Anno 2205 vs Rise of Nations
Anno 2205
Anno 2205 is, in some way, a "grand simulation" game and a city-builder that is set in the far future where Earth has already been developed to its maximum capacity and it's time to take to the stars. However, this game is no space exploration sim. Instead, you'll still be focusing much of your development effort on Earth but this time around, you'll get to expand your influence to the moon; to mine the resources there and bring it back to Earth. The gameplay is also further enhanced with a unique Session mode where you can play on multiple locations and then connect all of these regions together. And of course, the map of the region you can play in is a lot larger (five times, to be exact) than the previous game.However, many fans of the game have pointed out that the combat system is rather boring in this game. Though admittedly, the combat in other Anno games isn't particularly exciting either. It's just something that's necessary.
That said, the gameplay might still be interesting enough for you to buy the game, maybe at a discounted price, but for some, the game might not be comparable to any of the other Anno titles. It's up to you to decide which camp you fall into.
Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations is one of the most iconic yet somewhat underrated, completely unique real-time strategy game that is possibly inspired by games like Risk. Unlike most games where you simply build bases, amass armies and send them to destroy your opponents, Rise of Nations has more of a diplomatic and governing aspect that allows you to forge alliances and break them, as well as a series of Wonders of the World which, when built, will grant your nation unique bonuses. Aside from a ton of maps, the game also has a comparably wide variety of nations, each with their own special abilities and special military units, for you to play as.Although the gameplay in each individual battles are set in real time, the gameplay for the world map view is turn-based, supplemented with ability cards. There are also valuable resources that you can capture to give your nation certain perks. Best of all, you can immerse yourself in historical battles via the game's campaign which consisted of multiple scenarios or you can test your mettle by playing the game via its online multiplayer mode.
Rise of Nations is one of the best classic strategy games that definitely had managed to not only withstand the test of time but also thrive, somewhat, in today's day and age. If you're a fan of nation-building, this is a game you should most certainly play.