Anno 1800

Anno 1800 is the first game in the Anno series I can say I've seriously played, and I think it's a great point to start. It's friendlier than ever and while the more loyal Anno fans would be better suited to tell you whether it's an improvement on previous games, I can tell you that as a new, casual player, the game is more fun and more accessible than the previous entries I've played.

I do think a large part of this is due to the way the game is tutorialized -- past Anno entries left me confused even after doing the tutorials and playing on my own a bit. Given the time it takes to finish the story -- in itself, one large tutorial -- it makes sense that this game is much easier to navigate. The story gives you objectives and will offer gentle guidance if you need it, or you can plow through with minimal considerations given to the story if you already know what you're doing.

Perhaps the most unique thing about Anno is that it's a competitive city-builder. There are other games out there that have single elements in common -- they might promote competition between colonies or focus on supply chains -- but Anno is a unique blend of many elements. It's a tad overwhelming at first, even with the tutorial, and I still find that one of the most satisfying ways to play the game is to try and build a stable city with no competition or with a friend. The AI competitors do put pressure on, though, and it's very easy to fall behind if you're not focusing on the fight for other islands.

The game looks damn good, too. The people bustling around the city genuinely make your city feel alive and providing parks will make your city look like a nice place to be, but those aren't your only tools. In fact, the modular way in which some production buildings are constructed allows you to make even farmland look pretty -- something that's a rarity in most city builders. The icing on the cake is that cities look like they develop naturally because they do. Houses can only be upgraded if they have their needs met and needs are met based on proximity, meaning that your city center might not be where you planned it at the beginning of the game but it will still look like a real city, with small high-density pockets surrounded by vast expanses of low-density real estate.

The game has taken its place among my favorite city-builders. That's not to say I wouldn't make improvements -- the game is still intimidating because its population types and supply chains are hard to simplify -- but for the most part it's a gorgeous, fun, and reasonably accessible city-builder that you can play with friends. It may not be worth a $60 price tag for most, but if it ever goes on sale for half price, it's a purchase I think very few would regret.