bit-tech.net | Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery Review

Abhorsen 12th June 2009, 09:38

I've always personally prefered the single player side of Strategy Games, All the Civ's i enjoyed, I never really took to playing any of the C&C's or AoE online, just stayed offline. So i think this may be worth a little dabble.

Greenie 12th June 2009, 09:47

I might pick this up, looks like a similar sort of thing to Pharaoh, which is one of my all time favourite games.

bridgesentry 12th June 2009, 11:05

Too bad, it doesnt have:
-War
-bandits
-criminals
-weather disaster
A strategy game w/o "bloody" motivation = a sim game

CardJoe 12th June 2009, 11:22

It does have those elements, with bandits roaming the seas as corsairs, and tornados and such striking suddenly - but they are massively played down from what we saw and you spend a lot more time worrying about the chance that your citizens are going to riot than that a corsair will nab your latest shipment of linen.

Trefarm 12th June 2009, 11:26

"We said at the beginning of all this that it’s hard to get really excited about a strategy game that doesn’t have big robots and ‘splosions."

I think I'm being a tad moody here... but isn't that betraying a massive personal bias in your review?
I'm probably reading too much into a closing paragraph, still it seems as if your running the game down for the very reasons it exist. I just think some credit should be given for a game that defiantly swims against the mainstream, especially when more 'modern' strategy games become increasingly simplistic and similar.

haddow64 12th June 2009, 11:39

I may pick it up, have still got the original (anno 1602) lying around somewhere, quite liked that.

CardJoe 12th June 2009, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trefarm
"We said at the beginning of all this that it’s hard to get really excited about a strategy game that doesn’t have big robots and ‘splosions."

I think I'm being a tad moody here... but isn't that betraying a massive personal bias in your review?
I'm probably reading too much into a closing paragraph, still it seems as if your running the game down for the very reasons it exist. I just think some credit should be given for a game that defiantly swims against the mainstream, especially when more 'modern' strategy games become increasingly simplistic and similar.

I think you're reading too much into that, as we definitely do like games without all that stuff - like The Sims, for instance, or Civ or Sim City or Sim Ant even. That line speaks to the majority of people who probably do hold that view and also reinforces the fact that these elements are not present in this game. The game wasn't marked down for this reason, though it was something that the Average Gamer would want to know about.

Yemerich 12th June 2009, 13:00

yet another unimpressive game this year... Looks like we will have a bad gamming year (aside mwen of war)...

paisa666 12th June 2009, 17:07

I think video game developers shud make some intensive research when picking a title for their game -_-

Im from Colombia, this game is called anno 1404, and anno translates to anus in spanish.

Quite embarrasing when i get to the store asking the guy if they have "anus 1404"

:P

thehippoz 12th June 2009, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by paisa666
I think video game developers shud make some intensive research when picking a title for their game -_-

Im from Colombia, this game is called anno 1404, and anno translates to anus in spanish.

Quite embarrasing when i get to the store asking the guy if they have "anus 1404"

:P

lmao :D the dawn of discovery.. oh man has to be a joke

Adnoctum 12th June 2009, 19:08

As a long time fan of The Settlers series (since I played it on the Amiga 500), this all sounds very familiar.

It is a truism that there is nothing new under the sun.

perplekks45 13th June 2009, 01:19

Noooo... no more anal jokes please! :D

I used to love the first one [Anno 1602] and it might actually be a German thing. We love our slow simulation games like this one or Settlers [the old ones before it turned into a generic 3D game].

SMIFFYDUDE 13th June 2009, 03:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by perplekks45
Noooo... no more anal jokes please! :D

I used to love the first one [Anno 1602] and it might actually be a German thing. We love our slow simulation games like this one or Settlers [the old ones before it turned into a generic 3D game].

I like these type of games too. I can only play FPS so long before my brain begins to decay.

Settlers games did go downhill after game 4.

perplekks45 13th June 2009, 03:35

Really? It was 2 for me.

Hovis 13th June 2009, 03:46

I think it's sort of odd that the sequel lacks multiplayer when 1602 had it. Bit of a shame to miss it out.

Trefarm 13th June 2009, 13:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardJoe
I think you're reading too much into that,

A day later I have to agree.. Sorry about that. :o

QuietlyConfident 15th June 2009, 14:38

Good review. What is the music like in the game? I've found that the soundtrack to the entire Anno series has been absolutely superb, and really helps to set the atmosphere. Anno 1701 had a full orchestra composing the music; all of which evoked a brilliant sense of the early modern New World.

Bauul 16th June 2009, 17:03

I've heard stories of this Professor Bongaminge Qub, did you know he apparently tunnelled under Everest?

impar 26th June 2009, 09:30

Greetings!

Additional info:
The game has three activations (courtesy of Tages DRM).
All versions, including the Steam one, include Tages DRM with a three install activation limit.

perplekks45 26th June 2009, 10:54

Like BioShock? Don't they ever learn?

nicae 27th June 2009, 19:16

geez that sux

but i did love anno 1602... how does this one compare to it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe martin
if wed been in charge of publishing it then wed be pushing it harder than if we saw Jar-Jar Binks at the top of a flight of stairs.

yesssss pleaseeeeee push jar jar!!11 lololol rofl waffles

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Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery Review

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