Bioware Releases Anthem Update 1.2.0 and Cataclysm News
Written by Jonathan Lee, May 31, 2019. Tweet to: @Writerscube
Bioware Hard at Work on Anthem
Even with Bioware’s attempts at transparent communication and multiple updates for Anthem, it has been struggling with a fan base that’s slowly but surely leaking away. However, after EA made it clear that they were not going to give up on Anthem, loyal players expected to see more updates, and of course, the long-awaited Cataclysm Event that was slated for May on the Development Roadmap. Unfortunately, the Cataclysm has since been delayed. This makes sense though when one takes into account how Bioware has been working hard to combat both the preexisting bugs and bugs that arise from solutions made. It takes a lot of time, and they’ve likely been prioritizing fixing things before churning out new content that may or may not have issues.
For almost a whole month, Bioware went virtually silent on any updates or developmental progress for Anthem. Understandably, players were concerned. But after breaking their silence on May 29, Bioware has presented us with not only an update to further patch things up, but they’ve since also given us a look at what we can expect for the still-upcoming Cataclysm Event. (For PC players, there’s a little special something for you regarding the upcoming Cataclysm.)
Meet Update 1.2.0
As far as the update is concerned, some much needed improvements have been implemented. Some of my favorites were for Freeplay. The compass now will indicate when you are near a collectible item, making it easier for achievement hunters and item collectors alike. Fast Travel has also been added, allowing Freelancers to hop from strider to strider in the Freeplay map. And my top fave involves one of the biggest issues that Anthem has faced: Loot. In Freeplay, players will now see a “purple target icon to show an area where an enemy that is guaranteed to drop loot will appear.” That’s not all—you will also see a “white target icon” for the enemy that’s carrying the loot. Sounds like Bioware has been listening to the ongoing loot complaints and is trying to get the loot flowing a little better. We’ll see how well this works out.
There’s also been a large number of updates for the javelins, Strongholds, Fort Tarsis, and more. For the complete list, I would recommend checking it out right here on EA’s own Anthem page.
The Cataclysm is Still Coming
Along with the update, Bioware released a new Developer Livestream showcasing what they had going so far for the Cataclysm Event. In the video, Ben Irving and Jesse Anderson discuss about what’s going to be in the Cataclysm for players. According to the video presentation, we can look forward to an eight-week long event. The first two of the eight weeks will consist of “pre-events”, followed by six weeks of the actual Cataclysm event.
Judging from what’s shown in the video, it looks like players will be finding themselves in areas that have been engulfed in some sort of storm, probably Shaper-related. It would seem that the Cataclysm instances will provide players with scoring, leaderboards, and most important, new loot. That’s right, folks. New loot, including Masterwork and Legendary Support Gear! There are various ways that players will be able to come out victorious, and it sounds like Bioware’s aiming to make this event accessible for all player levels. How much of this comes to fruition depends on the next part: testing and player feedback. It’s made clear that what was shown was still a work-in-progress, so there’s no telling what the full public version of the Cataclysm Event is going to be like. However, it looks like the prospects of a real nice event are looking up.
Be Heard on the Anthem Public Test Server
It was also announced that PC gamers would be first to try the Cataclysm out in Anthem’s own Public Test Server. With that, players will get to give Bioware feedback on what they like or don’t like about the Cataclysm. And with luck, Bioware will have it all in tip-top shape when it becomes available for all. This is an excellent move by Bioware. It provides another avenue for Bioware to communicate with players and to better improve the game.
Final Thoughts
Bioware’s moving in the right direction. What’s going to matter is how effective and how quick they move. The player base has certainly taken a hit. Some players have complained that even with the supposed matchmaking optimization that’s been implemented, it is still taking too long. Personally, most of my matches take roughly one to three minutes. I did have two occasions where matchmaking took me almost five to eight minutes, however.
In light of Bioware’s efforts to improve the game and make sure that they deliver as good of a Cataclysm Event as possible, I’m maintaining my optimism. I sincerely enjoy this game very much and would like to see it make a big comeback. With luck, when the Cataclysm Event kicks off for the public, the player base will find that second wave and there will be a revitalization of both faith and enthusiasm for Anthem.
