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Anthem Short Film From District 9 Director Is Very Evocative

"We broke free, and so we made our walls high, and our convictions strong."

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A live-action Anthem story short from Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, Chappie, and Elysium, has been released. Titled 'Conviction,' the three-minute video is set in the world of BioWare's upcoming action game, but decades before the game's own story. It is narrated by a female character, who recounts the history of humanity, its enslavement, fight for freedom, and efforts to rebuild as it struggles for survival.

Freelancers--the Javelin-wearing characters that players take control of in the game--are shown to have discovered a mysterious woman in the jungles. However, her discovery ignites a new conflict, with lines being crossed, betrayals, and explosive battles. "The Anthem swims through your mind, it knows you, it knows us all," she says.

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Now Playing: Anthem - 'Conviction' Live-Action Trailer From Neill Blomkamp

While the details of the story are vague, perhaps purposefully so, the short does a good job of depicting the world of Anthem and teasing some of the sci-fi intrigue that BioWare will no doubt further explore in the game's narrative. Check it out above.

Blomkamp's ability to realize sci-fi worlds and tell stories within them is on show in the short, even if it is a bit brief. The director has some history with video games, having previously been attached to a Halo movie adaptation. The Javelins look especially cool, which is making us pine for the Halo movie he may have once created.

Anthem, meanwhile, is set to launch on February 22. However, those with an EA or Origin Access membership will be able to play from February 15. Ahead of its release, BioWare shared an update roadmap and endgame details to give players an idea of what they'll be able to experience beyond the main campaign.

EA is expecting BioWare's newest game to sell as many as 6 million copies by March, and CFO Blake Jorgensen said the company is confident that the game will reach these numbers based on the popularity of the game's VIP and open demos. However, it will also face heavy competition from Fortnite, which is as popular as ever, Apex Legends, another EA title which launched for free and has already reached 10 million unique users, and Ubisoft's The Division 2, which delivers a similar games as a service experience.

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