SHOWCASE FRIDAY: ANNO SERIES
Friday is SHOWCASE DAY! Every friday, Cluepanda presents you a videogame or a console. Some you will remember, some you maybe haven’t heard of before. Some forgotten games and some new. Perhaps we’re able to give you some hints or a new inspiration? Let’s see!
This time: An overview on the whole ANNO SERIES!
1st Release: 31th March 1998 (Anno 1602 -german-speaking)
Developer: Max Design (1998–2004), Related Designs (since 2004), Blue Byte (since 2009)
Pulisher: Sunflowers (1998–2007), Ubisoft (since 2007)
Genre: Real-time strategy with business simulation and city building elements
Main Series: (Click on title for trailer)
1998: Anno 1602: Creation of a New World
2003: Anno 1503
2006: Anno 1701
2007: Anno 1701: The Sunken Dragon (Expansion Pack)
2009: Anno 1404
2010: Anno 1404: Venice (Expansion Pack)
2011: Anno 2070
2012: Anno 2070: Deep Ocean (Expansion Pack)
2015: Anno 2205
2018: Anno 1800 (announced 22th August 2017, to be released winter 2018)
Story
Anno is a real-time strategy video game series, currently published by Ubisoft. It has business simulation and city building elements and involves colony building and resource management on islands. Every part of the series includes aspects of exploration, combat, diplomacy and trade.
It all started in 1996. Who thought, when the first drawaings and concepts for ANNO 1602 showed up, that this would be the start of such a popular and successful series? Some suspected that ANNO could be a poor copy of THE SETTLERS. They were wrong! In fact, ANNO dominated quickly and became a hit! According to the publisher, ANNO 1602 was sold 2.2 million times. Videogamers and the specialized press alike were enthusiastic: ANNO 1602 hit the videogame market like a bomb!
The expectations were high: ANNO 1503 followed in 2003. The follow-up was much more sophisticated: The building options in the successor were more extensive than those of Anno 1602. The gameplay area and islands were way bigger than before and because of this, it was possible to have many more plantations and diversity of farm houses. The announced multiplayer-option was unfortunately never realized, because of technical problems. Nonetheless, ANNO 1503 remains a fantastic title in the series!
The third part of the series, ANNO 1701, released in 2006, interconnects the best parts of both previous games. Some defects are corrected. ANNO 1701 convinces with great graphics and nice 3D images. And finally, the multiplayer-option is here!
ANNO 1404 set new standards in 2009, crammed with high-quality graphics compared to ANNO 1701: The atmosphere became more realistic with changes to the water, light reflections, shadows and high details. For the first time, you could control 2 different colonies. Furthermore, the developer added elements of the role-playing genre. This lead to more complexity in ANNO 1404 than ever before. In 2010, the Add-On VENICE brought new challenges and missions. You were able to commit espionage with a new feature or internalise foreign colonies with gold. Also the multiplayer mode had been improved.
ANNO 2070 from 2011 travels to the future. The story picks up a real issue on our planet: The global warming. The sea level rises and endangers the life on earth. Research new technologies to master this and other environmental problems in an endless game mode!
In the beginning, you have the choice between two gropus: Eco or Tycoon. Are you ecology-minded or do you prefer industry? This will influence the course of the game! In the Add-On, you can dive to the ocean floor and get new missions, although to a smaller extent.
In 2015, ANNO 2205, the latest release yet, takes you to the moon.
While the science fiction setting remains, the areas are 5 times bigger than those of any ANNO game before.
The biggest difference between ANNO 2205 and ANNO 2070 is the colonization of the moon.
You start on earth as usual, but if you have researched the required technology, you can expand your commodity trade to the moon. The colonies on the moon aren’t as complex as those on earth, but this is a great variety.
A revolutionary innovation is the “Session-Mode”, which allows you to switch between the different areas anytime. The Gameplay on the moon can be compared with the deep-sea-system in the Add-On for ANNO 2070.
Back to the roots in 2018: The winter 2018 is coming with ANNO 1800!
After an excursion to the future and science fiction, ANNO will return to the past.
But why do Ubisoft announce the new part of the series so early, in contrast to the trend?
Ubisoft-Manager Marcel Hatam has the answer: The developers want to involve the fans of ANNO. For this purpose, a Community-Platform will be supplied by Ubisoft: The fans will have the opportunity to test and give feedback on the game.
Nice to know:
Why Anno 1800, not Anno 1801, 1816 or 1832?
The reason is a tradition: Anno 1602, 1503, 1701, 1404, 2070 or Anno 2205 — every sum of the digits is “nine”. The number “nine” is a lucky number for the developers and supposed to be a bit mystical.
Gameplay
The principle is simple but genius: In the beginning, you search an island with your trading ship and anchor your ship. Colonise the island and build a trading station. The more the population grows, the more wishes and necessities you have to satisfy.
You have to open up new trading routes for new resources and colonise new islands.
But beware! Check your finances! Only happy colonizers pay their taxes. ANNO creates a realistic economic circle. Also check easily how happy your subjects are. ANNO has a permanent nice and uncomplicated way of overviews!
Strike up aliances and forge commercial agreements to get products, you can’t produce by yourself. Use threatening gestures and tributes to teach everyone to respect you.
Battles are not the main focus of the ANNO Series: To conduct war is the last method in ANNO. If a battle can’t be avoided, there is a good simulation to join it: Colored displays show the health status of your troops, wounded soldiers can be treated medically, boats can be fixed and a good range of commands simplify army management to wage the battle and arrange yout troops.
While you’re fighting, there are many nice simulations, like flames on damaged buildings until they are burned down.
ANNO ONLINE
If you dont’t want to buy ANNO, you can play it online! ANNO ONLINE is a free-to-play strategy simulation. You also dont’t need to download the game: Play it in your browser. There are more than 200 different types of buildings and you can build more than 1500 of them in your own colony. The look of ANNO ONLINE is like ANNO 1404. Trade with others and present your products to them. Conversely, you can shop around in their wares.
Interested?
Play ANNO ONLINE here!
Get ANNO & create a New World!
- Anno 1602: Creation of a New World
- Anno 1503
- Anno 1701
- Anno 1404
- Anno 1404: Venice (Expansion Pack)
- Anno 2070
- Anno 2205
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