BioWare’s Anthem has had a rough few months, but the studio and fans alike are hoping to see the game’s fortunes revived by the new Cataclysm expansion, which went live this week. You can read all about the additions to the game in the patch notes, but if you’ve ventured in already you’ll have discovered the new Anthem Echoes of Reality event, the primary Cataclysm mission. You’ll also have discovered that it’s pretty hard, and can be very confusing for newcomers. We’ve put together a full guide on how to get through Echoes of Reality and survive the Cataclysm.
What is the Anthem Echoes of Reality event?
Echoes of Reality is the new area introduced in Cataclysm, and it’s a timed area where you have to complete as many events and objectives as possible within a strict countdown. The higher score you get, the larger a reward you’ll receive at the end. There are eight challenges or events within Echoes of Reality, including a boss battle with Cataclysm antagonist Vara. This is all separate from the main Cataclysm story mission by the way, which is called “Tip of the Spear”, so don’t think it’s the only new content.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to access the event
To access Echoes of Reality, start Anthem or enter Fort Tarsis and choose to go on an Expedition. You’ll be presented with a list of Game Modes as usual, and from here select “Cataclysm – Echoes of Reality”. You’ll need to have completed the mission “Incursion” in the main game, but if you’ve played any of Anthem at all you should have. Echoes of Reality is meant for players of all levels, but obviously the higher level you are, the easier a time you’ll have when things get tough.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | What are inversions?
When you start the Echoes of Reality event, the game will pop up with a couple of “Inversions”. These only feature in Cataclysm, where the storm is causing havoc with your equipment, but actually create bonuses. Examples include gear recharge rates being increased and getting more Ultimate meter from kills. These can be very useful, so make sure to remember them. You can see what Inversions are in place, however, on the map screen.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | Stability and safe areas
The moment you leave the starting area, you’ll be hit by the storm and your systems will lose Stability. If you stay in this storm and lose all Stability, you’ll die and will have to respawn, unless you’re lucky enough to get revived. There are safe “bubble” areas throughout the map, as well as little blue orbs or items to pick up that increase Stability, but during an event the safe area may suddenly vanish. If that’s the case, look for the yellow sphere like the one above, and shoot it. Once it “pops” the safe zone will return, but be aware that it’ll keep happening until you complete the objective. Let’s go through those now.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Ring of Magnus
Ring of Magnus is probably the first event you’ll tackle each time you start Echoes of Reality, because it’s directly across from the starting area. As with all these events though, players aren’t really told what to do and have to work it out themselves, so voice communication could be a must. Here, you have to activate seven control rods around the area, with the catch that they have to all be activated within a certain amount of time, so one player can’t really do it by themselves. As with all of these, there will be plenty of respawning enemies in your way to make it harder. Once the rods are activated, destroy the Crystal in the center, get the rewards, and move on. You’ll have more choice about where to go next from this point.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Britaheim
Britaheim is in the Hope Shattered area, and requires some teamwork to succeed. The Crystal is at the entry point, and requires the activation of five circular devices around it by placing Echoes in them. However, these Echoes are locked around the area behind bubble shields. One player needs to stand on a nearby pressure plate, and another has to gather the Echo and place it in one of the devices. The final Echo is underwater, so before you can place them in the Crystal’s devices, you have to apply them to the devices underwater to shut off the Suppression Field and open the final shield. This may take some coordination, so may be difficult without communication.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Casja’s Forge
This one’s fairly simple. You have to recover four Relic Fragments from behind Suppression Fields and bring them all to the center of the room, where the Crystal awaits. Unlike the previous event, these Suppression Fields are rotating, so just grab them when the field’s down and head for the Crystal. There’s an optional objective here involving Valkyrie Casja, but we won’t overcomplicate matters for you.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Castle Kelrik
Castle Kelrik is located in the New Dawn area, the biggest part of the map. It’s a symbol matching puzzle, with four Arcanist Orbs needed to unlock the Crystal. You’ll get two immediately, and to lower the shield preventing you from accessing the other two orbs, place the ones you have in the pedestrals for the symbols above the doors. You’ll have to do this twice. Once you have all four orbs, place them all in pedestals matching the symbols around the base of the Crystal to access it.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Diana’s Landing
Diana’s Landing is located in the Dominion Foothold area in the west of the map. This battle is the simplest one in the event, as you just have to kill all the spawning Dominion enemies. Eventually the Riftmaster will spawn. Kill it and take its key, then unlock the panels around the area to gain access to the Crystal. You may now destroy it too. It’s nice to have a simple battle now and again, but after this it’s back to the puzzles we’re afraid.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Sea of Takaro
This also requires players to collect Echoes, three in total, but also to deliver them to a Relic in a central vertical waterfall to open the Crystal. To do this you’ll have to use pressure plates around the circular platform. It can be done by one player by using weights around the area, but more players makes it go quicker since they can stand on the plates instead. Collect Echoes from the areas opened by turning off the Suppression Fields with the plates, then turn off the ones around the waterfall once you have all three Echoes collected. Swim up the waterfall and deliver the Echoes to the relic at the top, which will expose the Crystal back on the platform.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to complete Crucible of Astrid
Crucible of Astrid is located in the Trials of Might area to the east of the map, and it’s impossible to do this one solo. It’s also the most complicated, involving an airlock-type device and more Echoes. Pick up the Echo nearest the airlock and drop it in one of the circular devices, which will send out a beam of light for you to follow to get more Echoes. Remove the one from the device too, and get another player to let you through the airlock. You’ll need to collect weights as well, in order to place them on pressure plates. Place these Echoes and weights in the airlock room, and another beam will be sent out, activating a switch. Push it to reveal the Crystal.
Anthem Echoes of Reality | How to defeat Vara
Echoes’ Heart is in the north-east of the map, and contains the boss fight against Vara. First, make sure the storm rift in the center is activated, otherwise you won’t be able to deal damage to her. The boss fight contains two phases. The first phase is a simple attack-avoid fight, and she doesn’t even have a shield to worry about, just a lot of health.
She has a number of attacks. Ice Barrage will probably freeze you if it hits you, followed up by a Fire Beam which will probably down you. She’ll send out small Fire Waves which will hurt, but not as much as the Ring of Fire attack, which is almost battle royale-like in the way it closes in. If it hits you, it’ll kill you. She’ll also occasionally spawn regular enemies too, which you should use to get back health and ammo.
In the second phase, she’ll set the floor on fire, forcing you to stay in the air or on the pillars around the room. She’ll then throw fireballs at you. Keep on repositioning and attacking, and try not to get killed. Once Vara’s down, congratulations, that’s all the challenges in the Echoes of Reality event. Did you manage to do them all in one go? If so, try your hand at the optional Valkyrie objectives or harder difficulties for even better loot.
