BioWare's work on Anthem was a disappointment, to say the least. Eager to please a wide audience, the studio tried to mix its single-player narrative expertise with an open-world-like looter shooter. The result was a game that mixed aspects of both genres with very mediocre results. After middling reception and 2 years of lackluster content drops, all of Anthem's future development plans were halted on February 2021.
But that isn't to say everything in Anthem was bad. Getting to control Javelins was one of the best things about the game. Outfitted in Iron Man-like suits of armor, players would hurdle themselves off the walls of Fort Tarsis and into the unknown lands past it. The joy of flying in Anthem was quite possibly the game's biggest saving grace, so much so that EA and BioWare should recycle the flight mechanics for a different title.
Flying in Anthem Was Mostly Liberating
Controlling a Javelin's flight systems is quite intuitive. Once a Javelin is off the ground (either by jumping or falling off a high ledge), players can press a single button to activate hover mode. This allows them to get a lay of the land and decide which way to go. By pointing the camera in the desired direction and pressing the sprint button, they can then propel their Javelin forward at breakneck speeds.
The type of Javelin players control determines their flight behaviors. The Colossus, being the heaviest, moves much slower than the other Javelins and is harder to redirect in mid-air. The Ranger has average speed and maneuverability, seeing as it is the jack of all trades of the Javelin classes. The Interceptor is the quickest and most agile Javelin and can mix up to three jumps in between its bursts of speed. Lastly, the Storm doesn't overheat as fast considering its role as a mage requires it to be able to cast multiple spells at a distance. There are gameplay segments in Anthem where players need to make use of their Javelins' flight capabilities, but luckily all the Javelin classes can complete them without too much difficulty.
Speaking of the Storm's overheat mechanic, all the Javelins' flight systems work on an overheat meter. Flying for too long will cause a Javelin to overheat which will eventually cause them to crash land. While there is no fall damage in Anthem, players will want to keep an eye out for bodies of water and waterfalls that they can use to cool their Javelins' flight systems. Overheating used to be a constant problem in the game but because of player feedback, BioWare increased the amount of time players could remain airborne in their Javelins before needing to take a dip or land to cool their flight systems.
Anthem's Flight Mechanics Are Too Good To Throw Away
It is hard to describe how fun and intuitive Anthem's flight mechanics are to someone who hasn't tried them firsthand, but anyone who has played the game can attest how flying was one of the good things about it. With this being said, it would be a shame if EA and BioWare discarded the mechanics as they did with the overall game. There are so many franchises that could make use of good humanoid flight mechanics, some of which BioWare has worked with or even owns.
A Star Wars game starring a Mandalorian with the group's iconic armor and jet pack would be a fine idea, as would another Mass Effect title that makes use of the series' sci-fi themes and technology. There is no shortage of possibilities when it comes to finding a place for Anthem's flying mechanics, be they of the sci-fi genre or something else entirely. Considering how many studios are under EA's wing, it would be relatively easy for the publisher to find another set of developers who could use and even refine one of Anthem's best aspects.
Anthem is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
