Anthem Vs. The Division 2, Who Did It Better?

The first few months of 2019 has started off with a bang, with several high-profile releases. Anthem and The Division 2 was atop the most acclaimed releases, both following the looter-shooter system popularized by the Borderlands series and the live service model that has become increasingly more prevalent among publishers. However, which is better? Does Anthem soar to heights beyond The Division 2's reach or does Ubisoft latest game topple BioWare's game? Let's find out. 

The Monitor or The Outcasts

Both Anthem and The Division 2 sport a mediocre story. In The Division 2, it's your job to take Washington D.C. back from the various factions that have taken over and reestablish order. In Anthem. the player is charged with stopping the Monitor who is seeking the Anthem of Creation for his own malicious desires.

Neither story offers much substance in terms of impressive characters or deep revelations. However, unlike The Division 2 Anthem does take some steps to create bonds between the player and the world around them. Whereas The Division 2 just gives you a reason to shoot anyone who isn't on your side Anthem attempts to establish motives and desires linked to the most important characters. The Monitor may pale in comparison to Mass Effect's Harbinger but he had more personality than anyone in The Division 2.

In addition, the narrative of The Division 2 doesn't any much impact. Again, Anthem's story is average but by the end, you accomplish something big and the game takes notice of that achievement. In The Division 2, everything mostly restarts in the end with a new enemy taking over and you having to redo much of the progress. Anthem simply has a more complete and compelling story than The Division 2 because of its more memorable characters and sense of achievement.

Winner: Anthem

Enemies and Loot

Both Anthem and The Division 2 focus on killing hordes of enemies and collecting loot. Both games lack enemy variety due to the sheer amount the player is forced to kill. Both games force the player to face mostly the same enemies with very little variety in terms of actual boss fights. The Division 2 would have an advantage in terms of AI but the fact that enemies within Ubisoft's world are able to shoot and throw projectiles are unreal distances and precision sours a lot of the experience. Whereas Anthem does offer a bit more fairly balanced enemies.

Without a doubt, The Division 2 has a wider selection of options in terms of weapons, gear, and cosmetics. Anthem's biggest criticism was the lack of cosmetic options despite what the livestreams advertised. Ubisoft has given players an absurd amount of items to build their own arsenal and design their agent that simply overshadows anything available in Anthem. Especially when it comes to providing actual loot, remember when fans of Anthem decided to boycott the game because BioWare removed a glitch that provided more loot than intended?

It also helps that The Division 2 has actual endgame content as opposed to Anthem which recycles much of the stuff players already experienced. In the wrong order. 

Winner: The Division 2

Flying and Diving Vs. Running Through Washington D.C.

Anthem provides a level of freedom that was jaw-dropping at the beginning. Taking flight and diving underwater with ease was unbelievable, for the first few hours. Eventually, these amazing systems become dull due to the player having to travel through the same areas within the map and kill the same enemies.

The Division 2 combats this by locking off areas based on the player's level. This can be frustrating but it also allows for more exciting exploration, as you discover new areas and fight in never-before-seen sections of the city. While both Anthem and The Division 2 suffer from tedious objectives The Division 2 provides more unique areas to visit.  Something that Anthem does not. 

Winner: The Division 2

Winner: The Division 2

The Division 2 offers more endgame content and rewards that eclipse Anthem's content. The story may not be as engaging as BioWare's title but neither game had an interesting story. The real engagement came from killing enemies and obtaining powerful loot and The Division 2 has that and more. Providing unique areas to explore as you progress through the game. In comparison, you've experienced much of what Anthem has to offer within the first 2 hours whereas in The Division 2 you can keep playing for weeks easily.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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