existed. At the time, characters and buildings were only a few pixels in size, offering minimal possibilities to show detail". To achieve the modernisation of the 1996 graphics, a specifically designed game engine was used. The graphics were then created using Shader 2.0, allowing older graphics cards to run the game. Originally, the combat system was taken 1:1 from the original, but after producing a beta version of the game, the designers decided to add a building upgrade system, whereby players can upgrade their military installations without having to demolish and then rebuild them, and an evacuation button, whereby players can order garrisoned soldiers to evacuate any given military complex and redeploy them to any other. The game also features a map editor which can convert the 2D isometric maps from the original into the 3D style used in the remake. This applies both to maps created by the user and predesigned maps included with the game. Release The game was released in Germany in a limited edition with a Roman figurine, a Windows XP-optimised version of the original Settlers II, a making-of booklet, and two Freeplay maps not included with the standard edition. In 2013, the game was released on GOG.com. Reception 10th Anniversary received relatively little critical attention outside Germany. Overall, reviews were mixed, with an aggregate score of 74% on GameRankings, based on five reviews. PC Games Stefan Weiß scored it 82%, praising the graphics, but feeling that at €45, it was overpriced. He concluded by calling it "primarily a game for fans of the series". Gameswelts André Linken also scored it 82%, citing "lack of variety" as the biggest problem, particularly in relation to mission objectives. Although he acknowledged the simple mission objectives echoed those of the original, he lamented the designers' "unwillingness to restructure". However, he praised the graphics, sound effects, and multiplayer mode, calling it "a terrific remake, [which] has lost none of the original's playfulness or gentleness". 4players Marcel Kleffmann scored it 80%, also criticising the lack of variety: "Every map is the same. You settle, settle, bustle, settle, fight a bit, and then the scheme repeats itself.". He felt this was especially pronounced in the single-player campaign. He also lamented that each of the races had identical gameplay, with no differentiation between their economic models. Conversely, he praised the implantation of road networks: "The charm of the old road construction system has