• Summary: (Also known as "Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery") Dawn of Discovery takes place in the year 1404, when King George's land is suffering from severe droughts and brutal famine. Aware of his people's distress, the king calls on his two sons, William and Edward, to acquire new territories in order to produce enough goods to satisfy the needs of his empire’s inhabitants. Whereas Edward suggests aggressive means to collect the precious resources, his brother William offers a peaceful solution, proposing to explore new and unsettled lands in the south of the kingdom. With his Father’s blessing, William heads south to the mysterious Orient and returns with valuable new technologies such as the water pump that allows dry lands to be cultivated in order to produce enough food for the people. But there are still many unmet needs within the king's empire, and players are tasked with the mission of fulfilling those needs while both expanding and sustaining the vast society. Build and sustain your own expansive empire. Explore the beautifully detailed world and discover new places to create your civilization. Set up trade posts in the spice mines of the Orient and explore new trade routes to keep your nation growing. Learn from other nearby cultures to expand your horizons and master the challenges of establishing a prosperous society. [Ubisoft] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 32
  2. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. 100
    Anno 1404 is the best Anno yet and one of the best strategy games in a long time. Tons of games are addictive, very few of them for the right reasons – but this game is both.
  2. Dawn of Discovery is not only the fourth installment of the highly regarded ANNO-series but also the best, offering challenging complexity for core gamers and providing easy access for beginners at the same time. Don't miss this game if you are a fan of economic simulations.
  3. It might sound trite, but if you like god games there's nothing here you won't have seen before. [Sept 2009, p.70]

See all 32 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Negative: 2 out of 27
  1. KristianL.
    10
    This is the best empire builder game I've ever tried. There's nothing bad to say about this game. It even corrects all of the small annoyances that were found in Anno 1701 from 2006. The graphics are immense, and the fact that you can't let this game go and you have the opportunity to play from now on and until the end of time, makes this the best of the best. So many great features. I am in awe. Expand
    • 4 of 4 users said yes
  2. killswitch1968
    6
    Dawn of Discovery is a traditional 4X RTS game, with a decreased emphasis on combat and al ot of complicated involved city building. The biggest problem with the game is the constant feeling that you're lacking control. Even with intense micromanagement you will struggle to keep things running smoothly and you have to fiddle all the time with redundant boring tasks. And that's only if you can figure out the cause of your problem. Frequently things are happening automatically that you simply cannot diagnose. Why am I losing money when my income is supposedly green? Why do I keep losing linen-shirts when I have 3 weaver plants running and I'm not selling them? Why does this mine keep getting overstocked with ore when I have a trade cart right next to it? With some improved control schemes and diagnostics there is a robust, even fun strategy game under all this. Without it, you just get a frustrating mess. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. JohnH
    4
    No multiplayer in an otherwise multiplayer enabled series = fail. Why they would go from 1701, an excellent game with some of the most fun RTS multiplayer around, to singleplayer-only 1404 defies understanding. It's a fairly important feature to just remove. Other than that, you've already read everything else here. Expand
    • 0 of 7 users said yes

See all 27 User Reviews

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