Anno 2205 vs Stronghold
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.
Stronghold
Stronghold is the original castle simulation game and it's not shy to let you know about it. Back when it first came out, the game was incredibly popular among fans of the real-time strategy genre and it is pretty obvious to why. The game not only let you build and design your own castle in its combat-free economic campaign; you also get to engage in medieval warfare against AI enemies in the game's single player campaigns or against up to 8 other players via the multiplayer mode online. You can even besiege actual historical castles, set up typical catle defenses to stump invaders and make sure your people are well-taken care of.Stronghold is a classic when it comes to castle sims. In fact, until today, there still isn't any game that managed to achieve a similar depth in terms of its gameplay. If you love castle-building and real-time strategy, this is a game you'll most certainly enjoy. Do give it a try!