During a panel at PAX West this year, BioWare revealed several juicy details about the studio’s approach to storytelling with their upcoming science-fiction title, Anthem. They even divulged information in regards to character customization, story progression, and online matchmaking. In addition to the news on Anthem’s narrative, the team revealed exactly how the game’s central hub – Fort Tarsis – shapes it.

Aside from being the designated rest area between missions, Fort Tarsis offers players a chance to progress in the game’s main story and its branching narratives. There are a wide variety of characters and relationships to pursue (not romances…yet), and the choices players make breed consequences. Despite being a science-fiction shooter, it still maintains the role-playing features BioWare is renown for (i.e. Mass Effect and Dragon Age).

It is in Fort Tarsis that players can interact with characters and complete missions based on their requests. Develop interpersonal connections with the inhabitants of the living and reactive world of Anthem. The retrieved missions are completed beyond the walls and barriers of the hub, where the Freelancers (the players) can accomplish them. Each opportunity for exploration hides “lore treasures” and codexes awaiting discovery, to dive head-first into the complex new world BioWare has created.

Despite the fact that romance won’t be included in Anthem right off the bat, there’s hope that the studio will include it down the line. The team leaves the core game purposefully open-ended to give way for more opportunities that expand Anthem’s story and its relateable characters. Expect content updates and DLC after launch even years down the line.

Based on the juicy details released for Anthem during PAX West this year, what are your thoughts on the future of the game and BioWare? Are you excited for character customizations and online matchmaking? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or start a conversation on DFTG Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here’s some of our latest:

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Anthem arrives February 22nd, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.