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Spring Shared World Shooter Showdown (Anthem vs Division 2)
- Thread starter NattyBo
- Start date
Really torn on this. Being a lapsed BioWare fan, I was cheering Anthem on, but that VIP Demo was terrible. Can't believe they released that disaster demo as representative of the final product. Love Anthem's potential and have Origin Access so I'll give it one last 10 hour shot to pull me in. Currently in the Division 2 beta and while it looks nicer and more polished than the original, I haven't yet noticed much else in difference from Division 1 other than superficial setting/weather. Still a bit heavy handed and concerning with the whole Tom Clancy brand of dated empty, if pandering, patriotism that the first Division had. Not too comfortable gunning down fellow Americans even in an apocalyptic event. Might just stick to Destiny's aliens, MHW's dinosaurs, and smart ass Apex Legends.
Getting Anthem. Enjoyed the demo once I got past the technical issues. Might get Division 2 down the line but none of my friends were interested in the first, I didn't really enjoy it solo, and they don't seem interested in Division 2 at all.
The Division 2 is just the better game. Sure, Anthem has the whole Iron Man thing and flashy spells, but it is antiquated in many ways that became even more apparant after playing TD2 beta. TD2 feels like an actual world, Anthem feels like a bunch arena maps sandwiched between loading screens.
I'll get both, but I might stick with Division 2 longer. Seems like the developers mapped out their content and are confident in it. BioWare is running circles around their endgame and MTX offerings.
Tried both through the betas/demos. Anthem was frustrating at times with the bugs and such, but it was pretty solid. I have Origin Premier so I get it either way.
Division 2 seems like more of Division 1, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have to play it more before I decide whether to pick it up day 1 or not.
Division 2 seems like more of Division 1, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have to play it more before I decide whether to pick it up day 1 or not.
After playing the Betas of both, neither are day 1, probably earliest I'd get either is late this year. Division 2 I liked more, but I dunno, seemed very similar to the first which I didn't really like too much. I have a fuck load more faith in Ubi supporting it long term than I do EA with Anthem too.
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Good point, Anthem's MTX model is concerning. A large part of the fun in Destiny, MHW, Diablo, etc (loot games) is building up cool looking characters, making the cosmetics a premium good risks depleting the motivation to replay (grind) content for a cool new helm or whatever.
The Division 2 for me, I really liked the first one and the beta was a blast. Anthem's demo turned me off completely.
While the Division 2 is the better beta, I wouldn't 100% write off Anthem's story telling already.
At first I was gonna go with The Division 2, but after playing the beta I came to the conclusion that it's more of the same on-foot shoot/cover/shoot gameplay that it was in the first game. Which isn't bad, but gameplay variety and even enemies get a little samey after a while, this coming from someone who poured hundreds of hours into the first game. With Anthem even if it's the team's first foray into the genre, the sky is the limit when it comes to the type of enemies you will encounter over the next few months. There are cool abilities, different types of builds from the way they look to the way they play... It's gonna be cool to be a part of a new community too and an evolving story telling experience, and discover new things with everyone as time goes by. Anthem it is for me.
I don't really think the story telling will be a problem. And the minute to minute gameplay doesn't bother me either. I just have a huge problem with a lot of the questionable design decisions, many of which can't be changed, that drag the game down.
Both Destiny and The Division feel like their worlds, the story and questing, the free roaming, and gameplay all form a cohesive package that just fit. Anthem just feels seperated. Free roam is seperate from questing, everything is seperated by multiple loading screens (including mid mission), and then there is an entirely seperate area thats a quest hub, and another section that just a place to interact with gear and loot. The first time I finished a quest, hit a loading screen, got to the loot menu, hit a loading screen, got to the hub, hit a loading screen, and could finally swap gear I knew it wasn't for me. It's just far too much nonsense for what should be a single button press away. And every activity in the game is like this in some form or fashion, which is a bummer because they had other games they could look to and see how to do it right. I mean even if you hate the other games in this genre, there's no denying that the way you access the content in those games is far superior to Anthem.
This is exactly how I feel. I was sure that Anthem would grab instantly, but the awful demo weekends killed it for me along the weak gunplay, the terrible braindead AI and especially the never ending loading screens after every action.
Then I felt div2 would get me since i like third person cover shooters, but... it was kinda boring ? I am somewhat enjoying it, but also feel kinda nothing at the same time. Also the beta on ps4 pro is really poor.
Then came Apex... and then I was really addicted lol. Feels more polished then both combined. These shared world looter games take a lot time until they get good. Best is to wait to see how things unfold.
I totally agree on the menus. I played Destiny 2 and the Division at launch and it's amazing how much better their inventory and game area loading systems are compared to the Anthem Open Beta. I wonder how much of Anthem's problems are result of simply poor design vs technical limitations of say Frostbite and the other tools they're working with.
As excited as I am for the lore of Anthem I freely admit the only reason I'm getting it at launch is because I have nearly the full price of the game in my EA wallet and I have nothing else I want to spend it now or in the forcible future. Well, that and I'm a weak willed Bioware / Black Isle Studios / Obsidian Entertainment fan girl with a friend that's getting the game.
As for the Division 2, totally on board. My crew spent so much time in the first game and the second seems to be more of the same, in a good way, with improved gun play.
For the time being it'll be The Division 2. I trust Massive have a good road-map for future content going forward since this will be their second time around with this sort of game. Ubi in general have shown fantastic support for their GAAS titles across this gen and I expect The Division 2 to be no different.
