Even though the game is a pain in the butt to install do to bad coding (it seems), to get Venice install you have to download a fan made patch to fix it... but once you are able to play the game, simple words- Its FUN!.

The game has amazing graphics, fun scenarios and lots to do in the game. the multiplayer aspect of the game makes it more fun. Truly a marble of a game.

This game is pretty fun but kind of repetitive. Most of your time is spend trying to secure resources for your population. When your people are satisfied they will move up in class (from peasant to settler) and demand more resources. You will eventually have to expand into other lands and islands attempting to get the resources needed to make sure your people are happy. You also will have to start investing in military units to defend/conquer. You have to spend time setting up routes, and the whole thing loses it's luster after a few hours. Not a game you will get addicted to, but a game to play for an hour or so when bored.

One of the best strategy games ever, and this pack ISN'T on Steam! Definitely one of those "just one more..."-type games like Civilization and XCOM. Start playing and suddenly it's morning!

This complete package of Anno 1404 is just sweet. A graphically pleasant, peaceful city builder in medieval setting is just perfect for long winter evenings - slowly watching your supply chains grow, villages turning to cities and wild, lush island turning into intensely developed agricultural colonies, this game is a dream of detail-obsessed city planners and micromanagers. The northern temperate islands are complemented with southern deserts, and since both provide different sets of resources and finished products, it's up to players to create an intricate web of supply chains.

My only gripe is with the transport system - there is no telling your ships to spread the cargo evenly across your islands, you have to switch on and off the supply routes to avoid shortages/oversupply.

Combat is weak and forgettable, as is usual for this type of games, but I guess most players won't really mind.

Great simulation game that features town building and sending supplies off to your home country in Europe. Countless buildings to build and numerous industries to expand upon. You can send off your scout to see what other resources are out there and then build roads and mines to develop those resources. Great title in the series. Solid User interface and easy to learn tutorial makes this a game that users of all ages can play.

Great game! Not what I'm use to as far as building EVERY individual building. None the less, great value and a very fun play for hours.

A great mix of city building and trading simulations with top notch graphics to boot. A lengthy campaign and many standalone scenarios and a sandbox mode provide a ton of gameplay. Occasionally it can get a bit slow while you wait for quests to appear or resources to be gathered but that's staple for any such game. Great game, recommended!

i got this game with expansions for blue coins at a pretty low price, im REALLY happy about it. i usually dont play these sort of city builder games (though i am a devoted civ fan) but i found it easy to pick up. that being said im sure there is alot of things i dont fully comprehend that i could be doing to maximize my returns better, so there IS alot of depth under the basic gameplay. the main selling point to me was the graphics, it is a really beautiful game and i couldnt resist that. the only downside (and reason it got 4 stars) is the draconian ubisoft DRM which is why i didnt buy it for a higher price, i dont feel its my responsibility as a gamer to pay for companies to develop and use protection that doesnt even end up working to begin with and doesnt benefit the gamer.

This is a game just like 1602ad except greatly improved. i find myself playing it alot in my down time. i never seem to make it very far because it is very time consuming, but the campaign is very fun and gives great ideas on how to play. build your island, make houses in your design, feed and meet the needs of your citizens. build your economy and resources. attack or ally with the computer attack the corsairs...your choices are there. set game specific goals in free play to win how you want or lay waste to everyone and claim everywhere. great fun!

As can be gleaned from the other reviews, this game places you as a manager of a colony. The setting and interface are fantastic.

However, I have one criticism that keeps me from delving too far into this game and limits my rating to four stars: The infrastructure is oversimplified. Ports and markets receive resources immediately as they are excavated, there is no transit. This abstraction, unfortunately, hampers the immersion factor of the game, and leads to somewhat unbelievable strategies for managing a town.

The Anno series is a city-building game with a little Caesar and SimCity thrown in. Your basic goal is to create a profitable town or several towns, managing your economy and keeping your population happy. It's definitely a tricky balance since you have to meet the growing populations' demands, but you can't spend too much on them because your resources are limited. It's certainly rewarding to find yourself in charge of a thriving community. If you enjoyed the previous games then do get this - it's perhaps the best Anno game yet.

While it took a while to get the serial key issue worked out over the special package for this game, I have thoroughly enjoyed playing it ever since. The economic modeling is impressive and I believe the graphics stand out more so than in other games in similar genres. I have always been a fan of the Anno series, so I wasn't 100% sure what to expect with this. I especially enjoy the random missions that appear!

If you're new the series, certainly go through the tutorials. If you're comfortable with these types of games, you should be able to figure it out without too much trouble.

this is one of those games that has 3 great things of gaming. good graphics, its fun to play, and it has the addiction factor. you will have moments where you will be "One more minutes" just to finish whatever it is you are doing. only to realize it is 3 in the monring.

This is one of the best economic city-builder strategy games since Settlers II. And that wouldn't be a long list.

