Anthem, the online open-world action roleplaying game from BioWare and EA, is set to release its first major patch including an overhaul to its loot system. The drastic changes are coming amid a flurry of negative reviews and comments following the game’s launch, many of which were dissatisfied specifically with how the game implemented player loot.
In response to the clamor of its players, Anthem is taking a multifaceted approach to improving and overhauling the current loot system. First, the game will modify how Inscriptions work. Prior to the patch, inscriptions worked similar to weapon mods that amplified a weapon’s stat bonuses and damage amplifiers. However, players complained that most of the inscriptions they were picking up were almost useless to their equipment and play styles. After the update, Inscriptions will provide a bonus to the player’s Javelin, their in-game exo-suit that defines their roles and abilities.
Anthem is also overhauling the rarity of its loot drops. After level 30, players will stop receiving common and uncommon items. This increases the chance of enemies dropping rarer and higher-tier loot at higher levels.
Anthem has a had a rough first week, with a shaky launch and mixed responses from the gaming community. Although it is to be expected of a game to have bugs and problems at launch, what concerned most players is how the game felt almost incomplete, with many obvious features and gameplay enhancement improvements absent from the game at launch. However, if BioWare continues to listen to its player-base, and build, rebuild, and overhaul its systems according to what its players want and need, then I have high hopes that Anthem will one day be every bit the game it should have been.
It’s unclear when the major patch will go live, but as it stands, the game is at version 1.04 after the minor bug fixes and changes released earlier today.
