in the last 12 months. It's not as much of a sure thing as you'd think (see Radical Heights).

As bullshit as it sounds I think a huge factor is timing, which can be almost impossible to predict.

 

[h3ad0rZ]

You know, my first impression of the demo was pretty bad. But when I played around some more and unlocked javelin I wanted it kinda became pretty fun. And I'm the one who would take single-player RPG any day instead of this. I personally loved combat in ME:A and wanted to play more of it. Anthem combat is like a improvement over that (I actually suspect combat in ME:A was like a test for Anthem), so it might hook me in just on that.

But the things they were saying about that you can play it solo is kinda BS, because of format of the encounters where you just deal with waves of enemies 24/7 makes it playing solo very boring, if the story mission in the demo an indicator of how they will be in full game. Story "focus" I think will be mostly BS too, but I found that conversations with some NPCs were pretty fun, they just don't seem to be about main story or such, just fun banter.

So I'd say this is like 50/50 game. You might like part of it or you don't.

 

[MadYarpen]

so the majority of you dont explain why its boring. its just boring. i can find you all jobs on your favorite video game review websites. i can introduce you

For me personally the town (being so dead), and the combat are the main issues. With the combat being the one which the most can make the game boring. It is just to shallow I think. It is just hovering and shooting, while enemies are just standing on the ground (ok some are even hovering, but I think you see what I mean).

I am currently playing the division 1, and while I understand why it is far from perfect, I am having a lot of fun because the combat generally works, and the cover mechanics is great. Cooperation with teammates, when you push from cover to cover, or fall back when enemies are to strong is quite addictive I have to say. And even solo, I am enjoying encounters and side missions.

What does anthem have? Combo mechanics, right? I don't think this is enough to be honest.

Maybe it would be better if they explored the possibility of strafing, generally air movement during shooting (currently when you aim mid-air javelin goes into hover mode, so its not really moving)? And enemies specializing in ground-to air, ground-to-ground, maybe air-to-air or air-to-ground even (like javelins)?

Instead you have a mandatory respawn when you fly 100m to far. And how is it possile that with such advanced technology you need to stay almost still to shoot?

What help this game is good storytelling, but I don't think this is what matters most in such a game.

I keep thinking about reasons to buy it, but to be honest when I remember the above, I am not willing to pay full price for this. And then you have terrible UI, awful KB/M controls and some other shit. So yeah, waiting for sale.

 

[VertigoOA]

You know, my first impression of the demo was pretty bad. But when I played around some more and unlocked javelin I wanted it kinda became pretty fun. And I'm the one who would take single-player RPG any day instead of this. I personally loved combat in ME:A and wanted to play more of it. Anthem combat is like a improvement over that (I actually suspect combat in ME:A was like a test for Anthem), so it might hook me in just on that.

But the things they were saying about that you can play it solo is kinda BS, because of format of the encounters where you just deal with waves of enemies 24/7 makes it playing solo very boring, if the story mission in the demo an indicator of how they will be in full game. Story "focus" I think will be mostly BS too, but I found that conversations with some NPCs were pretty fun, they just don't seem to be about main story or such, just fun banter.

So I'd say this is like 50/50 game. You might like part of it or you don't.

I never thought the demo would be representative of anything good or truly indicative of how server performance will be after the first week or two.

Andromeda was the best playing mass effect and anthem definitely feels like mass effect with its combat. No debates there. I don’t love it and don’t hate it either.

Games like these have much more riding on the strengths of their gameplay to keep players engaged. For Bungie that was easier than for bethesda in fallout 76 or bioware for anthem. Their best talents were arguably elsewhere in narrative for instance so there’s a lot to prove.

What I’m not crazy about is that you cannot play solo in anthem at all it seems other than free roam and that seems limited to small sample of players too. You can play destiny “solo.” You can explore and play campaign stuff, or be in solo queue for many activities, or tackle challenges with less players than “suggested”

I do not always like being forced into matchmaking. Some players just run thru shit... I may want to take my time for whatever reason... explore, screw with my gear... whatever it is... I mean... you can’t even pause in these friggin games so the time has to come somewhere.

 

[h3ad0rZ]

I never thought the demo would be representative of anything good or truly indicative of how server performance will be after the first week or two.

.

