Dawn of Discovery

 DS
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Jun 17, 2009
  • Also On: PC
Dawn of Discovery Image
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

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  • Summary: (Also known as "Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery") Dawn of Discovery takes place in the year 1404, when King George's land is suffering from severe droughts and brutal famine. Aware of his people's distress, the king calls on his two sons, William and Edward, to acquire new territories in order(Also known as "Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery") Dawn of Discovery takes place in the year 1404, when King George's land is suffering from severe droughts and brutal famine. Aware of his people's distress, the king calls on his two sons, William and Edward, to acquire new territories in order to produce enough goods to satisfy the needs of his empire’s inhabitants. Whereas Edward suggests aggressive means to collect the precious resources, his brother William offers a peaceful solution, proposing to explore new and unsettled lands in the south of the kingdom. With his Father’s blessing, William heads south to the mysterious Orient and returns with valuable new technologies such as the water pump that allows dry lands to be cultivated in order to produce enough food for the people. But there are still many unmet needs within the king's empire, and players are tasked with the mission of fulfilling those needs while both expanding and sustaining the vast society. 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. [Ubisoft]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Cynamite
    90
    The controls of Dawn of Discovery are pretty good and the exploration of the beautiful world makes lots of fun.
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    90
    Despite a few minor flaws, Dawn of Discovery is a very impressive package, and overall, it provides a full-fledged real-time strategy game on the DS without cutting corners.
  3. GameZone
    89
    An unparalleled simulation game for a handheld machine.
  4. Cheat Code Central
    84
    This game is surprisingly deep, plus there's the fact that you can play indefinitely - no lame time restrictions here!
  5. Vandal
    80
    With simplicity at its core, Anno has returned successfully to Nintendo DS keeping all the virtues that made the last game of the series one of the most interesting strategy games in the system.
  6. GameSpot
    80
    This game of exploration and city building hits the occasional rough patch, but it's a captivating adventure nonetheless.
  7. IGN
    73
    Dawn of Discovery for the Nintendo DS is without a doubt a high-quality game, one strategy fans should certainly lend some of their valuable attention.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. BoyMcBoy
    Sep 8, 2009
    6
    The basic idea here is to build up a profitable population (sort of like sim city, or its ilk) on a set of islands while satisfying a bunch ofThe basic idea here is to build up a profitable population (sort of like sim city, or its ilk) on a set of islands while satisfying a bunch of building requirements for different levels of civilization. Eventually you'll have to build some battleships and conquer the islands of your foes.

    The core gameplay is polished enough, but there isn't much content in the story mode (which has the feel of a tutorial throughout - even in the most difficult mode), and once you're done with that, the random map play feels repetitive and winning depends more on executing the rote memorized expansion procedure more quickly than the AI than on anything resembling tactics or strategy. Especially lacking is the combat system, which amounts to a frustrating shuffling of units between buildings and a fixed number of battleships that you build. The technology system, which is just linked to how big your island populations are, is also rather limited. If the combat and technology were improved, the core gameplay could have gone quite a way toward making a really good game, but as it is, it really feels like some essential things were overlooked.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best DS Game of 2009
99
#99 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
80
#80 Most Shared DS Game of 2009