Anno 1800, the newest entry to Blue Byte’s city-building series, will be released on April 16th, 2019. After two games dedicated to sci-fi and futuristic settings, Anno is back with the industrial age. This game promises a great combination of classic features from the series with new ones, such as expeditions across the globe and the ability to settle into the New World.

After the recent closed beta, the developers took players’ feedback carefully and are working hard to address the issues raised, taking advantage of the new release date. The AI and diplomacy system will be reworked and tweaked, and they have reiterated their promise that Anno 1800 will have no microtransactions whatsoever.

But that’s not all; here are the most interesting facts about the game so far.

1. Anno 1800 is a beautiful and detailed game

Anno 1800 is a gorgeous game and probably the most beautiful city-builder out this year. Be in the old or new world, you’ll find incredible vistas, carefully created buildings, and astounding details as you zoom in to see the day-to-day activities of your citizens. You’ll be able to build your own Paris or Rio de Janeiro and populate with zoos, gardens, and museums. Or you could destroy the natural beauty around you with the iron fist of Industry. Whatever your choice, it will result in impressive visuals.

2. The game’s soundtrack will be released on vinyl

A wonderful soundtrack deserves a great release and Ubisoft just announced they will launch Anno’s music on audiophile 180g double vinyl along with the game in April. The epic soundtrack was recorded by a 70-member-ensemble of the Brandenburg State Orchestra, and it will both soothe and excite you while you build your empire.

3. You can build your own custom zoo and museum

This new feature allows you to build beautiful museums and incredible zoos to break the monotony of houses, farms, and workshops. These buildings occupy large spaces and have modules you can add as your collection of animals and artifacts grows. The new and old world both have unique styles of architecture and items, so don’t forget to beautify all your cities.

4. Seek treasures and adventures with the new Expeditions feature

To populate and occupy your zoo and museums you’ll need to send your ships into the unknown, but not before you give them the proper supplies for their journey. Sending them with naval power, rations, and such will boost your crew’s morale and improve their chances of success. Once the expedition is on, a series of events will pop up during gameplay where you must make a few decisions on how to proceed. This feature helps break up the city building and naval combat aspects of the game, giving you something else to do beyond building and improving your islands.

5. Beautify your cities with a wide variety of ornaments and plazas

The number of ornaments in this game will be no joke. While Anno is all about grid building, these items will help you transform your cities into gorgeous centers for tourism and happiness. Your imagination will be the limit as you build plazas, parks, and hedge mazes. Put down gazebos, statues, fountains, or go for more natural trees and bushes. Whatever your choice, your citizens will thank you because…

6. Your city attractiveness will now be a vital part of your economy

You might think making things look pretty isn’t all that compelling by itself. Well, now you’ll have a reason to place some trees around: the more attractive your city is, the more tourists and income you’ll generate. While it’s tempting to put down dozens of ugly factories and churn out product, keeping beauty and production balanced will be important to maintain your citizens’ happiness.

7. Plan carefully with the new blueprint mode

Players won’t need to feel pressured or limited by lack of resources anymore. With the blueprint mode, you’ll be able to place buildings without spending anything. Now planning ahead is possible, allowing for better strategies in the long run. Plan new districts, housing, and parks to make sure your island doesn’t spiral into a crisis you can’t control once space is gone.

8. Anno 1800 has a new system called Influence

Influence is a new resource for players, allowing them to shape and modify the game to fit their play style. Unlike gold, influence never depletes, only accumulates, so you’ll able to allocate it at any time you wish. You can place points in your harbor defenses, trade fleet, and use to influence the AI or spread propaganda to keep your workers happy. However you decide to use it, this feature opens up new strategies.

9. You can now advance and have electricity

Set in the 19th century, it would be remiss of the developers not to include one of the biggest technology changes of this era: electricity. Once you unlock your first power plant, you’ll receive a boost in production which allows you to grow even without available space. Electrical poles will appear around the area of effect of the plant, and horse wagons will be replaced with steam-powered cars.

10. Settle in the New World, with unique workers and buildings

A big feature of Anno 1800 is the introduction of South America as a new map for you to explore. It will cost supplies, but you can settle on the many islands of the new world, and this will give you access to new products, buildings, and type of workers. For example, coffee, ponchos, and bananas are exclusive to the new world and must be sent back to your other islands to unlock new citizen levels.

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