Oh, I should've clarified that my bad impression wasn't because of server issues, I played it a bit later and it wasn't dropping so much. The problem was is that I tried to do first mission solo and it felt extremely boring because of its structure I mentioned, it definitely is planned for co-op even though they give you option to go private. Second mission I tried to co-op, but for some reason our party could not do any decent dagame to the boss and it was just impossible to kill him, then one guy went AFK. I thought "oh, so this where you need to grind gear or something", but the other time I tried that mission it went smoothly. So, I agree with the rest of your post

 

[ZywyPL]

BR isn't successful just because it's BR. There have already been a handful of BR games that have launched and failed in the last 12 months. It's not as much of a sure thing as you'd think (see Radical Heights).

You just prove my point, that it doesn't matter what type of a game you make, as long as it's good. There can be 10 Destiny-like games and everyone can have its piece of cake, as long as they are at least decent.[/QUOTE]

 

[Great Hair]

What do you think they're going to fundamentally change about the game in the next few weeks that won't make the core gameplay loop so dull?

In the snowy region in Anthem, they will add a ski resort. There we will be able to snowboard, ski a la Cool Boarders. In the desert part of the map, they will add a casino ... for real pennies, one can play virtual poker or blackjack.

It will spice up the monotonous gameplay a bit. Of course thanks to the Retro surge on going, you will find arcades placed in the world. Each of them having a different game and like in real life one has to stand in line to be able to play, only matters to those trophy hunters (100% plat).

Maybe they will add vehicles down the road, becuase they realized we ain't 6 anymore and flying thru a handcrafted map, skipping 69% of it ... was maybe not a smart idea/ "efficient time spending" and perhaps conceptually even wrong/flawed.

It´s like they gave you in WoW a flying pet right after the tutorial ... ; i dont see the game having an interesting story at all. But maybe over time with add. worlds? ... nah, it gonna be repetitive af.

 

[scydrex]

It's boring... Played Destiny on launch for 1 month and sold it. Tried the demo of Anthem wanted to try the gameplay and is the same thing as Destiny. Good bye Bioware... 5 years for this?

 

[Ramzy]

I love seeing people harping on and on about how we're dealing with Bioware and that the story will carry the game. I'll reserve my judgement until the game is released, but if games like Destiny are any indicator, story will amount to "that noise in the background while my friends are screaming over mic". Exposition through bland voices playing in your helmet doesn't make for quality story.

Of the gameplay i experienced, quests amounted to being sent off to some buttfuck location to fight waves of generic braindead enemies while waiting for XYZ to do ABC (I NEED TO HACK THE CONSOLE, COVER ME!), then upon completion you return to the hub to hand in the quest, get a passable cutscene, after which you're sent off to do the same thing again.

Again, i'll reserve judgement for the full release, but people need to lower their expectations because a nice story isn't going to carry a boring, repetitive game.

 

[Ten_Fold]

I’m just wondering why would they release this game soo close to apex? I mean apex is a really big deal right now and it’s F2P gonna be a hard sell for anyone to buy Anthem.

 

[Superkamikaze]

It's going to be a massive uphill battle for Bioware and Anthem. It will be endlessly compared to Destiny, and then The Division 2 releasing shortly after will probably be the nail in the coffin for Anthem if it's nothing short of incredible. So it essentially has to best 2 comparable games, on top of that Apex, which is the current gaming sphere darling gaining players and media buzz. GLWS

 

[v1oz]

Apex will provide the cover EA needs. I have a feeling without Apex, EA would be really screwed because I think Anthrm will flop.

Anthem looks to be another undercooked game that rushed to meet a targeted launch date whether it’s ready or not.

Both it and BF5, need another year.

Rushed? The game has been in development for many years. They were given plenty of time.

The demo had so many technical issues but let’s see how the release version ends up. And then with a few more post release patches it should turn out to be pretty decent. It’s not perfect by any means but it’s still a fun and enjoyable shooter.

 

[Crew 511A]

Anthem, and BFV BR are both dead on arrival as far as I can see. No way EA is wasting time with either of them with Apex racking in the funds.

 

[Ichabod]

Ever since I saw the first trailer I've been hoping (against my better judgement) that EA doesn't fuck it up. To say I'm cautiously optimistic about the release in a few weeks is an understatement. I watched Angry Joe play the demo for awhile and was pleasantly surprised how he started off dogging the game but was enjoying it by the end. I'm a sucker for loot whoring so if release impressions are decent, I'll definitely be taking the plunge.

 

[manfestival]

I thought the demo was OK. Lot's of things I personally had issues with. The demo eventually grew on me but that is because I actually enjoyed flowing in and out of combat and then creating a wild combo to blow things up. There were also issues in combat too but they were minor as their Mass Effect multiplayer pedigree is def showing.

 

[Hendrick's]

I very much enjoyed the demo, enough so to buy the game. If you played a cool Colossal build and were bored well then the problem isn't the game.

