Anthem is one of the first big triple-A releases out in 2019 but there’s still a lot of the game that we’ve not seen. Thankfully, there are plans for two free demos to be released ahead of its launch.

We knew the release dates already – January 25 and February 1 – but, speaking on Twitter, lead producer Michael Gamble has revealed a little more about what the previews will include. You’ll dive into Anthem’s demo at level 10, skipping past the very early game content. From there you will have access to the Fort Tarsis singleplayer hub, a set of missions, and “some freeplay”.

It’s that freeplay I’m excited for. When Ben played Anthem at Gamescom he was thrilled by the movement of the Javelin battlesuits. While that will come across in missions, in open world games it’s usually the time between missions – without the pressure of objectives – that movement comes to life.

You’ll be able to progress from level 10 through to 15 in the demo. That progress won’t carry into the game, so when Anthem launches on February 22 you’ll start a fresh character.

Gamble added in a later tweet that you’ll also be able to play around with the Forge and customise your Javelins.

The demos will be available to everyone but if you pre-order you can download the preview build early. Early purchasers will get the demo on January 25, while all other access methods will get in on the previously announced date of February 1.

The ‘VIP Demo’ was originally announced exclusively for pre-orders and Origin Access subscribers, but now lead producer Mike Gamble says “everyone else in the known world” will be able to play on February 1. The early, January 25 date applies to both pre-orders and Origin Access Premier subscribers.

So yes, contrary to the apparent initial plans, Gamble’s tweet essentially confirms you won’t have to pay to get into the demo – that’s just for ‘VIP access.’ Gamble said at PAX that “The demo is a demo. It’s not a tech test, it’s not a beta that comes out three weeks before the game where ‘your feedback’ – like, no, it’s ‘this is the game and we hope you love it,’ and at that point that’s really what we’re showing.”

Related: There are lots of great upcoming PC games in 2019

This is all separate from the alphas and betas BioWare has planned ahead of launch. The first Anthem closed alpha, incidentally, starts this weekend. It’s too late to sign up now, but if you were selected you should already have an email with access instructions.

There are plenty of opportunities to check out the game ahead of the Anthem release date, and it looks like BioWare is keen to ease player fears on every level from the state of long-term content like raids to the way the game handles storytelling and narrative.