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Dawn of Discovery

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.7 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 31 critic reviews
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Based on 63 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Related Designs Software

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy, Simulation

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: June 23, 2009

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]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

2404.org

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.

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Gamers.at

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.

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Vandal Online

Huge, incredibly complex, exciting, addictive, a wonder... we could be remarking the virtues of Anno 1404 for hours.

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PC Games (Germany)

A near perfect blend of west and east, complexity and accessibility - Dawn of Discovery is by far the best economic simulation to date.

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GameStar

100 hours of gameplay without being bored for a second. The developers managed to replace routine with variety and long lasting motivation. Despite all the complexity, Anno 1404 never feels like work, but like one of the best games.

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GameZone

There’s little to complain about with Dawn of Discovery. Anyone with modicum of interest in strategy or city-building games should have a go at it; such an enjoyable experience should not be overlooked.

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HellBored

Requisite whining about copy protection aside, this is a solid title that offers some fun and addictive game play, with lots to discover and plenty to do. It’s ridiculously easy to sit down with the intention of playing for a few minutes, only to look up and see that two or three hours have gone past. There’s a lot of character in the animations, the voice-acting is superb and the setting is fantastic. Dawn of Discovery deserves to be checked out by anybody who has an interest in exploration and the classic city-building titles of old.

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Cynamite

Dawn of Discovery is very complex, but has a boring campaign. The interface is a bit confusing and there is no multiplayer mode. Still, it’s a great strategy game but not as good as the predecessor.

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Gamer.nl

Anno 1404 has excellent production values and gameplay, visuals and sound complement each other well. The eastern theme gives the game a new dimension, without getting overly complicated. It's a great game to start your summer holidays.

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GamingXP

High-level fun and addiction is what Anno 1404 is about. The more time you invest in this game, the more satisfaction you will get out of it.

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Gameplanet

The massive game world and highly detailed units provide hours and hours of entertainment for anyone who can appreciate a slower paced and highly cerebral RTS.

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PC Format

It's a beautiful, compulsive and rewarding world. [Sept 2009, p.99]

Computer Games Online RO

With a level editor and a multiplayer mode, Anno 1404 could have been a front runner in the race for the “Best Game of 2009” award. As it stands though, it’s just the best game in its category, featuring a complex and solid economic system that gives birth to a highly pleasant feeling of having functional and aesthetically pleasing cities.

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InsideGamer.nl

Anno 1404 is a terrific game and will keep you entertained for a long time. It gives the player challenges after challenges, and you won't get easily bored. It also looks really good. The only downside is the lack of strategic elements.

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GameSpot

It's complex and daunting, but this rich game of exploring, city building, and trading is also tremendously captivating.

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Gamer Limit

Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery is a must buy for any city management fans.

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3DJuegos

Though Anno 1404 has no big improvements in the franchise´s formula, its awesome gameplay makes this game recommendable for those who like RTS games.

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IGN

Dawn of Discovery provides one of the best real-time strategy experiences of the year, hands down.

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AceGamez

Much like its predecessor, Anno 1404 is an entertaining and friendly city building game with astonishing looks and enough content to last long into the winter months; and, again like its predecessor, its combat still lets things down.

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Eurogamer Italy

If you are looking for action and adrenaline, don't wait for Anno 1404. If you're not, its particular gameplay and its development system and atmosphere, could enjoy you at the best!

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Teletext GameCentral

Building your own medieval empire proves surprisingly attractive in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Complex city building strategy game offers many possibilities to build and conquer new worlds. Anno 1404 looks amazing compared to its predecessors. Unfortunately, the story campaign and combat system bring things down. [Aug 2009]

PALGN

Fun accessible gameplay, coupled with enough options to keep its life cycle ticking over makes Anno 1404 one strategy title that we highly recommend.

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Eurogamer

Anno's pastoral, languid style will undoubtedly frustrate some, and those seeking breakneck excitement or a complex military framework would do well to look elsewhere, but if a gentle and rewarding management sim with a hint of tropical sunshine is what you're after, then you won't go far wrong with this.

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Everyeye.it

Dawn of Discovery is a work of art. The game has a solid gameplay, superb technical features and requires only middle-class hardware to work properly. However, the lack in multiplayer features is a minus to the global quality.

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Multiplayer.it

The game is very well devised with a deep and challenging management core. It also has beautiful visuals, but to enjoy them you have to play the game with a powerful high end PC. Unfortunately not all the features are well implemented, the battles are a little bit cheesy and pre built villages in the campaigns remove all the progress made in the previous missions.

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Meristation

Explore new worlds with this installment in the Anno series. This game presents amazing visuals and use strong gameplay that will allow players to explore the new world. It lacks online modes, but it's a great strategy and simulator game.

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GameShark

Once you get a continuous game going to the point you are bored with it, there isn’t much incentive to being a new continuous game, even on a higher difficulty level. It will take you tens of hours to see all the content available to you, and once you do there’s not a lot of reason to go back and see it again.

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PC Zone UK

It might sound trite, but if you like god games there's nothing here you won't have seen before. [Sept 2009, p.70]

Total PC Gaming

Charming, gorgeous and fun - though too stale for strategy hardcores. [Issue#23, p.59]

PC Gamer UK

There is a certain charm to Anno 1404's dinky people going about their business, and a lot of pretty detail to revel in, but this familiar collection of well-worn elements only preaches to the converted, offering little to attract new believers.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 63 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Christian W gave it an8:
This is the best Anno since Anno 1602, the first of the series. It does everything right. The complexity of having to handle to different societies at the same times doesn't leave much free time, which is exactly as it should be. The one thing I'm missing is Multiplayer. It's been nice in previous installments of the game to see who gets his empire going faster. -2 Points for that ommission.

Kristian L. gave it a10:
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.

Dragutin D. gave it a10:
This game is amazing. The chains of resources require branching out to different islands and setting up complex trade routes, making each game really feel like you're accomplishing something near the end. This is the first single player game that has sucked me in as much as an mmo - I'm not that excited when I start the game up, but then 6 hours later I'm like o god I need to eat. I fully recommend this game, it is awesome!

Aaron gave it a10:
A beautifully crafted and thoroughly addicting game. That anyone would complain about the overall lack of combat is absurd. Also ignore the comments about the lack of hand-holding, step-by-step instructions; the campaign tells you what you need to know and you'll figure the rest out if you have half a brain (don't bother if you don't, I guess). This is a truly fantastic game. I only wish the multiplayer was included as with the last game, but I've had so much fun with the singleplayer that I suppose I haven't missed it much anyway.

Hudson gave it a6:
Money is better spent on Spore or Sims 3. This game is a real snoozer and plays much like German boards such as Carcassonne, Settlers of Cataan and things like that. You will literally just sit and watch and watch and watch and be bored out of your mind. Pretty graphics do not make up for insipid gameplay and god awful instructions or in game tool tips. Also there is not one ounce of combat built into the game. You are better off going backwards in the series and getting 1701.

Baron M gave it a0:
How can you make an RTS with no combat action. Trade and city building? Might as well call this Sim City Trade. My Friend was torrenting this, when he found out there was no RTS combat he canceled the torrent. Germany used to be cool. Game violence isn't training people for the real world. let's say a 8 year old kid is a very good counter strike player, if you give him a real AK-47 the recoil will control him. There is no possible way to stop real world violence and there are no proven facts that video games increased it. Germany needs to become smart.

Mike B gave it an8:
Runs like clockwork. Low learning curve. Lots of positive tweaks compared with 1701. Enough new stuff to entertain for many hours. Very pleasurable to play.

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Dawn of Discovery

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