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 Digg.com Facebook Google Bookmarks N4G Gamerblips del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot.org StumbleUpon Thanks for this, nice review also -- Shall be getting this soon. Sorry but what a short sighted review, I only see some paragraphs with disgruntled mumbling, espesscially because you dont understand some things about Anno 1404.
Not objective at all, and no valid reason to just say that Anno 1404 is an unspectacular city building game.
You have hardly covered any aspect of the game (UI and Gameplay has been more fine tuned, and is more newbie and generally user friendly, trade is a big part of this game and a great aspect of the Anno games, espescially when the Orient Civ opens up).
Just to name a few. and you just convict it with your foundings by playing the game for 10 minutes and saying, ok its enough this is how it is screw the rest of the gameplay elements, which have been bluntly ignored by you.
How in the world is anyone to get a clear picture of Anno or any game in general when you review like this?! You've made this impossible.
Dissapointing to see that you get paid to write this, have any job openings? Will be getting soon, but am I not seeing a next page link or anything? :? Hmm, this really isn't the best choice of a recent PCG UK review to put online. Anno 1404 is pretty much the PC game of the moment, new or not, poor manual or not, accessible or not, awful DRM or not, doesn't matter apparently. :)
Of course, you have to respect Chris' opinion about it but I am very curious whether PCG UK will have the balls to slam dunk StarCraft II as well because it also has a "constant stream of fussy little tasks to juggle" and is stuck in a way too old mindset. Looking forward to it actually. :) What a rubbish review, I thought PC Gamer was more professional than this, very shallow and dismissive. Regardless of what score you gave the game you have gone into no detail at all about the game and the various options and degrees of difficulty, the opening up of the Orient etc. If you're going to give this game such a low score then at least have the decency to explain why with examples, not just a few off the cuff frustrations you experienced in the first 10 minutes of the game. I bought this on release day and find it a very deep and rewarding game but then I've put the time in to learn how to play it! Im glad I am not the only one with that opinion, you just cant call this a review. And like I said, writing this, and getting paid for it, is absolutely hilarious. They should really fire him if most of his reviews are like this, this only cost him about 10 minutes writing this shallow nonsense. I aint much of a comment poster, but I did have to go out of my way of posting something.
I fail to comprehend that such a short(sighted) is posted on a great site like this. The journalism of this review surely needs to think over his career.
Back on track, if you have any form of intelligence and you READ what the tutorial tells you to do (ingame popup) you can't go wrong, really.
Have a nice life Chris! As an Anno veteran, I can't really offer any opinion on how intuitive Anno's city building is to city building virgins - but it all made sense to me.
I vehemently disagree about small 'chorey' type tasks somehow detracting from your chosen grand strategy. Much of the sense of achievement I get from Anno is from building a trade and public services network capable of automating these tasks. I get the impression that this reviewer was simply not willing to invest the time in investigating the game as deeply as was necessary after being put off by its apparent initial shortcomings. | 
