Kotaku 'Liked' Anthem. BioWare liked it so much they killed it.
The Original Review
“Given that its developers have already laid out plans to significantly overhaul the game over the coming months, I'm cautiously optimistic about Anthem's future.”
First of all, I would like to speak to whoever is in charge of Kotaku's 'Liked' button, because I have QUESTIONS.
Kirk Hamilton reviewed Anthem on February 22, 2019 and slapped a 'Liked' on it. He described it as 'a fun game that doesn't have enough to do' — which is like saying 'a great restaurant that doesn't have enough food.' He then delivered the single most aged-like-milk sentence in games journalism history: 'I'm cautiously optimistic about Anthem's future.' Kirk. KIRK. The game doesn't HAVE a future. It doesn't even have a present. BioWare announced 'Anthem Next' — a complete overhaul — in 2020, then cancelled it in February 2021. EA shut down the servers entirely. You cannot play Anthem. It is gone. It has ceased to be. It is an ex-game.
But let's talk about what 'Liked' means at Kotaku, because apparently it means 'this product will be discontinued within 24 months and you will lose access to the thing you paid $60 for.' The review literally says the game 'could form the basis of something I actually want to keep playing.' The BASIS. He liked the POTENTIAL of the game. He reviewed a PROMISE. That's not a review — that's a letter to Santa.
Here's what I want to know: did Kotaku ever go back and un-Like Anthem? Did they issue a correction? A retraction? A quiet 'we regret to inform you that the game we recommended no longer exists'? No. The 'Liked' just sits there, permanently, on a review page for a game that was taken behind the shed and put down. It's the journalism equivalent of a five-star Yelp review for a restaurant that gave everyone food poisoning and was condemned by the health department.
I paid $60 for this game because Kirk Hamilton said he LIKED it. I would like a refund from Kirk Hamilton personally. I accept Venmo.