I don't have any faith in EA/Bioware's ability to maintain a game like this in the long run, though, but we'll see.

What's the problem then? For me it was the awful enemy AI and lack of narrative purpose.

 

[LucidFlux]

I got a feeling this game will not last. I wanted to like it but its basically another Destiny.

Was it the gameplay or what you perceive will be the end game grind that has you bored?

Because sure, I eventually got bored after ~12 or so hours of the demo (between both weekends) as it was pretty easy to max your character in the limited scope of the game we had access to, but this game already both feels and progresses much differently than Destiny. At least when it comes to the amount of meaningful content there should be to grind in the "end game". I'm bored to death of Destiny's end game and much prefer the more Diablo-esque progression system that Anthem seems to be following.

We won't know for sure until a few weeks in how it'll play out, on top of how quickly BW is able to add additional end game chases and activities which will dictate the longevity.

 

[DonF]

Looks like the haters thread

I played both closed alpha and the demo. Dont discard opinions just by labeling it as haters and leave. At least try to defend the game, that is, if you feel like it.

I agree that the game is an uninspired mess. I can't believe bioware worked on that for 5+ years.
The only cool aspect is the flying, but I can't help but think that this would have been a great singleplayer game instead of a destiny/the division wannabe. That genre is almost dead.

 

[Halo is Back]

Was it the gameplay or what you perceive will be the end game grind that has you bored?

Because sure, I eventually got bored after ~12 or so hours of the demo (between both weekends) as it was pretty easy to max your character in the limited scope of the game we had access to, but this game already both feels and progresses much differently than Destiny. At least when it comes to the amount of meaningful content there should be to grind in the "end game". I'm bored to death of Destiny's end game and much prefer the more Diablo-esque progression system that Anthem seems to be following.

We won't know for sure until a few weeks in how it'll play out, on top of how quickly BW is able to add additional end game chases and activities which will dictate the longevity.

I played for an hour and a half and have no desire to touch the game again

 

[yet_another_alt]

I’m just wondering why would they release this game soo close to apex? I mean apex is a really big deal right now and it’s F2P gonna be a hard sell for anyone to buy Anthem.

If anything people were asking why Apex Legends was releasing so close to Anthem. People thought it was being sent to die like Titanfall 2. It wouldn't surprise me if even EA thought Apex Legends was going to flop. Came out of nowhere, no hype leading to release, in a genre completely dominated by a single game despite heavy competition.

 

[Woo-Fu]

What's the problem then? For me it was the awful enemy AI and lack of narrative purpose.

The problem is you want a different game. Nothing wrong with that, Anthem just isn't for you. Looking for story in a vertical slice is kind of strange, though. You did get quite a bit in the quests that were there, guess you didn't find that narrative interesting.

 

[N00bWarrior]

even watch it on the stream is boring.

 

[SkinnerSw33t]

I was kind of getting down on it, but that three-act roadmap as well as some of the recent tweets are getting me excited again.

We'll see what happens. I have the first week paid for at any rate.

VertigoOA

BioWare has said you can play everything solo and apparently at every level.

It was just turned off for strongholds during the demo.

 

[Voost Kain]

Looks like EA might have to release the Sims 5 a bit early to make up for all these flops.

Of course that's just assuming that the game would flop, the thread surely seems like it's already decided Anthem has flopped...Before release...

 

[LucidFlux]

I played for an hour and a half and have no desire to touch the game again

Doesn't answer my question, what exactly turned you off of it?

 

[Northeastmonk]

Why not blame the investors? Everyone wants their own BR, Fortnite, P2P GaaS because those people are the ones taking in all the money and Twitch views.

It probably boils down to someone got rich off a gametype, trends started to follow, and now there's an over saturation flooding the market. The online communities practically mimick one another. They could all have the same job requirements based on social media platforms. They're the ones adapting to society and the medium. They aren't changing anything. So I don't expect their next tune to be all that different just because it's PvE with cosmetic MTX.

I'll play Anthem. I'm not going to hate on it. I just don't think investors really care that they didn't top ME1-3, KOTOR, or Baldur's Gate. They want money and maybe those in control are just too lazy to stand out.

Who is to say the next Dragon Age is the best entry to date.

 

[dorkimoe]

I only played the beta for about 15 minutes. I didnt like not being able to see my loot in a mission or inventory or whatever. I will play the game when its like $29 bucks

 

[AfricanKing]

You guys already playing the full release?