Anthem right now is just a big question mark to me. I've lost a lot of trust in BioWare (and especially EA) over the last few years so I'm not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt just yet. The demo, while fun, didn't wow me enough to make want to go out and pick up the game day one - I'll be waiting to see how the game is faring in 3-6 months.
Anthem right now is just a big question mark to me. I've lost a lot of trust in BioWare (and especially EA) over the last few years so I'm not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt just yet. The demo, while fun, didn't wow me enough to make want to go out and pick up the game day one - I'll be waiting to see how the game is faring in 3-6 months.
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I had pre-ordered Division 2, after playing the demo and experiencing the same thing I did in D1 with a lackluster end game mission (boring, then just a slog on hard). I can unequivocally say that while I'm worried about Anthem's end game, it was far more fun to play.
Anthem for me. All my friends, while enjoying Division 1, are going Anthem. We all played in the beta, and loved it.
Not Division 2. I find something deeply strange about shooting many, many bullets into human beings with long health bars / high levels.
It works for aliens with space weapons, but not in an otherwise grounded Earth setting.
It works for aliens with space weapons, but not in an otherwise grounded Earth setting.
Still can't decide, but probably Anthem just because it comes out first and I never played Div1, so I'd constantly feel I would miss a huge clunk of story, lore and explanation for Div2.
Agreed, if I had to pick it would be Division but neither got my interest.
I really need to pick up D2 again. But the forges seem really grindy.
Anthem at day one for sure.
The Division 2 is going to depend from my friends, if we find Anthe a little light in content we may pick up TD2 on day 1, if Anthem will keep us busy we'll pick up TD2 at the first Anthem content drought.
At one point only one game will probably bore us, so having 2 GAAS to play maybe will be good
The Division 2 is going to depend from my friends, if we find Anthe a little light in content we may pick up TD2 on day 1, if Anthem will keep us busy we'll pick up TD2 at the first Anthem content drought.
At one point only one game will probably bore us, so having 2 GAAS to play maybe will be good
I think I might go with Division 2 because I have been craving something a bit more grounded and modern in shooters lately. I really liked what I played of Anthem but I think it might be lacking in content and I'm worried about their mtx schemes. The Division is a known quantity and they have likely learned from their mistakes in the first game.
I got Anthem on a deep discount, but I'm way more excited about The Division 2. Especially after playing some this weekend in the beta.
Both. I already paid for them and got them for cheaper then normal, so might as well play them. Worst case I drop both after a week.
Looking forward to the Division 2 more, just because I can't think of a single one of these that hasn't been a complete balancing/content trainwreck at launch and BioWare have a really bad habit of including a good 5 boneheaded design decisions per game.
But I'm definitely grabbing Anthem on release because I like the genre and I like the concepts they've shown -- I suspect there's more than enough room for both in the market because these loot shooters have a terrible time of generating enough content for the player base. So it'll be good to go back and forth between the two.
A month should be more than enough time to power through Anthem's base content in time for The Division 2's launch.
But I'm definitely grabbing Anthem on release because I like the genre and I like the concepts they've shown -- I suspect there's more than enough room for both in the market because these loot shooters have a terrible time of generating enough content for the player base. So it'll be good to go back and forth between the two.
A month should be more than enough time to power through Anthem's base content in time for The Division 2's launch.
Divisions for now is the safer bet. You know what
Just before you click this thread actually!
Just before you click this thread actually!
Depending if I'm able to upgrade my PC, both as AMD are offering a copy of Division 2 with CPU purchases, otherwise just Anthem. I've got the 99p month of Origin Access to try out Anthem, if I like it I'll get a Premier subscription, but I've cooled a bit on it after the beta so I'll just see how I get on with it.
Anthem because mech suits are rad and the combat mechanics remind me of ME3 multiplayer which I adored.
Getting both, enjoyed the beta for both, and have a group of friends to play both. Some friends are more open to one over the other, and I suppose I favor Anthem more. Division 2 looks like a more refined version of the same, which is fine enough for me.
Anthem's beta was more glitch-prone with the infinite load issue, but I really do enjoy what the flying adds to combat, and that loot gives you different javelin abilities vs. just damage numbers on the same ones. Also, part of the fun of these games is customizing your avatar, and Division's loot is aesthetically boring vs. Anthem letting you customize down to material patterns.
Anthem's beta was more glitch-prone with the infinite load issue, but I really do enjoy what the flying adds to combat, and that loot gives you different javelin abilities vs. just damage numbers on the same ones. Also, part of the fun of these games is customizing your avatar, and Division's loot is aesthetically boring vs. Anthem letting you customize down to material patterns.
And on the plus side, if you like both games, they are significantly different enough to keep you from burning out on one particular style.
I'll wait for Division 2 reviews before I purchase. I had a major issue with the enemies being bullet sponges and those stupid shotgun enemies that would run up and one shot you. Saw a bit of the gameplay and it looks pretty good but I need to see the endgame.
I already bought Anthem and so have 4 of my friends so we'll be playing day one.
I already bought Anthem and so have 4 of my friends so we'll be playing day one.
I was gonna say "why isn't there a neither option" before I realised all that would do is encourage people not interested in either to come in and shit up the thread with their need to tell everyone just how much they aren't interested.
Both for me! Enjoyed both betas, although to my own surprise found myself playing much more of the Anthem demos.
Both for me! Enjoyed both betas, although to my own surprise found myself playing much more of the Anthem demos.