ANNO 1503: The New World

Análisis (en ingles)
[spoiler]One of the biggest selling PC titles of recent times in Europe is Anno 1602. The game is a RTS but unlike Age of Empires or Cossacks (and too many others to mention) the game did not focus on combat. Beginning with only a small ship, some food and basic materials you set sail for an island of your choice and develop a community. The goal of the game was to develop your community to the highest status. In order to do this youâ??d need to trade with rival players or colonise other islands that were capable of producing the goods you need. You came under attack from pirates as you sailed the seas so it was essential to equip your ships with cannons. The AI opponents constantly reacted to how you played. If you decided to be aggressive then they too would develop armies and give you a taste of your own medicine. This style of gameplay allowed you to make the game what you wanted it to be, which was probably the key to its success.

Rather than take the series forward in time, Sunflowers have gone back 99 years and given us Anno 1503. If youâ??ve followed the development of the game ever since it was announced a few years ago youâ??ll know that the biggest difference this time around is the varied cultures that are in the game. There are nine different cultures and 6 different climatic regions. Every island is not aesthetically the same as in Anno 1602. There are Eskimo, Aztecs, Bedouins, Africans, Native Americans, Moors, Mongols Polynesians and Venetians (who replace the free traders found in Anno 1602 and roam the seas buying and selling). All of these reside in a suitable climate so the Eskimos live on snow-covered islands for instance. These cultures can also be bartered with. These cultures not only make the game more visually pleasing but also more interesting too.