They must have that "EA Access Premiere Delux Sacrifice your Newborn Edition"

The game ain't out yet people need to chill abit

 

[Halo is Back]

Doesn't answer my question, what exactly turned you off of it?

Hmmm lets see. Entire loop of game. Go to areas that you have already been to kill hordes of mindless enemies in a game world devoid of any meaningful interaction other than shooting things in the face all in the name to get more lot so you can do the same thing over and over and over and over again in the same locations to get more loot so you can do the same thing slightly more efficient. Exploring the world of Anthem is like going to an open house. It looks very pretty and nice and you can walk around it but there is nothing meaningful in the house. Its just an empty shell. Why would I spend $60 on a game where other games can do everything better than Anthem.

 

[Halo is Back]

They must have that "EA Access Premiere Delux Sacrifice your Newborn Edition"

The game ain't out yet people need to chill abit

Its a demo. A demo is supposed to sell you on a game. Why the hell would I spend $60 on a game that Im not initially impressed with and only confirmed my fears.

 

[AfricanKing]

Its a demo. A demo is supposed to sell you on a game. Why the hell would I spend $60 on a game that Im not initially impressed with and only confirmed my fears.

As you said .. it's just a demo. A very old demo before the game went gold . The logical thing to do is wait for the reviews most likely dropping by the end of this week.

 

[Halo is Back]

As you said .. it's just a demo. A very old demo before the game went gold . The logical thing to do is wait for the reviews most likely dropping by the end of this week.

A demo is supposed to sell you a game. It did not. Also why the hell would you use old ass code to represent your game? Sounds like you are just making excuses for a game that will be mediocre at best.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

I feel like, if the game had another year in the oven, it could be great. Heck, maybe it still will be. But, what with the downgrade and all the "not at launch" replies on their AMA, it's got a rough road ahead of it. (Edit: Not to mention their EA overlords.)

 

[LucidFlux]

Hmmm lets see. Entire loop of game. Go to areas that you have already been

I hadn't been to Bastion before lol jk, but I see what you're saying but to be fair we only had a small section of the map open to explore and seeing as how the end game revolves around difficulty setting the whole thing is open for you to switch up the scenery when you get bored. Just about every other game I've played involves the same 1 or 2 end game activities so are subject to going to areas you've already been.

kill hordes of mindless enemies in a game world devoid of any meaningful interaction other than shooting things in the face

This is kinda the whole schtick of the genre tbh, but I guess you're not a diablo fan and I do remember reading that the world itself would be more populated than the demo was.

all in the name to get more lot so you can do the same thing over and over and over and over again in the same locations to get more loot so you can do the same thing slightly more efficient.

I mean this is pretty true for the vanilla content of nearly any game until new locations/dungeons/raids are added.

Exploring the world of Anthem is like going to an open house. It looks very pretty and nice and you can walk around it but there is nothing meaningful in the house. Its just an empty shell.

Can't really comment on this until I play the full game myself but it is a concern of mine as well, however like I mentioned the launch game world was said to be more populated than the demos.

Why would I spend $60 on a game where other games can do everything better than Anthem.

Well if you're on PC you don't need to spend the full $60 to try it out, but if not, and $60 is too much for you to gamble on something you're unsure of then I understand. Genuinely curious, what other games are doing everything Anthem is doing but better? I'm not a fan of cover shooters so unfortunately the Division is out for me, and kinda tired of the Destiny end game. I have probably 10 years combined in WoW, SWTOR, and Diablo to give you an idea of what games I lean towards.

 

[shark sandwich]

I was hyped for this game but the demo killed my excitement. I only played for 2 hours. Still haven’t completely ruled out playing it at some point, but I felt really turned off. Things I didn’t like:

- lots of loading screens

- you’re mostly just rushing from one waypoint to the next with your jet pack. The environments are beautiful but the traversal makes them feel small and unappreciated

- bullet sponge bosses

- sorting through a pile of mostly useless loot at the end of a mission felt so bland and same-y

- flying controls w/mouse were atrocious

- seems like much of the story is revealed through radio chatter during your missions, one of the worst ways possible to tell a story IMO

- your character’s detached, self-aware “meta” humor is really offputting and kills the mood


So I dunno. I’ll read some detailed reviews and impressions in the coming weeks and decide if I want to give it another shot. But I can’t help feeling disappointed now.

 

[Halo is Back]

I hadn't been to Bastion before lol jk, but I see what you're saying but to be fair we only had a small section of the map open to explore and seeing as how the end game revolves around difficulty setting the whole thing is open for you to switch up the scenery when you get bored. Just about every other game I've played involves the same 1 or 2 end game activities so are subject to going to areas you've already been.