There are a lot of different products you have to produce in order to evolve your cities, unlike in other games where you would only need a few different things from basic categories. The war aspect of the game is not very detailed, this one is more about economy.

The graphics, the sound and voiceover quality is very good, although loading times may get a bit long for larger maps if you set video settings very high.

It's not that easy to get this game in Europe, but keep a lookout for this one, as it is definitely worth the price.

Pros: Hours of trading and building.

Game start up is quick and easy.

Cons:

In the Dawn Of Discovery Venice, you have too look for spies and enemies. Also you have to wait wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long to get any ground troops.

You don't have any class to really chose from.

One of my new all time favorite games, Dawn of Discovery takes the standard set by the Anno series of games and refines it to perfection. The graphics are beautiful, the soundtrack is very good, and the gameplay itself is the best of the series. Similar to previous games, Dawn sees you setting sail to colonize an island in the new world and make your fortunes, building an empire that will have to defend itself from pirate attacks and other opposing nations.

This game is different than most of this premise, however, because combat plays a backseat to the city building aspect. You build a trade empire that supplies your settlements with what they need. One settlement will begin needing tools and stone for their structures, but as you build it up, it will be able to produce specialized goods on its own. Each island is best at supplying certain resources, which makes it important to pick and choose islands that are capable of growing the crops you want before other nations do. Once you do, you will establish a network of islands, one producing tools to send to new settlements, others producing food to send to the hungry masses, all connected by patrolling trade fleets, while you try to fit all your citizens' needs and attract wealthier inhabitants to your towns.

While combat is secondary to the incredibly deep diplomacy and city-building aspect of the game, it is much improved from previous titles, allowing you to truly lay siege on your enemies if need be, and establish a foothold on their islands.

This game is really good, and I recommend it heartily as a fan of old world lore, city-building games, and more importantly, coop multiplayer games. The Anno series has always allowed people to play together, but Dawn of Discovery goes one step further and allows multiple players to play *on the same side.* Multiple players gather under one nation's flag and act as one, being able to draw from the same resource pool to build structures, manage towns on various islands, control fleets and otherwise take care of tasks other players are too busy to handle. It results in a joint effort to build up the most powerful empire you can, and it's brilliant, especially when you consider 4 players can play under each nation's flag, resulting in 4 sides with 16 players total for a completely cooperative experience.

This game is worth it. It's the best of the series and truly sets itself apart with its attention to detail and sheer fun value.

Despite the problems with the Tages DRM a little while back, this game is amazing. A city builder with a hint of a strategy game makes this one game that you won't soon forget. Beautiful graphics that fit the genre just right, and depth that you're left saying to yourself that you couldn't quite ask for much more. Love this game, and I would definitely recommend picking it up.

I recommend DoD (aka Anno 1404), really one of the best City Builder ever and IMHO best part of "Anno" series. Excellent gameplay, graphics and sound :-)

Dawn of Discovery/Anno is a mixed bag. Graphics and execution is excellent. But somehow gameplay is flawed. You set up a settelement and develop it. So far so good. The problem is that gameplay is repetitive as hell. Your citizens develop from peasant to burgher to noble to ... to ... etc. The problem is that on every stage you have to do exactly the same things. So in the end it gets boring fast. Excellent technical execution though. 3 stars.

I really like this game. I've played Anno 1602 years ago for hours and then kind of lost track of the series. 1503 received bad reviews and didn't really interest me. I bought 1701, but it bored me really quick. This time it's just the right mixture of the base game offering a campaign that's nicely told and acts as a good tutorial for newbies and then the classic endless game in the Venice expansion and some scenarios on top that offer a long-time motivation. You can even download custom scenarios if that somehow isn't enough for you. Technically Dawn of discovery offers some really nice graphics and lots of details to discover so you can really get lost inside your world. Great game!

Excellent game with what seems like endless hours of fun. Build up your settlements while managing resources, setting up trade, and discovering new islands on which to expand. The scenarios in the game are fun to play. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good strategy game.

Beautiful graphics and art design, charming atmosphere and relaxed pace. Unfortunately, this only describes the Venice expansion, because Tages DRM refuses to validate the activation code for Dawn of Discovery. While you can still access scenarios and continuous play, the original campaign remains locked. It seems like two different activation codes are required for this Gold Edition, but only one code is supplied.

This is a great civilization type game, It gives many options and a different focus on how to win scenarios than most city building games. I like the quests/campaign, as one way to win it's unique to the Anno (Dawn of Discovery) games as far as I know.

This Gold Edition has the expansion which adds more options for your cities which increase replay, as well as some new scenarios and items. The sandbox mode is very well done, giving you a lot of control to enable you many hours of game play.

This is definitely worth picking up, I believe there's a demo out there should you be interested.

This is another wonderfule strategy game. While I typically stay with Paradox Ubi did a great job with this game. If you like management this is an awesome game. The battles are not much to speak of and that is not is strong suit but overall it is an awesome game.