REVIEW: ‘Anno 1800 Console Edition’ is a Clunky but Adequate Port (XSX)

The Anno series has been a pillar of the strategy genre since its first title was released in 1998. Thanks to the series’ deep city building, player freedom, and subtle mechanics, it has managed to live on across seven releases that are each set during a different time period. However, the series has always been restricted to appearances on PC until now with the release of Anno 1800 Console Edition. Anno 1800 was originally released for PC in 2019 and has received numerous expansions for post-launch support. Only the base version of the game has been released for current-gen consoles so far, with the developers also having said that there are currently no plans to bring any more of the game’s content to consoles.

Translating a menu-heavy experience like Anno 1800 from a keyboard and mouse to a gamepad is no easy task, and it is where Anno 1800 Console Edition stumbles the most. The majority of the game’s interface has been converted to various radial menus, while certain areas of the screen, like notifications, are only accessible by pressing a button. This system works reasonably well in theory and has been more appropriately implemented in other console strategy games like Stellaris. 

Where Anno struggles with this approach is in how labyrinthine the layers of its menus are. There are numerous radial menus completely segregated from one another, making it cumbersome to get to the exact menu one is looking for. On top of this, most buildings are also hidden in their own sub-menus that are accessed from radial menus. For example, to build a sawmill, players have to open up the build radial, change it to the Farmer radial menu, and then select the wood production buildings menu. This opens an entirely separate side menu containing the two buildings within that production process. The player then has to use that menu to highlight the building to place it.

Getting a single building placed in one’s city with this system is unfortunately cumbersome, especially for a game like Anno where players will have to place countless buildings in a playthrough. It can also be confusing how many different styles of menus there are in Anno, with each having their own format and navigation style for players to re-adjust to whenever they come up. It would run a lot more smoothly if the game instead restricted itself to only radial menus or hotkeys using toggle buttons for consistency, similar to the console version of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. 

Apart from its clunky controls, Anno’s translation to console manages to preserve all of the game’s complexity, subtleties, and layers that fans have come to love. Building out a massive city while managing different production lines, resources, and needs is unendingly satisfying. The console port of Anno also manages to preserve the game’s addicting flow. Getting lost in the game’s flow and the constant development of one’s city through new technologie and options is effortless. It can easily keep players wrapped in late into the night.

When playing Anno 1800 players have a few different game modes to choose from, including a single player story, an open sandbox mode, and multiplayer with up to 15 other players. Finding enough players to commit to an entire playthrough can be tricky, however, so most players will likely spend the majority of their time in the two solo modes. Playing the story mode works well to onboard newcomers and get them accustomed to the controls. After that, however, it is best to move on to the sandbox mode as it frees players from being restricted by objectives or having to sit through a flimsy and boring story that is instantly forgettable. 

The console port of Anno 1800 also has a few graphical issues that disrupt the flow of playing. Textures frequently pop in whenever the player adjusts the zoom of the camera. Screen tearing is abundant while moving around the world quickly. These issues do get in the way of the game’s flow, but they ultimately aren’t big enough issues to completely derail the enjoyment of the port. 

While Anno 1800 Console Edition struggles to shine under its clunky controls and poor optimization, it manages to preserve the deep and addictive systems that define its identity. Serious Anno fans are better off sticking to the PC version of the game, especially since it won’t be receiving any of its post-launch content. However, strategy fans that don’t have that option should be more than satisfied with the new console port.

Anno 1800 Console Edition is available now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.