Anno 2070
- November 17, 2011
- Related Designs
- 24h median play time
Anno 2070 is a polished management sim with some innovative ideas, but it doesnt push them far enough.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Anno 2070" is a strategy game set in a near-future world impacted by climate change and rising sea levels. Players must build and manage advanced cities, create production chains, and engage in diplomacy and trade to prosper. The game features a comprehensive economic system, new gameplay mechanics, and the ability to construct massive, sprawling metropolises.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- story1,260 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in Anno 2070 is generally viewed as basic and somewhat uninspired, often serving more as a tutorial for gameplay mechanics than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the sci-fi setting and the integration of environmental themes, many criticize the missions for being repetitive and lacking depth, often reducing to simple fetch quests. Overall, the campaign provides a framework for learning the game, but it fails to deliver a memorable or engaging storyline.
“Overall, Anno 2070's engaging gameplay, compelling storyline, and unique setting make it a standout title in the Anno series.”
“I played it in 2012 and found it gorgeous with an amazing soundtrack and a super interesting sci-fi story and I still believe all of that!”
“The campaign brought in an interesting storyline (interesting enough to keep going anyway in an economy-based strategy game), with thought-out missions and essentially teaches everything you need to know about the game to you in a very clear manner.”
“The campaign, the expansion campaign, the missions, the bonus missions, the world events...and aside from a few standouts, it's really just the same game over and over again.”
“I have no idea how a game studio could spend so much money on making a really pretty game and yet not hire a single competent writer to work on any part of it: the world, the story, or even the dialogue.”
“The 'storyline' is terrible and whoever wrote the 'script' should have been fired, it's some of the worst writing I've ever seen.”
- gameplay1,196 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Anno 2070 is characterized by its intricate resource management and strategic depth, offering a mix of familiar mechanics from previous titles in the series while introducing innovative features like underwater construction and ecological balance. Players appreciate the engaging city-building experience, though some criticize the repetitive nature of the core gameplay loop and the lack of a comprehensive tutorial, which can make the learning curve steep. Overall, while the game boasts beautiful graphics and a compelling setting, the reliance on online features and DRM has led to mixed feelings among players regarding its accessibility and enjoyment.
“With its intricate resource management and engaging gameplay, it challenges players to balance progress with environmental sustainability.”
“Despite its complex mechanics and steep learning curve, its rewarding gameplay and strategic depth make for a satisfying experience.”
“What sets Anno 2070 apart is its innovative gameplay mechanics, including the introduction of underwater construction and resource management.”
“The gameplay of Anno 2070 is simplistic, stale, and repetitive.”
“The only issue is the repetitive nature of the core gameplay loop which might get a bit tedious after a while.”
“After playing for a couple of hours, the gameplay is still shallow, boring, and repetitive.”
- graphics1,016 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of Anno 2070 are widely praised for their stunning detail and immersive quality, effectively bringing its futuristic world to life. While many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and intricate designs, some have noted that the graphics can appear dated compared to newer titles, and performance issues may arise on lower-end systems. Overall, the game's aesthetic appeal, combined with its atmospheric soundtrack, contributes significantly to the engaging city-building experience.
“With its intricate management systems and stunning visuals, Anno 2070™ allows you to create and oversee a futuristic world brimming with advanced buildings, complex infrastructure, and innovative technologies.”
“The game's richly detailed graphics and immersive soundtrack bring its dystopian future to life with stunning realism.”
“The graphics are stunning, and the game has an incredibly detailed and realistic world.”
“The graphics have to be set to all lowest settings in order for the game not to crash.”
“The constantly blurry visuals of this game take a lot of the charm out of it.”
“The graphics are uninspiring.”
- music364 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its immersive and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall gaming experience. The soundtrack is described as beautiful, soothing, and fitting for the game's themes, often drawing players into its world for extended periods. While some critiques mention that the music may not always match the gameplay, the majority agree that it is a standout feature, making the game enjoyable and memorable.
“The game's richly detailed graphics and immersive soundtrack bring its dystopian future to life with stunning realism.”
“The music is absolutely phenomenal.”
“The music and visuals make for a very relaxing city builder.”
“All in all it's a good game, but what I really don't like: I don't like the music and the character voices are super annoying.”
“The only downside of the game is the music, it just never matches the gameplay, the audio of the game feels random from a soundtrack and rarely fit the situation you are at.”
“And I don't like the soundtrack, compared to the relaxed tunes of 1404 these tunes give me the impression I'm in a constant state of war.”
- stability146 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, crashes, and issues related to the Uplay launcher, which complicates the gaming experience. Many players express frustration over the need for extensive troubleshooting just to get the game running, while others note that the game can run smoothly once past the initial hurdles. Overall, the consensus is that the game's stability is significantly undermined by the buggy Uplay platform, leading to a frustrating experience for many users.
“Game runs great, no bugs, no problems.”
“I thought the voice acting was good; not buggy at all for me, ran fairly smooth on my mediocre rig.”
“It runs great on my PC.”
“What a confusing, poorly planned, complete pain in the ass, buggy pile of junk software.”
“The game has had glitches since launch and nothing has been done about that regardless of countless complaints and forum entries.”
“This, Ubisoft, is utterly ridiculous, and you should never have released such a buggy piece of software to your customers.”
- replayability142 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game exhibits high replayability, with many players praising its diverse scenarios, customizable settings, and multiple factions that encourage varied gameplay experiences. However, some users have noted issues with online features and account connectivity that can hinder replay value, particularly in multiplayer modes. Overall, while many find the game endlessly engaging, others feel it may lose its appeal over time due to repetitive elements.
