The steps to improving the overall design of BioWare’s loot shooter are underway. Anthem update 1.1.0 not only adds a new stronghold for higher-level players to fly into, but the developers have also streamlined the experience when it comes to switching your weapon loadouts and moving on to the next mission.
We reported last week that BioWare listed multiple job openings, with roles focused on enhancing Anthem’s loot and combat mechanics and systems. While those positions are still being sorted out, the current team is getting the ball rolling on some changes to the Anthem formula that aim to make the experience more fun with fewer interruptions. There are a plethora of gameplay balance adjustments and bug fixes you can read about in the Anthem update 1.1.0 patch notes, but here are the major takeaways.
The Sunken Cell Stronghold
If you’re one of the diligent players to have made it through the main story, The Sunken Cell stronghold is available. You’ll have to take on the new challenge yourself to get more details, but there are some fixes that have beenput in place for Strongholds. Thanks to patch 1.1.0 for Anthem, players in a stronghold are now automatically revived when a boss is defeated. An exploit in Tyrant Mine regarding the turrets has also been cleaned out and some glitches in the Temple of the Scar are fixed as well. The Heart of Rage bug where enemies could be trapped behind a fog wall, preventing the player from progressing, has also been addressed.
Weapon/Mission Overhaul
Anthem 1.1.0 introduces much-requested features that keep players from having to return to Fort Tarsis or the Launch Bay to toss new weapons into the arsenal, launch missions, or select new contracts. This particular element of the game slows down the pace to a crawl, but now players will be able to keep up the momentum as they continue knocking out quests with their squadmates.
Regarding weapons, the Forge can now be accessed during Missions, Strongholds, and Freeplay. If you’re having some trouble clearing out enemies, switch up the weapons instantly without having to suffer through the load screens that take you back to Fort Tarsis before returning to action. Once you finish a quest, you can choose a new mission on the “end of expedition” screen without heading back to base. Anthem‘s contracts can be selected at the start of the expedition screen as well, and no longer require you to head to the contract boards in Fort Tarsis.