ANNO 1404: Dawn of Discovery Demo

The ANNO series has been around for quite a while now, which means that it had time to improve on almost every aspect and listen to the fans when it comes to implementing the right features. Now, the latest episode in the series provides you with the same amount of captivating strategy mechanics, only far more refined and addictive than before.

ANNO 1404 may look almost the same as the previous title the first time you start a match, but that's only because most of the improvements are more or less invisible, other than the heavily reworked graphics engine. Hence, while everything might look and feel more or less the same, the actual mechanics are far superior and much more realistic, especially when it comes to economy and diplomacy.

Unlike until now, the other NPC players that spawn with you have a lot more influence on the overall experience, mainly because of the new addition called “honour”. While all the other resources can be grown or traded, honour is only achieved by reaching certain milestones, or it is awarded by the NPCs whenever you do something for them. They can also provide you with special seeds for different plants, which allows you to grow them even on soils that are not feasible for said plants.

Just like before, a lot of emphasis is put on trading, since it allows your city to grow, as well as sell surplus materials, or buy ingredients that are not available on your own island. However, in order to trade, you must send your ships to various other settlements around the map, which puts them in danger of being attacked by pirates. Naturally, you can take the battle to them as well, by mounting powerful weapons or hiring escort ships.

Beside the already present environments and civilizations, this latest episode also features the addition of the Orient, which, as the name implies, is based on the oriental civilizations. They are specialized in spices and various other useful materials, but they can also become a powerful ally when fighting against your enemies.

As usual, ANNO 1404 does not disappoint and offers its fans plenty of new things to enjoy, as well as a more refined gameplay to accommodate new players as well. Thus, in case you are on the lookout for a sturdy strategy game heavily focused on economy, trading and diplomacy, look no further than the title at hand.