Even though Mass Effect Andromeda failed to live up to expectations, it's still safe to say that the upcoming Anthem stands as one of 2019's most anticipated games. Pre-release buzz for the upcoming action-RPG has been mostly positive, and fans have responded well to the promise that Anthem will be playable in both co-op and single player. However, some recent comments by BioWare may make some fans want to taper their expectations for what playing Anthem solo may be like.

Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine, BioWare's Thomas Singleton, a developer on Anthem, explained, "Where the product shines is playing as that squad, you’re working together as a unit to go and conquer various missions." He then added, "If you want to play the experience solo that’s your option, it probably won’t be as rewarding, you won’t have that team dynamic." Singleton also pointed out that Anthem scales based on how many people are playing, so at the very least, the experience shouldn't be frustrating for those who decide to play it solo.

It's no secret that Anthem is primarily an online multiplayer experience. Even so, BioWare is best known for its single player RPGs, and so it's easy to see how some fans of the studio may be disappointed to learn that their time playing Anthem in single player "probably won't be as rewarding" as if they had a squad.

One possibility to address this issue would be to give Anthem solo players AI-controlled squadmates, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards either. Earlier this year, BioWare said that Anthem will not have AI teammates to help people playing alone, and that has also been a source of criticism for the game.

Not only is BioWare best known for its single player RPGs, but it's also known for creating games with well-written and complex AI companions. Anthem not having AI companions of any kind has been criticized by BioWare fans, and it looks like the studio hasn't changed its mind on the matter.

Regardless, Anthem has never really been marketed as a single player experience, so some fans may not mind this at all. However, it's worth pointing out that BioWare did state in the past that Anthem single player is important to it, but with developers admitting that the solo experience "probably won't be as rewarding" as multiplayer, it's unclear if that's still the case. Ultimately, Anthem could still be a lot of fun in both single player and multiplayer, but fans will just have to wait for the game's launch to know for sure.

Anthem launches February 22, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Official PlayStation Magazine (via ComicBook)