It is on the short side, and the first two-thirds of it feel like an extended tutorial before the action kicks in. Though it's not perfect, Anno 2070's story-driven campaign mode does a commendable job of introducing each faction's play style and incorporating the game's many moving parts at a comfortable pace. When you add in juggling the needs of internal groups within your own colony on top of defending it all, this more than compensates for the often middling battle encounters. Emphasis is instead placed on the game's complex colony management system. As with the past games, combat is straightforward and downplayed in favor of economic strategizing. Each group brings unique structures and perks to the table, but they also create eco-havoc that you have to deal with on-the-fly.
The crazy thing is you often have to play all three factions simultaneously within your colony in order to access the full range of building options and strategic advantages. A third support faction of nerdy scientists (Tech) also come into play with helpful research, advanced gadgetry, and the ability to create underwater colonies. Their initial rapid economic growth dwindles as resources are consumed. In sharp contrast, the industrious Tycoons favor unsustainable coal power and junk food. The tree-hugger Ecos use green power and eat healthy food, yielding a slow-growing but stable economy. It's also interesting how Blue Bytes ties this into the game's two main playable factions, who embody very different attitudes and approaches to survival.
Balancing the need to expand while mitigating the damage it causes to the fragile island ecosystem is a clever update that adds spice to the familiar intricacies of Anno's economy-centric city building. This creates a neat "cause and effect" flow throughout the game. Decisions you make regarding your colony's layout, the types of structures you create, and the way you harvest resources all have a dramatic impact on the gameplay. I like that the environmental theme is more than just a cool nail to hang the story on. In Anno 2070's plausible, not-so-distant future, resources and available land are scarce, giving rise to conflict. While the fresh sci-fi vibe had me hooked from the get-go, it's the shades of depth 2070 adds to the franchise's already elaborate gameplay that makes the ebb and flow of expanding my ever-struggling civilization so captivating. With humanity recovering from a global ecological meltdown that leaves much of the world's land and vital resources now well below sea level, you now have to weigh out both the environmental and economical impact of your actions as you build out your budding archipelago empire.
Trading in gunpowder kegs and fields of wheat for missile turrets and high tech underwater algae farms, Anno 2070 brings the popular civ-building strategy series into the modern era with a much-needed twist.