Though originally advertised as a short film set in BioWare’sAnthemuniverse, Neill Blomkamp’sConvictionis more like a four-minute movie trailer. A mix of CGI effects and live action,Convictiontakes viewers back decades before the start of the game and then quickly races forward.
Produced by Blomkamp’s Oats Studios,Convictionis a well-done trailer and makes us think that anAnthemmovie could actually be pretty cool. In fact, if we didn’t know any better, we would have thought the trailer was for a potential summer blockbuster.
The trailer shows a group of freelancers finding a young woman in the the jungle. They bring her back to Fort Tarsis, the main hub inAnthem. It appears that the woman is an important figure inAnthem‘s overarching struggle. Other than that key detail, much of the trailer revolves around the history ofAnthemand why the world is the way it is. While EA is still being fairly vague about the lore, the javelin suits and their abilities do look great in live action.
It’s slightly odd that EA commissioned Blomkamp to create a live actionAnthemtrailer. As we said, it was originally meant to be a short film. But at less than four minutes and set up exactly like a movie trailer, it’s not even really that.
Blomkamp is best known for co-writing and directing the 2009 science fiction film District 9. The innovative film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Ironically enough,District 9was adapted from a short film by Blomkamp calledAlive in Joburg. Blomkamp’s next film,Greenland, is a thriller expected to release this year with Chris Evans in a leading role.
Anthem, the actual video game, meanwhile, officially launches February 22 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Some users can start playing as early as February 15, though. It’s sort of confusing, but we have ahandy explainerto help you understand when you’re able to start your job as a freelancer.
Also make sure to check out ourhands-on previewofAnthem. We’ve largely enjoyed what we’ve played so far and are anxious to check out the full experience.
