With Rise of the New World, not solely does the fourth season of Anno 1800 come to an finish – it’s even the final large DLC for the constructing big. So what does the finale have to supply and does Anno actually really feel completed with it?
Every time somebody asks “Who desires to take over the New World?” in my co-op spherical of Anno 1800, I fake to drive by way of a tunnel. Sure, together with my desk and my flooring PC. As a result of if I”m sincere, the New World has all the time felt to me like mopping the ground – sort of okay when there”s good music enjoying and sadly vital, but in addition not likely enjoyable.
That”s why I had monumental hopes for Season 4, which was imagined to lastly whip the New World into form. And right here we’re. Standing on the gates of the massive important attraction of Season 4. And likewise on the similar time … the top of Anno 1800. Wow.
Really, we had already celebrated Roofs of the Metropolis as the massive Anno finale. However then Season 4 got here across the nook like a battle cruiser. However that gained”t occur once more, because the builders introduced simply in time for the discharge of Rise of the New World. That is certainly the top of the primary growth of Anno 1800.
So can the ultimate main DLC Rise of the New World even face up to this stress? Does Anno 1800 now really feel “completed” after the completion of Season 4? And what do the brand new inhabitants degree, the brand new monuments, the quite a few manufacturing chains and the bigger islands actually have to supply?
To reply this, be part of me on what’s now actually the final take a look at voyage for Anno 1800. Ahoy! (Actually actually the final one? Comply with me on this journey to the top and also you”ll discover out.)
Artistas: The New Inhabitants Stage
The face of Rise of the New World is the Artistas, who lastly supply a complete new inhabitants degree as soon as once more. And whereas the New World has up to now consisted primarily of overworked discipline palms slaving away for fur coats within the Previous World (an implication I”ve all the time discovered quite alienating), the Artistas lastly have a objective in life all their very own.
They love soccer, good meals, cinema and samba courses. In a single fell swoop, the typically bleak new world is filled with life and thrilling building tasks! With 1,000 Obreros I unlock the brand new degree. With 11 wants and 6 luxurious wants, the Artistas are nearly probably the most demanding inhabitants degree within the recreation (other than high-rise traders), however along with the newly composed samba soundtrack additionally they unfold a superb occasion environment. You shouldn”t anticipate any large story moments from Rise of the New World, however when it comes to environment it performs within the higher league.
I”m starting to really feel a really sudden love for New World right here. In a single fell swoop, it”s not a tragic decal of a nondescript South American nation, however lastly presents simply as a lot tradition and little tales because the Previous World.
The one downer is that the artistas principally “solely” give cash – and there”s normally loads of that within the endgame anyway. No comparability to the analysis tasks of the students from the Land of Lions, from which even totally developed island kingdoms may nonetheless revenue massively.
Then again, the artistas supply oblique benefits. Their items can be utilized for the quality-of-life wants of different inhabitants ranges and thus create new labour in present dwellings. And with the brand new manufacturing chains, they’re price way more than any extra earnings.
The brand new manufacturing chains and buildings
The electrical scooter is the pool desk of the South Seas, they are saying. Don”t they? Nicely, now on the newest it would catch on. As a result of what was the billiard desk with 5 required uncooked supplies and three manufacturing steps in Roofs of the Metropolis is now the electrical scooter. It presents a powerful 7 uncooked supplies plus electrical energy and 4 manufacturing steps.
However this mega-project isn’t all, after all. The artistas additionally need footballs, mezcal (a Mexican spirit), jalea (a Peruvian seafood dish), ice cream, fragrance, followers, costumes for the samba college and movies for the cinema. As well as, they demand entry to the seashore – a brand new useful constructing for the harbour space, which thankfully brings a good vary and in addition my private spotlight as a beau builder: new seashore ornaments akin to boat homes, ice cream stands and deck chairs.
The troublesome hearth brigade and police constructing, which beforehand needed to be positioned on each nook, also can now be upgraded and equipped with hearth extinguishers and police gear in each the New and Previous Worlds for a lot larger protection.
For the manufacturing of all these new assets and client items, I’m after all pounding out some new factories. There are additionally new buildings for the intermediate steps, such because the herb backyard (for mezcal) or the orchid farm (for fragrance). But in addition the already identified tree nursery now lets me produce coconut oil for the fragrance manufacturing unit, for instance, and the cattle farm moreover produces milk after I provide it with electrical energy.
