Game Magazine

Anno 1404 has a healthy progressive history; each game is larger than the last and in some way improving upon what was done before. It is the developer’s claim that the number of people onscreen constructing a cathedral outnumbers the total number of people onscreen in the last game for an entire city. And you know something: they are quite right about that.

The newest addition to the Anno family is huge. More than huge – it is gigantic in scale. 1404 was redesigned across the board to provide a gaming experience that is grand, involving and deeply immersive. The entire graphics engine was overhauled which may explain the recommended system requirements. These are very substantial for a game of this nature but if players have the resources to max every setting out, they will only really spot it on the autosave which drags on somewhat.

Cloud cover and a dynamic weather system play their part in 1404, as does a full cloth system that causes material to flutter realistically in the breeze. Building and unit detail have been scaled up to the point of madness and background scenery and resources like trees have all had the same treatment. These little touches will perhaps go unnoticed by some but they lend an air of completeness to a civilization builder that has not been seen for some time.

Shadows also have their role to play in Anno 1404. While 1404 appears to lack a complete zoom function that will bring the player face-to-face with a townsperson, it does get close enough to the action to cause a bit of a lump in the throat. Everything down there just looks so darned pretty.

The ocean is another wonder. There won’t be any monstrous storms happening along unless you are really unlucky, but watching a trading boat glide through the sea and actually seeing the differences in depth is quite a feat. The way that ships cause a wake as they pass and the way the ocean looks lapping at the shore is another testament to the level of detail Related Designs have included in the game. (more…)