The Bottom Line
Age of Empires / Mythology / Disco now has some decent competition. 1503 A.D. is a textbook European style god game. The focus is on trade, rather than combat, and it's not a bad twist.
Pros
- The best selling game in Germany - 2002
- Nice updated military aspect
- Nice easy pace
Cons
- Harsh economics
- Fairly complicated at first
Description
- Pretty run of the mill graphics. Pixel, not polygon based isometric view.
- Fun sea faring trade and combat. Though most of your game will take place on land.
- Improves on it's older sibling 1602 A.D. in every way. Better combat, better trade...
- Known as Anno 1503 in Germany, the game has a huge European following.
Guide Review - Anno 1503 A.D. - PC
Anno 1503 or 1503 A.D. The New World as it's called in North America is a very, very popular game. It is a typical German style city builder. Sail in, establish a colony, wait for them to get grumpy, go trade for their needs. While they are herding sheep, or cutting wood, feel free to go and make a sandwich, you won't miss too much.
Now I'm not saying 1503 is a boring game, actually it has a lot of fun exploration and development in it. It's just not exactly fast paced.
One thing that makes it far better than it's predecessor 1602, is the updated combat system. You can que up production and set rally points, just like in a traditional RTS.
1503 offers a nice, deep empire building game for those of you who would rather build than destroy.
