I've sunk a lot of hours into Anthem. I have however stopped playing. Simply put, there's nothing to do, and no content that provides value. At the heart of any loot-shooter is the need for a sense of progression, and this is largely drawn from items you obtain to gain incremental improvements. Not only that, but there's a need for repeatable, challenging, and rewarding content. Where The Division 2 has Missions, Bounties, Strongholds, Raids (soon!), Control Points, World Events (such as Territory Control), Dark Zones and dozens of secrets through exploration (Exotic Weapons, Masks!), Anthem has 3 Strongholds and a handful of repetitive Legendary Contracts.
A further difference between the two is the fact Anthem has no valuable loot. Its entire loot system is nonsense, and you are poorly rewarded for anything you do. Not only that, but there's still no attribute screen, and the world isn't worth exploring (unlike The Division 2, there's nothing bloody in it).
So what does the new update bring? Well, there's a new Stronghold called The Sunken Cell, and there's some quality of life improvements and bug fixes:
- Added the ability to select contracts from the start of expedition screen rather than going to the individual contract boards in Fort Tarsis or in the Launch Bay.
- Added the ability to launch a new mission from the end of expedition screen without having to return to Fort Tarsis or the Launch Bay.
- Added the ability to access the Forge during Missions, Strongholds and Freeplay. You can now change your gear without having to return to Fort Tarsis or the Launch Bay!
Despite the new Stronghold looking great, it's mechanically the same as we've had before, with the same enemies, and offers no improved loot, cosmetics, guilds or masteries. What, then, is the point?
The Sunken Cell stronghold is now live – enter the stronghold with your fellow Freelancers to put an end to the Dominion’s deadly plans.
— Anthem (@anthemgame) April 23, 2019
Read the full patch notes here: https://t.co/A2Q9JfoBWa pic.twitter.com/dGf7NCQgjv
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Anthem Game Page.
