Anno 1800, Ubisoft's superb Industrial-Revolution-era city builder, is getting a third season of paid DLC starting today, 23rd February, and to celebrate, the game is free to try this weekend.

Anno's free weekend starts this Thursday, 25th February, and runs until Monday, 1st March, during which time players can put the excellent base game through its paces on PC.

Those appropriately smitten will be able to purchase the full experience at a discounted price, with the Standard Edition costing £24.99 (a 50% saving) and the Gold Edition Year 3 (which includes the base game, deluxe pack, and third season pass) reduced by 35% to £43.54. Finally, the Complete Edition Year 3 (which features the base game, deluxe pack, and all three currently released season passes) is 25% off at £68.99.

Read more

Ubisoft's acclaimed Industrial-Revolution-era city-builder Anno 1800 is rolling up its greensleeves and getting ready to turn over a new leaf, thanks to its horticulturally themed second paid DLC, Botanica, which arrives today on PC.

Botanica, as its name heavily suggest, adds a new cultural building project to the world of Anno, this time in the form of the botanical garden, drawing tourists and increasing your city's attractiveness. Rather than being a simple one-and-done buildings to slap down in the middle of a map, however, botanical gardens are sprawling, heavily customisable creations.

So that you might fashion the floral paradise of your dreams, the Botanica DLC features over 21 unique botanical modules, one glasshouse module, 11 new ornaments - including flower beds and topiaries (usable with all cultural buildings), plus a range of new plants. There's also a new Musical Pavilion featuring tracks from previous Anno games.

Read more

Acclaimed Industrial Revolution city builder, Anno 1800, gets its first paid DLC expansion this month in the form of Sunken Treasure, and developer Blue Byte has detailed the new activities, including shipwreck hunting and crafting, it will bring when it arrives on 30th July.

Sunken Treasure, which can be purchased individually or part of Anno 1880's season pass, introduces a new, six-hour storyline with "dozens" of new quests - accessible as soon as players reach the 700 artisans milestone - and a new continental session known as Cape Trelawney.

Trelawney's primary new landmass (which is joined by small, medium, and large islands) is packed with fertile earth and resources, and is three times the size of Anno 1800's current largest island. Blue Byte says it's been designed specifically, at the behest of the community, to deliver a more sandbox-like space that enables players to experiment more liberally, free from the space and resource restrictions of existing locations, as they build a prosperous metropolis.

Read more