PAX West delivered the Anthem demo date announcement, among other news for Bioware's upcoming shared world third person shooter/RPG.

　　The Anthem demo will be available on all platforms starting February 1st to those who have pre-ordered the game. PC and Xbox One gamers have an alternate way of getting in, though, and that's an active subscription to Origin Access or EA Access, respectively.

　　Bioware didn't just stop at revealing the Anthem demo date, anyway. They also fully described their concept of combining a shared world and a single player story into the same experience, as previously hinted by General Manager Casey Hudson.

　　There's a brand new trailer to explain it all. Anthem will launch on February 22nd, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

　　At the heart of Anthem is a unique concept called Our World, My Story. It forms the foundation for how Anthem combines a shared world and a personal single-player story into one seamless experience.

　　

Our World

One of the great things about Anthem is that its shared world is able to sync weather, day/night cycles, and even large-scale events for every player around the globe (through the use of dedicated servers). So when your friend on the other hemisphere is in your group, you can be sure that they’re seeing the same environments that you are. That’s important because there may be certain events that only trigger in daytime or nighttime.

　　This is the “Our World” part of Our World, My Story. Imagine you’re out in the world on a mission, it’s dark and it’s storming. It messes with your visibility and you and your friends experience it all at the exact same time. This creates real “Did you see that?” moments that emphasize the importance of camaraderie and triumphing as one. You can jump into an in-game party with friends and help them take on their own missions, or choose to explore the Anthem world at your own pace and go looking for your next adventure together.

　　The world of Anthem is dynamic, and it will undergo huge transformations as the game goes forward. So how do you provide that and still give players a meaningful single-player narrative? Well, that’s where “My Story” comes in.

　　

My Story

When you return to Fort Tarsis, you step into your own single-player experience. Here you'll develop your relationships, make choices, and see the consequences of your actions. As your decisions weigh on the world around you, the people of Fort Tarsis will react to your presence accordingly. They’ll remember how you’ve interacted with them before, and they might not be too happy about it.

　　You'll also get to regroup with your crew, getting to know them a little bit better as you progress. Your crew tags along in the strider, your towering mobile base of operations, but here in Fort Tarsis they’ve got the chance to stretch their legs between missions. As other characters in the game come to trust you they will reveal more of their personal history, as well as additional story details that you may not see otherwise.

　　As you explore the city-fortress, you'll come in contact with agents seeking your aid as a Freelancer. These agent missions will take you deeper into the factions that operate within the world of Anthem, and open up new avenues of relationships with the agents themselves. Each adventure you complete will give you a better sense of the factions around you, as well as your responsibilities as a Freelancer.

　　And once you’ve had your chance to explore, pick up new missions and contracts, and maybe even give your javelins a new paint job, you can head back into the wilds of Anthem again.

　　

Our World, My Story

Our World, My Story is key to the Anthem experience. The larger world is shaped by shared, dynamic, world-scale events, while individual players still have the freedom to make the world their own through personal choices.

　　Developing your personal story adds to the missions you can take into the shared world, and your achievements in the shared world will add to the depth of your personal story. These two halves of Our World, My Story are seamlessly knit together, creating a richer experience for every Freelancer.

　　The fate of Fort Tarsis, the Freelancers, and ultimately humanity rests on your shoulders, and it’s up to you to decide how you’ll proceed on this journey through the unfinished world of Anthem.