“The game offers incredible replayability through obtained near the end of playthrough through scientists and a lot of time can be invested in a single save by improving conditions for citizens on your various islands.”
“The open-ended random scenario maps make for endless replayability, and the core management gameplay is simple but satisfying, slowly building in complexity until you feel like you're really overseeing a massive living breathing nation.”
“Addictive strategy game with almost endless replayability.”
“The environmentalist theme hurts its replay value due to its repetition throughout the 1990s.”
“An interesting and engaging twist on the city building genre, but the linear path of development and awkward military gameplay makes replayability difficult.”
“Tl;dr: a very pretty, very polished trading sim with terrible gameplay mechanics and incredibly low replay value.”
- grinding132 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its repetitive and tedious nature, with many players feeling that it requires an excessive time commitment to progress. The core gameplay loop, involving resource management and trade routes, often becomes monotonous and frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the strategic elements, the overwhelming micromanagement and drawn-out tasks can lead to a lack of engagement over time.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The only issue is the repetitive nature of the core gameplay loop which might get a bit tedious after a while.”
“Ubisoft has created a new type of grinding that is not even fun.”
“You will love it for an hour, and then struggle to find enjoyment the next 8 or so before you finally realize this game has nothing to offer beyond tedious resource grinding for ever-decreasing gains.”
- optimization70 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant performance issues even on modern hardware, leading to frame drops and stuttering. While the transition to a 64-bit architecture and modern server infrastructure has improved performance for some, many still find it poorly optimized, particularly at higher settings. Despite these challenges, others report smooth gameplay and enjoyable experiences, suggesting that performance may vary widely depending on individual setups.
“They basically migrated the whole online part to a more modern server architecture and the game was also ported from 32-bit to 64-bit, which should give it another bump in performance and future-proofing.”
“Everything was going so smoothly as I optimized my logistic network, positively shifted my population's skill demographic, increased my tax revenue, and improved relations with my AI neighbors.”
“I have spent a few hundred hours just building cities and messing about with logistics and resource usage optimizations.”
“The graphic is not so bad, but it is badly optimized. Even with current-gen (as of 2021) hardware, it's still choking without using the full potential of my rig. Still playable, still enjoyable.”
“It's decent looking, but even at 1080p it's so poorly optimized that 6-core i7's with GTX 2060s actually struggle not to drop frames at times.”
“The main detriment to this game is the optimization.”
- atmosphere62 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive soundtracks, and thematic depth, effectively drawing players into its dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings. While some players note that it lacks the charm of earlier titles like Anno 1404, the overall experience is described as relaxing and engaging, with a rich blend of industrial and serene environments. The combination of beautiful graphics, atmospheric music, and intricate gameplay mechanics creates a captivating atmosphere that enhances the city-building experience.
“Furthermore, the game's sleek visuals and atmospheric soundtrack contribute to its immersive experience, drawing players into its dystopian future world.”
“The atmospheres this game creates are priceless, from heavy industry to peaceful and harmonic cities, plus a great soundtrack to fit the moods.”
“The soundtracks are one of the best in the video game business, and the atmosphere of the game sucks you in, making you feel like you're fighting for existence in a flooded world...”
“It lacks the atmosphere of Anno 1404, but it is a lot more fun in the long run.”
“Anno 2070 is set in the near future and therefore lacks the atmosphere Anno 1404 had, I think.”
“However... it won't have the nice cute atmosphere anymore as it had before.”
- humor56 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as both entertaining and dark, with players finding amusement in scenarios like environmental destruction and the absurdities of the game's mechanics. Many reviews highlight a good sense of humor in the gameplay and scenarios, though some express frustration with the game's technical issues, which can detract from the fun. Overall, the humor is appreciated for its social commentary and the comedic elements of city-building disasters, making for a unique and engaging experience.
“Allows you to ruin the environment so that your friends get a tornado to ruin their city while you just stand there laughing.”
“But I sat in my seat laughing for 10 minutes straight at one of them, whilst also dreading it slightly.”
“The climate change near future setting is swag, city building is pretty dank, and natural disasters are hilarious as hell.”
- monetization20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been heavily criticized for its aggressive advertising tactics, requiring players to register for Uplay and bombarding them with emails and pop-up ads, even after purchasing the game. Additionally, the presence of numerous microtransactions, including trivial purchases for cosmetic titles, suggests a focus on profit over player experience, leading many to view the game as a cash grab. Overall, the monetization approach detracts significantly from the gameplay experience, with frequent crashes and interruptions further compounding the frustration.
“The game features a variety of microtransactions, including options like purchasing new titles for your leader.”
“Players can engage in in-game purchases using real money.”
“The game includes several microtransaction options that enhance the gameplay experience.”
“They force you to receive their advertisements to play after paying retail for it.”
“Game is filled with microtransactions, the silly kind like paying money to get a new title for your leader.”
“When the game finally launches you will be pestered with surveys and pop-up advertisements.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotional investment and frustration regarding the game. While some appreciate the dedication behind the title, many feel a lack of emotional connection due to the absence of historic charm compared to previous installments, and they express disappointment over perceived broken promises and technical issues with the Uplay launcher, leading to feelings of betrayal and anger towards the publisher.
“If that's not wholesome dedication, I don't know what is.”
“It lacks the historic charm of 1404 (or Dawn of Discovery for us folks in the US), so it's harder to invest emotionally or mentally in your little islands.”
“Buying Anno 1404 with the promise of a multiplayer patch, while it actually was released as a multiplayer DLC, made me feel cheated.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development that enhances the strategic gameplay, complemented by dynamic events that maintain player engagement and keep missions exciting.
“An excellent strategy game, with good character development and dynamic events to keep the missions interesting and the player on their toes!”
