Anno 2070 is that addictive RTS game that will definitely keep you interested long enough to fall asleep in front of the computer and miss work (or breakfast) the next morning. The Anno series has managed to maintain the balance of economic management and the most obvious and important aspect, fun. It is critical in any RTS title to be time efficient and relaxed while keeping players interested, Anno 2070 takes the field with its gorgeous graphics and smooth game play. The goal here is to expand across multiple islands while somehow keeping your finances tight in order to keep everything from diving head-first into the ground. Harvesting raw materials and building off of them to create a sustainable infrastructure is the key to keeping things afloat here. I like to pretend sometimes that I am a small country in our modern world that has it all under control, semi-self efficient and as prosperous as can be. Now of course there is no such thing as prosperity anymore and even more so in the year 2070, but when things get shaky why not dream big?
Anno 2070 features a few factions you can benefit from. For starters the S.A.A.T is a tech faction that allows you research various upgrades for your island’s ecosystem,economy and naval units including the Ark which acts as a flagship. The Techs act as a support faction for the most part to The Eden Initiative who are basically Eco-friendly and the Tycoons who fancy quick expansion and are more prone to heavy industrialization and pollution. One of the main focuses of this game is building and maintaining reasonably sized populations. This is where Anno separates from the Civilization series in depth, while both games share similar mechanics they differ in city management greatly in terms of size. In this game you will tend to build slowly by utilizing your resources to satisfy your residents and in turn you will see skill advancements in your workforce. With each advancement comes a new need to satisfy which makes Anno a much more relaxed game than others of its type.
Although this is a very relaxed game you will eventually need to practice some form of imperialism and find more land once your main island begins bursting at the seams. The campaign does give you time to adjust for those unfamiliar with the series by easing you into the world itself, slowly showing you how to dominate other powers. You will probably find yourself building districts for the many different types of buildings that can be constructed, resource gathering and balancing can make or break everything you are trying to accomplish here so don’t expect to get into this and take off running or you are guaranteed to hit a wall. One of the other cooler things about Anno 2070 are the underwater bases that can be used to house resources, so yes you can go ahead and build or very own small-scale Atlantis. Sea bases are not meant to be used for any type overly dramatic purposes however, some materials can only be harvested on the sea floor making these bases the best option to do so.
Anno 2070 properly demonstrates how a series can be successful over a decade of consistent and enjoyable gameplay while also innovating and adapting to its growing niche. More importantly, Anno 2070 is easy on the eyes and requires very little head-banging to get used to which is more than enough to ask for in an RTS title these days. If you don’t think you’ll be around to enjoy major climate change then you can just sit back, play an think about how none of it will be your problem anyway. I mean, it kind of makes you want to watch Planet Earth and pretend to be an activist.
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