Introduction to Anthem

We travellers love to seek out the old, cobbled, timeworn corners of cities and turn our noses up at the glistening new builds. It’s part of the reason that ruins are so irresistible. Then there are the unfinished places, of which Barcelona’s Sagrada Família is the most celebrated example. Do we ever want Gaudí’s masterpiece to actually be finished?

Well, welcome to the world of Anthem, where this theory is tested to its maximum. Here the entire world has been left unfinished by the gods, existing in a state of exquisitely violent volatility. Yet its very fragility is partly why it is so very, very beautiful, a vast, shimmering vista expanding endlessly towards the horizon in all directions. Oh and check this out: you get to explore those vistas with flying suits of battle armour.

Whooshing through tunnels into dense jungle, exploding up steep cliffs, plummeting down deep canyons as flash storms billow above you and then careening into gushing waterfalls splintering with exquisite sunlight – wow. When the adrenaline’s pumping, it’s going to feel a bit like paradise. But it’s not paradise – it’s very much unknown, to its very core. Do not be taken in by the lush beauty of the world’s landscapes – they might look inviting, but they are very rarely what they seem.

Things not to miss

1. Academy Ruins

Quite possibly the most stellar roll call of must-do sights this side of NYC.

2. East Gate

Shout out to the mining enthusiasts – this one’s for you!

3. Eddian Grove

Don’t even consider swerving this mind-boggling valley filled with upside-down trees.

4. Fort Tarsis

If they made a medieval castle now, they might make Fort Tarsis.

5. Fortress of Dawn

As gravely beautiful as it is enigmatic, this fortress will last long in your memory.

6. Monument Watch

A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside a verdant ravine.

7. Valley of Tarsis

Its glory days might be long gone, but an air of grandeur lingers here still.