In the development of Anthem, the flying feature, though thrilling, became a symbol of the project’s inherent dysfunction. Mark Darrah, the former producer, highlighted how the fun of flying often contradicted the overall game mechanics. He explained that while flying was initially exciting, it revealed deeper issues within the game’s design and mission structure. The integration of flight created numerous complications, such as the need for careful environmental design and balanced combat, which the development team struggled to manage. Darrah noted that even when he aimed to push the development forward, the team was bogged down by indecision and a lack of direction.

“Massive numbers of decisions that affected other decisions behind them were piling up on the project and preventing the game from coalescing into something that can actually ship,” Darrah stated.

Darrah’s observations shed light on the chaotic nature of game development at BioWare, particularly after the departure of key leadership. Communication issues plagued the project, leading to misalignment between teams in different locations, especially between BioWare’s Austin and Edmonton offices. This dysfunction contributed heavily to Anthem’s eventual struggles, culminating in a product that, despite its promising features, fell short of expectations.