First of all, be aware that this is a game which may require some fiddling around with before it will run ok. I've brought it to a point where it is playable, but will still crash at times - usually soon after launching the game. Switching between piloting a massive mech and being on foot is a great gameplay mechanic. While in the mech the world looks miniature and the people are like ants, and on foot the game is just like a normal FPS. The weapons are different and the gameplay in general is different between the two modes. You almost get two games in one, and I still remember my mind being blown by this concept way back when the game was new. It's still a concept that works exttremely well, and a shame that it's rarely been seen since then. Dialogue and story is cheesy, and obviously the game mechanics are a little dated at this point, but it's fun and different and has old-school simplicity.
This was an incredible game in its time. Modern games often lack the "fun" factor, with over-complicated and generic gameplay, The feel of the game, the way the ship moves around and the weapons system and the menus and map all just work. It's not dumb, but it's also not complicated and cluttered, meaning that you spend the time playing the game and not managing inventory or wasting time trying to figure out how to work out a certain problem. It meets the only criteria that matters - it's fun.
When this game was released it was incredibly impressive in almost every aspect. And even now, revisiting the game after at least a decade, the mechanics are very effective and the visuals are surprisingly appealing. There aren't many recent games that can compete with Anno 1404, despite the leaps forward in tech and budgets. This is a gem
