A Review of Anno 1404
Anno 1404 is part of the Anno game series, which is developed by the Italian developer Guido Games and published by the publisher Sega. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. Anno 1404 is set in the Mediterranean region about 500 years before the fall of the Roman Empire. The player takes the role of one of several young apprentice ship captains, who must explore and find out what has taken his crew, and his ship, to a mythical island under the sea.
The player's goal in the single player mode is to sail the Venice-style boats through the city of Venice and score points based on his success, as well as on the destruction of enemy ships. In the multiplayer mode, there are several options available. These include creating your own customizable profile, selecting an overall difficulty level, and picking between four different playing factions. The developers of this game have added several improvements over previous Anno games in terms of graphics and gameplay. The graphics are more detailed, the physics are improved, and the ship combat is more detailed, responsive and robust.
Anno 1404 also features an interesting storyline, which is told through historical accounts and filtered through a modern-day perspective. The city building and real time strategy aspects of the game are supported by strong audio performances, which help make the game's narrative more engaging. The city-building component of the game allows you to build up cities and provide a variety of services. One of your main goals is to take control of trade routes, which are used to gain wealth and resources throughout the city. The city-builders in the Anno franchise have not had as much success in the gaming world, but this is an intriguing twist on an already successful series.