Sure, that”s proper! The inhabitants of the New World are lastly allowed to make use of their wealthy oil reserves for electrical energy themselves, as an alternative of simply delivery it to the wealthy snobs of the Previous World. And this not solely helps with the manufacturing of simply milk and different secondary items – it additionally makes my New World many instances simpler if I cleverly place my electrical energy vegetation close to factories!
On this huge useful resource battle, any assist when it comes to effectiveness is welcome. So right here”s my finest recommendation for Rise of the New World: Ensure you mix this DLC with Germ of Hope. In our take a look at, the latter appeared to make the New World far too simple – however with Rise of the New World, it exhibits its true worth.
The hacienda not solely offers way more house for much-needed jobs and in some circumstances massively reduces the quantity of land wanted for farms, it additionally helps out with fertility. It’s unattainable to search out all of the crops you will have for the brand new productions (sugar cane, maize, cocoa, cotton) on one island, which, with no seed of hope, will result in conflicts with the AI even sooner than it already did within the New World.
With the hacienda farms you trick the fertility and wish fewer completely different islands and fewer house. Sadly, the brand new orchids and the herb backyard are additionally depending on island fertility and it’s exactly these two that can’t be planted on a hacienda farm. However that may maybe be too simple.
Apart from electrical energy and the hacienda, nevertheless, there’s one other assist for this manufacturing insanity: the brand new islands.
The brand new islands
Rise of the New World unceremoniously enlarges the map in direction of the northeast and northwest. The unique islands are thus considerably compressed within the thumbnail view. This will not be the clearest possibility, however at the least I save myself the annoying switching that I needed to do with Cape Trelawny and the Previous World.
And talking of Cape Trelawny: The brand new big island of the New World – Manola – is about half the dimensions of Crown Falls. Nevertheless it does with out the annoying rivers and has a number of seashore areas. The opposite new islands are additionally a lot simpler to construct on on account of fewer or no rivers and now have the brand new fertilities on the prepared.
By the way in which, I can be a bit unfortunate, as a result of the island deposits are merely random – and never having any clay on the brand new important island might be annoying at instances. That”s why the hacienda farms are all of the extra necessary right here, at the least so that you just don”t have to fret about cultivation. By the way in which, the oil deposits on the brand new important island are clearly organized in a heap in all variants – but in addition on the ar… m of the heath. So pack sufficient metal for rail building.
The brand new islands additionally assist enormously with the conversion anxiousness that divides the minds of Anno followers. A few of us like to tinker, however I personally get a quite dangerous feeling when I’ve to tear down my lovingly embellished metropolis once more to make room for brand spanking new factories or railway tracks. I didn”t have this fear in any respect in Rise of the New World, as a result of I can straight expertise a brand new begin on a big island with the New World at its finest.
Soccer Stadium and Dam: The New Monuments
I do know what you”re completely not considering proper now, “However that doesn”t sound like a lot work, simply 12 new manufacturing chains and eight new islands? How boring.” However don”t fear, there”s much more. We haven”t even talked concerning the monuments but.
The primary monument I unlock is the dam on Manola, which you already know from the state of affairs “Eden on the Finish”. As normal, it eats up numerous assets, however afterwards it additionally provides – brace yourselves – your complete island with bioelectricity.
The way more thrilling monument, nevertheless, is the big soccer stadium with a inhabitants of 6,000 or extra artistas, which isn’t solely an actual feast for the eyes, but in addition stays interactive after building. I can spend cash and assets right here and name a neighborhood, regional or worldwide championship – the reward isn’t solely attractiveness but in addition affect factors.
The brand new state of affairs: pleasure and market share
The DLC once more features a new state of affairs that begins independently of the primary recreation and brings its personal mechanics and challenges. This time I play because the well-known dealer Madama Kahina and accordingly the problem additionally revolves round bartering and plenty of cash. The Artista Collective of the New World asks me to assist them return treasures from the Previous World to their homeland, the place they rightfully belong.
So I want monumental wealth to purchase again three extraordinarily priceless artefacts from the Previous World on the finish of this state of affairs and show them within the New World Museum. The particular characteristic: there are not any taxes on this state of affairs and I’ve to earn all my cash by mass producing priceless items and promoting them. There may be additionally no navy.
As a reward, relying on the bronze, silver or gold badge (relying on the sum of money donated and earned on the finish), there are new skins for the museum modules.
