Great game concept in contemporary garb!

Well now awaiting the 3rd part of the build-up strategy from Germany to the player. Then the first part, 1602 revolutionized the genre and made quite a stir. Can now build on this success and as well for years to come addicting to the screen, the third part? Because yes ... but ...
In Detail:

1. Graphics: When you consider that the game now also has more than a year under his belt, the graphics are amazing! There are, of course, especially the small details that inspire: grass weighed in the wind, birds fly through the forest, in the meadow rabbits hopping, etc. Even the sea looks amazing and realistic! Added to this are the buildings and the people. The building also see great, especially the better "houses of the aristocrats are very impressive! And all over the city and in the streets scurrying people around. The great thing is that you recognize always good, the mood just in town there are. people grimly, they run with protest signs around in the market place. Go the the city well, they dance in the streets and the street vendors have their hands full. Occasionally, also from time to time special events, which both impacts have on the city, as well as optically visible. For example, the driving brewer comes to town. Then people can see through the streets drunk stagger, etc., etc. There is always something to see.
A highlight of the game is simply to watch only the bustle of the city streets, which makes a lot of fun. Here the game compared to its predecessor (Anno 1502) has brought more fun to the game! Super! And the great thing is that even with medium graphic details "the game looks still great.

2. Sound: The background music is initially quite nice, but soon begins to annoy, because they too often repeated. The music I then usually completely off while playing. Otherwise, the setting is great. The speakers are all in top form and even the ambient noise "are fantastic. Depending on where you are using the camera, you can hear the chatter of the town people, hears the sound of the waves in the surf or the chirping of birds in the forest .. . Class!

3. Gameplay: This has been compared with their predecessors esentliches nothing changed. It is as always to meet the needs of citizens (the time of course, become more demanding), thus enabling them to rise to the next level "The goods circuits are well known and held in classic style:. Complex but not confusing it. is also a nice tutorial that will familiarize you with the main game elements. The controls are simple, clear and intuitive access. Formally therefore agrees everything.

4. Long-term Motivation: The only negative here is that the game (despite randomly generated maps in the endless game) runs always on the same principle. One makes in every game almost always the same. At the beginning makes it so much fun, because there is so much to discover in the world, after a while it is but a little repetitive. If you take the hang of how a settlement works well, every match is actually from the same. Especially when you have a well-developed and thriving settlement with 2000+ aristocrats, and constantly makes profit, the game is boring, there is nothing more to achieve. The city improvements and the lock can as well not hide over it, not mainly because the city improvements substantially all look the same (well type 1, type 2 wells, fountains Type 3 ...) and the castle from so confusing many parts, that you do not know which part actually goes where. So when the long-term motivation is the weak ...

5. Multiplayer: This brings us to a point of me still (even after all these months) wildly upset: (sic!) In order to play the game in multiplayer mode in the LAN, requires each player their own CD-Key so ei own game! And that's just a joke. Nowadays, it is standard that for LAN no CD Key is required, only needs the internet each his own game. That is also legitimate. But that I must (!!! 85 euros) Buy two games in order to play with my wife on the LAN, I find a mess!
Anyway. On the other hand one has to say positively that the multiplayer game without any problems and very good work. In particular, the early Synchronisationsprobme no longer exists, everything runs smoothly and smooth. And of course, makes the game with (or against) human players much more fun!

CONCLUSION:
Anno 1701 makes basically everything right, formal weaknesses or even error can not I find significant. Fans of Anno "series will be here for weeks definitely or have even months of fun. The game is based wisely in the virtues of the classic 1602", all transported to 2007 and on the current state of technology. But even old Annoholiker "quickly reach the lack of long-term motivation. At some point you just simply times everything seen and also in multiplayer there's nothing to discover much new. Then the game but quickly boring because you always do just the same easy. Possibly, because the salvage something soon published addon that will also prove only.
Who knows yet no game of Anno "series and should definitely time to catch a glimpse interested in building strategy. The complex goods cycles and the motivational pioneer-to-aristocrat-rise system demand quite a bit of strategic thinking. Ultimately Anno is but but a peaceful Wusel Settlers game, "so who attaches importance to strategic real time battles on sea and on land, will certainly not challenged here, because the battle system is only very superficially integrated. Respect for multiplayer fans: Each player needs its own CD-Key - also on the network!
But the most important thing and the point that is the most fun in the game is simply spectating as the settlement to a city grows, as people scurry through the streets, etc. This makes the main attraction of the play out! Problems with the installation or the like, which have criticized some Vorrezensenten, I did not.
In summary, I give 4 stars. A star deduction's definitely for the lack of long-term motivation (s. Above). Otherwise weeks of fun are guaranteed!