Reviews// Anno Online

Fortunately it all stops short of becoming overwhelming thanks to the typical time-gating mechanics of these online games. You’ll soon reach the point where you can only do so much before your resources run low and you need to leave the game alone to replenish your supplies.

The game is perfectly suited to quick bursts of regular play rather than extended sessions, unless you’re willing to stump up the real-life cash to instantly resupply yourself.

The tutorial does a good job getting you started but there are some quirks that aren’t well explained at all. As you progress further the game holds your hand less and less, which is obviously a good thing but there are some niggly areas where a little more guidance would have come in handy.

The ship and island management is a pretty major element of the game which really changes things up as soon as you reach that stage, but the in-game missions and guides brisk through it quite quickly. Worse still, the ship control menu is a little cumbersome and it took me a few trial and error attempts before I got things working just how I wanted them. Once you get the hang of it it’s a breeze but there’ll undoubtedly be some rocky patches when you’re getting to grips with the new mechanics.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Anno Online is still officially in its Beta stage despite its high level of polish. Some issues might be fleshed out better as the updates roll out, and some areas are very likely to be expanded on.

Most noticeably the game has little multiplayer interaction for an online game. You can add other players to your friend list and even form guilds with like-minded individuals, but as of yet there’s no real advantages to be gained from doing so.

If the thought of managing resources to build and maintain both a sprawling city of tiny people and the farming, mining, and all sorts of other industries to support it appeals to you then look no further. Even if it doesn’t, you might be surprised by Anno Online’s quietly addictive gameplay.

What it really comes down to is that if you had to pay for Anno Online then it would still be a very good game. So as a free-to-play title it obviously offers fantastic value for money and you could do a lot worse than give it a try even if it’s just during your lunch breaks. At the very least it’s quite a bit more engrossing than FarmVille.

Pros
+ Relaxing pace.
+ Increasingly deep infrastructure management.
+ Great presentation.

Cons
- May be boring to some.
- May require too much micro-managing for others.

]SPOnG score: 8/10