Which is better? Anno 117 or Anno 1800? The debate has been simmering in the community for a long time, and now a statistic is providing further topics of discussion, but also new appreciation.
Not a week goes by without Annoholics comparing Anno 117 and Anno 1800 on social media. Anno 1800 often comes out on top and many describe having less fun with Anno 117 than before.
But the question of which Anno is better is by no means an easy one. Especially as the answer always depends very much on the person and their own preferences. For example, if you prefer antiquity to the industrial revolution, you will almost automatically prefer Anno 117.There really isn’t much difference between the two games in terms of content and quality.
One user has now drawn up a very clear comparison between the two games. The aim here is to make it clear, purely in terms of the amount of content and in a fairly neutral way, what exactly is in the two games at release, but also including DLCs:
Anno 117 in a new light
The statistics also contain some figures that are not so clear when playing the game alone or only unfold their full effect in direct comparison. As a result, some fans now have a little more admiration for Anno 117 than originally thought. Among them is the user MagdaKun:
“In my opinion, the needs and population levels really put things into perspective. I’ve seen complaints because the main region in 117 [Lazio] has one less level than in 1800, yet has basically the same number of needs – if not more.”
Also often mentioned is of course the comparison with Anno 1800, which always seems somewhat unfair, as many also refer to Anno 1800 after several updates and numerous DLCs. It’s only logical that Anno 117 can’t keep up.
Much more surprising for some,what was missing in Anno 1800 at release, including the co-op mode and the complete statistics screen. Even the Hall of Fame only came into play much later in Anno 1800.
Also exciting is the number of islands. Anno 117 is often criticized for its low island variety, but according to statistics, there is only one island more in Anno 1800 than there is now in Anno 117. The islands are just distributed differently. While there were 36 islands in the Old World, there are 28 in Latium, but Albion has 22 islands and the New World only 15.
How useful are the statistics
Although the statistics are certainly worth looking at, they do not paint a clear picture of the differences between the two Annos. This is also something that users on Reddit repeatedly mention.
Firstly, a purely quantitative comparison says little about how well a game is designed and how elegantly all the content is interlinked. One problem with Anno 117, for example, is its longevity, as many players agree. The spiral of motivation in Anno 117 is simply not as fulfilling as in its predecessor.
In addition, the statistics are sometimes misleading or incomplete. The modular buildings such as the zoo and the museum as well as the relevant expeditions from Anno 1800 are only ticked off in the statistics under “Collectibles”. However, there is much more gameplay involved here than the statistics suggest.
In addition, comparable features are not always equally complex. For example, the aqueducts from Anno 117 are not nearly as challenging as the train and power connections in Anno 1800.
Fans also note that just because some convenience features such as the stamps in Anno 1800 only came later in the game, this is no excuse why the same features should not be expected in the sequel from the start.
Intriguingly, however, an employee from Ubisoft spoke up directly and provided an explanation:
Well, unfortunately it wasn’t that simple, as the underlying systems have changed; therefore more work is needed to make these two features work properly in Anno 117: Pax Romana. For stamps, for example, we now have to take diagonal building and all its implications into account. Nevertheless, both features are now on our list for post-launch implementation, and we will keep you updated as soon as there is news.
So it remains a debate in the community as to which of the two games is better. They are both actually good. We at GlobalESportNews are editorially more on the side that Anno 1800 was a bit better even at release. However, we still have a lot of faith in Anno 117! It will be exciting to see what the community thinks of the two games in five years’ time.
