Just like movies, big-budget blockbuster games with obnoxiously loud marketing campaigns can often turn out to be the biggest stinkers. So that's why we always keep an ear to the ground for promising gems like 1701 A.D., a stunningly pretty exploration-based strategy game from indie German publisher/developer Sunflowers.
Set at the turn of the 17th century, 1701 will ambitiously combine colony building, real-time combat, exploration, diplomacy and trade. Early images are amazingly vivid and demonstrate Sunflowers' desire to spill the European success of the series - 1503 A.D. and 1602 A.D. were the first games in the trilogy - across the sea and into the New World.
We've charted a peek into the Age of Exploration for you with a treasure chest of new screens. We'll have a closer look at the end of June. 1701 A.D. sets sail in December.
June 8, 2006
