Dawn of Discovery, formerly known as Anno 1404, is on for a summertime release for PC, DS and Wii, Ubisoft announced today. As the latest installment in Sunflowers’ popular civilization-building strategy simulation series, Dawn of Discovery will take players to the Orient as King George sends his sons off in search of new territories and resources after droughts and famine have left his kingdom and its inhabitants in dire condition.
Each version of the game is being developed to take full advantage of its platform’s unique capabilities and audience, including more appealing and accessible cartoony art styles on the Nintendo platforms. And in case you were wondering…yes, the DS version is a sequel to last year’s Anno 1701, which just so happened to be subtitled Dawn of Discovery. Go figure!
Check after the break for a list of game features and a nice walkthrough video explaining the Wii and DS versions.
Dawn of Discovery Features:
Build and sustain your own expansive empire
• Explore the beautifully detailed world and discover new places to create your civilization
• Set up trade posts in the spice mines of the Orient and explore new trade routes to keep your nation growing
• Learn from other nearby cultures to expand your horizons and master the challenges of establishing a prosperous society
Developed specifically for Wii, DS and PC audiences
• Unique art style and clever integration of the Wii Remote and DS stylus makes building your empire more fun and interactive than ever before
• All new scalable 3-D engine ensures unmatched visuals, optimized for all PC’s – from high-end to low-end desktops
• Seamless user interface delivers multiple gameplay modes and faster player rewards for both long or short play sessions
Exclusive multiplayer modes across platforms
• Build your civilization and make history along with a friend in the 2-player co-op mode for Wii
• Integration with Ubi.com allows PC players to track achievements, climb leaderboards and challenge others online
Accessible for everyone from beginners to pros
• Intelligent help system offers contextual hints for any situation
• In-game encyclopedia includes illustrated tutorial filled with tips and strategies for building your civilization
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Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
I love these games! I was going to ask about the DS one, as I also have that one. Ah well, hopefully the tie-in will get the game out there more. These are extremely popular in Europe.
Never been big into strategy/sim games like this, but I like the look of the Wii version. Looking forward to giving it a try at least.
I never was either until I did a review of the original Anno 1701 PC version … then the hours seemed to just fly by … definitely like it more than RTS games, but less than Civ-type Turn-based games.