Anno 2205 Hands On Impressions: Shaping Up To Be A Perfect City Builder

Developed by Ubisoft Blue Byte Mainz, Anno 2205 is a a city-building simulator with real time strategy elements. Anno 2205 just like its predecessor Anno 2070 is set in a futuristic setting, a switch from the series’ traditional historic setting, and just like the previous games in the series the game puts you in the role of a leader, managing the day to day activities on both the Moon and Earth.

GamingBolt recently got the chance to try out a preview build of Anno 2205 and are pleased to report that those who are looking to build engaging economies and cities will have a good time with Ubisoft’s latest iteration in the long running simulator series. Compared to Anno 2070, Anno 2205 does not add a hell lot of new gameplay mechanics. Instead it takes what worked in the predecessor and improves it further. Veteran players will find themselves right at home with Anno 2205.

"Every Anno game in the past began from some sort of a central point and in the case of 2205, it begins from the spaceport. This is where you will be spending a decent amount of your gameplay time, unlocking upgrades, objects and parts."

Every Anno game in the past began from some sort of a central point and in the case of 2205, it begins from the spaceport. This is where you will be spending a decent amount of your gameplay time, unlocking upgrades, objects and parts. This is also where you will be unlocking the moon and several other locations along with developing rockets for reaching out to the colonies in the space.

But what really sets apart 2205 from the previous games is that you won’t be handling a single location. Instead the game throws a ton of them at you. It goes without saying that you need to manage them all together if you want to enjoy the game and as such you would need to cross pollinate resources from one locale to the another. Unfortunately, this is a rather clunky task as the interface to achieve this leaves a lot to be desired. Don’t get us wrong. We really liked this feature of cross supporting different locations but this needs to be done in a speedy manner so that consistent immersion can be maintained.

One of the best things about building stuff in Anno 2205 is that everything is done in a modular fashion and seeing it built in front of the players with a list of several different parameters is satisfying. Each structure comes in with four different modules which can be used for a wide variety of functions. It’s extremely satisfying to see that the building aspects have been made better in Anno 2205 and haven’t been tampered for the worst. You will also need to keep an eye out on the amount of energy resources you have and make sure you are completing objectives such as making residential places for your employees, opening up factories, making the correct connections and completing on screen objectives. The system may feel over whelming for new comers but give it an hour or two and the game will suck you right in with its in-depth mechanics.

"Anno 2205’s engine’s capabilities is one of the highlights of the game. The developers have utilized a new engine in the game which has helped to present data in a visual and interactive manner compared to the traditional methods of the past games."

Anno 2205’s engine’s capabilities is one of the highlights of the game. The developers have utilized a new engine in the game which has helped to present data in a visual and interactive manner compared to the traditional methods of the past games. Citizens’ behavior have been totally revamped and they will react dynamically depending on whether they are happy or not. Several user interface updates have also been carried out, ensuring the presentation is top notch. But what really surprised me is the attention to detail that the game brings. Anno 2205 is perhaps the best looking game in the series and I am eager to see whether they are going to upgrade it even further when the game launches next month. The game does have some performance issues though. I faced several crashes and lag in my playthrough.

With Anno 2070, the franchise took a U-turn, abandoning the traditional setting of the series and it worked out really well. With 2205, the developers have taken the series a step ahead with a fantastic new engine, new gameplay mechanics, enhanced building system and dynamic behaviors. Hopefully, the developers can fix the loading times when switching form one location to another and the performance issues. But other than, I am looking forward to what Anno 2205 will bring to the table next month.

This game was previewed on the PC.