This is kinda the whole schtick of the genre tbh, but I guess you're not a diablo fan and I do remember reading that the world itself would be more populated than the demo was.



I mean this is pretty true for the vanilla content of nearly any game until new locations/dungeons/raids are added.



Can't really comment on this until I play the full game myself but it is a concern of mine as well, however like I mentioned the launch game world was said to be more populated than the demos.



Well if you're on PC you don't need to spend the full $60 to try it out, but if not, and $60 is too much for you to gamble on something you're unsure of then I understand. Genuinely curious, what other games are doing everything Anthem is doing but better? I'm not a fan of cover shooters so unfortunately the Division is out for me, and kinda tired of the Destiny end game. I have probably 10 years combined in WoW, SWTOR, and Diablo to give you an idea of what games I lean towards.

I liked Diablo 3 though. I don't think you really understand when I say that the locations and enemies are the same. Take Destiny for example, you have a hub world, and free roam world. The free roam world is populated with small pockets of enemies always at the same locations doing nothing. Most game at least offer the illusion that you are trying something different to keep the gameplay fresh. Take Diablo 3 for example. All of the levels are randomly generated but they are still different, same with the hordes of enemies. In left for dead 2 and 1 there was an AI director that would always change the number and variety of enemies every match keeping it fresh. Games like Destiny and the Division have no shame and make very little effort to make old encounters feel fresh.

 

[bati]

It'll make money. Numbers will be high for the first month, they'll report a healthy a game and publish slick looking roadmaps and teaser images for future content. They'll promise patches to fix the rocky console performance and slew of weird bugs that get exploited by the day 1 buyers. The marketing worked. The pre-orders were secured. Life is good. The front page of GAF has 6 Anthem threads and no-one minds.

Then comes month 3 and Kotaku runs a story about the drastically dropping player numbers. Is Anthem dying? Gasp. Is Anthem...a failure? The community is shocked and appalled to find that the game launched with little content, no endgame and shallow progressions systems. Everyone has seen everything the game has to offer. The roadmap gets republished. Nobody cares.

Month 4 and nobody is talking about the game anymore. Buyer's remorse is the theme of the day. How did we fall for it again? Online shooter rpgs and their damn marketing! But it's ok. We won't make that mistake again. Right? Right. Somewhere a small marketing team meets to confidently discuss the upcoming Anthem expansion. GAAS knows its audience.

Don't worry, the expansion will fix everything.

This, to the letter. Except the part about Kotaku - my bet is they'll run damage control articles, talking about how diminishing playerbase is actually better for the health of the game.

 

[Kamina]

As you said .. it's just a demo. A very old demo before the game went gold . The logical thing to do is wait for the reviews most likely dropping by the end of this week.

And of course these revious will be totally unbiased and totally not financially “supported” by EA.

 

[LucidFlux]

I liked Diablo 3 though. I don't think you really understand when I say that the locations and enemies are the same. Take Destiny for example, you have a hub world, and free roam world. The free roam world is populated with small pockets of enemies always at the same locations doing nothing. Most game at least offer the illusion that you are trying something different to keep the gameplay fresh. Take Diablo 3 for example. All of the levels are randomly generated but they are still different, same with the hordes of enemies. In left for dead 2 and 1 there was an AI director that would always change the number and variety of enemies every match keeping it fresh. Games like Destiny and the Division have no shame and make very little effort to make old encounters feel fresh.

Huh, now it's been a few years but yes, Diablo does have randomly generated rifts with random enemies, but to me they all felt generally the same (hardly changed my gameplay approach) and was exactly what you don't seem to like about these other games (large pockets of enemies just siting there doing nothing), but I still loved the game for the game play itself, creating various builds, grinding better and better gear and the progression system.

 

[Raven117]

Different strokes, different folks, I think it looks fun. Played the demo, and if some of the technical issues get ironed out, I can see myself enjoying the content.

I really don't understand the push back on this game. The movement is fairly unique (a bit Warframe, but still, its not like that has been done to death), the abilities synergizing in a "shooter" type game is different from Destiny or Division (more akin to Diablo, but way more fun because Diablo's game play to me is not fun), The artdesign has promise and feels a bit different. And I guess we will see about the story. The enviromental color palete is a indeed what some folks say is "generic" but already the verticality and even more of the strongholds/caves, provide a different spin.

I also think it will sell well (to EA expectations, I don't know). While the online forums are a bit sour on it as most of them skew towards the older Bioware fans, I think for the more casual, this will do fine.