Sport Replace 16
With all these challenges, the included free Sport Replace 16 seems to be an actual blessing. For it brings one thing I hardly dare to say …. are you prepared? A multi-move instrument! Goosebumps.
I can now really mark total island areas, manufacturing areas or settlements and push them throughout your complete island. With all the brand new puzzling and crafting, I couldn”t have requested for something nicer.
As well as, the constructing menu is now a lot tidier and extra engaging. That is most evident in its personal ornaments tab, the place the ornaments are actually sorted both by seasons, particular ornaments and beauty DLCs – or by operate.
And the latter now seems way more logical! May it’s as a result of I complained loudly in my Schönbau information that Christmas bar tables are sorted beneath metropolis flooring? At the very least I wish to imagine it!
Does Anno really feel completed now?
Rise of the New World is a DLC that has completed the unattainable for me: I ignored my Previous World for over 20 hours and obtained utterly misplaced in samba, fragrance and herb gardens. Since this will occur to you too, let it’s a warning to you: By the point you awaken out of your delusion, your Previous World could also be plague-ridden and impoverished. So the DLC is probably to be enjoyable should you can afford it – that’s, if you end up within the endgame with some huge cash.
However then Rise of the New World appears like a reward for all my arduous work. A brand new sense of objective for all of the assets and cash I”ve accrued. A brand new undertaking that actually challenges me once more. And I fall right into a constructing frenzy that I’ve by no means skilled within the New World in nearly 4 years of Anno.
The environment is solely unbeatable: New Samba music, burned into my mind eternally after a 10-hour session. The seashore the place individuals lie within the solar or swim fortunately within the sea. The mezcal bar that’s so filled with environment that I’d like to order an after-work drink right here myself. The gorgeous soccer stadium, the place individuals scurry round and sweep the stands even at quiet instances.
And but, Rise of the New World isn’t a land of lions or rooftops of the town. It doesn”t really feel fairly as very like a closing fireworks show on account of unspectacular quest design and an unique give attention to the New World as Land of the Lions would have with its new exploration department and map, or Roofs of the Metropolis with its unimaginable scope. So maybe loosely primarily based on Batman, it”s not fairly the finale Anno deserves, but it surely”s the one it wants.
As a result of the New World is lastly enjoyable to play utterly independently of the Previous World – and I gained”t be faking a lifeless zone sooner or later when constructing on the New World in co-op.
For me, there are definitely nonetheless a couple of issues I’d have favored for Anno to really feel “completed”. A free blueprint mode (which the builders say I”ll in all probability by no means get), a commuter dock within the New World even with out airships, a brand new map with an Asia setting … And whereas some options would possibly nonetheless make it into Anno with updates or small DLCs, they’re very seemingly saving the Asia setting for a brand new half.
So we are saying goodbye to the Seasons for Anno 1800, at the least up thus far, as a result of we nonetheless have one final rating to settle with Anno 1800. For many years, it has been a GameStar custom to check an Anno once more as a King”s Version – that’s, how properly the model that actually consists of all content material performs. Nicely, then Anno 1800 got here alongside and torpedoed this good custom with a four-year DLC fixed hearth.
So the journey could also be over for Anno, however not but for us. So it”s solely goodbye for now, we”ll learn one another once more subsequent 12 months.
I stand on the pier with one laughing eye and one crying eye, waving a white handkerchief. And no matter could come, I’m certain the long run might be thrilling. Thanks Anno, it”s been a beautiful journey.
Editor”s conclusion
If it have been as much as me, Anno 1800 ought to by no means finish. And Rise of the New World will delay that finish for many people for a very long time to come back, too. For it rekindles a brand new love for a map that has been uncared for for much too lengthy, and has me as soon as once more drowning in a quagmire of duties, tweaks and constructing tasks.
Does it really feel like a worthy Anno conclusion? In a manner, sure, because it brings nearly all the pieces that the New World was nonetheless lacking. However one way or the other not, as a result of when it comes to scope and quests I”ve seen higher in nearly 4 years of Anno 1800.
However I”m prepared to forgive that in view of the nice environment, the thrilling manufacturing chains and the lovingly designed artistas. So my tip for Rise of the New World: deal with your self to the Hacienda from Germ of Hope beforehand, be sure that your Previous World can handle with out you for some time – and throw your self into the samba occasion.
