Anno 117's Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Reveals Itself as a Stunning First-Person Mode.

Surprisingly — did you realize gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117: Pax Romana using a first-person camera? Should that be your response, you’re just as shocked compared to my initial response when I discovered this secret option. Allow me to briefly leave managing my empire, entrust it to a trusted assistant, take a wagon, and take a spin through Ancient Rome.

Activating the First-Person Feature

In its role as a city-builder, the game Anno 117 is normally experienced from a bird's-eye view. But, should you press a covert button sequence — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — you gain the ability to walk the realm as a regular inhabitant. Given a comparable hidden feature appeared in Anno 1800, I felt excited to experience it in Ubisoft's newest game, though I was uncertain it would operate before I discovered myself submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this option tends to be a little buggy at times).

Exploring the Streets of Rome

After extracting myself, I wandered the busy roads of my city and explored shops, taverns, floral patches, and shellfish gatherers — the experience was splendid to witness all my hard work using an entirely new viewpoint. I observed numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted from above: Doorway embellishments, an ass transporting a floral pail, chickens running loose, folks chilling on their balconies… Even just observing the design of a windowsill and the coloration on a post becomes engaging for those not residing in classical times.

Beyond Simple Strolling

But there’s more to the first-person feature in Anno 117 beyond simply walking the paths. I was especially delighted the moment I learned that not only could I look upon agricultural plots, but also enter them. And despite my expectation the building models would be off-limits, I could walk onto earthen quarries, investigate a respected schoolhouse while lessons were in session, and intrude into private gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the creators have the budget for that), however, you can definitely wander through a grain field, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and glance into any tiny hut as long as the door is absent.

Visual Quality and Atmosphere

Even though I expected to witness my city rendered using primitive rendering, excluding a few unpolished motions and the occasional civilian resting in a bench instead of on a bench, the immersive perspective seems considerably improved over predictions. The meticulously crafted materials (notably masonry elements) shouldn't logically be this impressive for a title that remains primarily overhead. You may not see any individual strands of hair, but you will see engravings on walls, fiery particles from lamps, discoloration of masonry, eye details, and evergreen foliage. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and stars shining in the distance, creates a particularly moody setting, and also a lot less scary compared to Anno 1800, given that the populace appears unlike terrifying apparitions anymore.

Experimentation and Customization

Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode has no guided tutorial, I opted to try different commands, and promptly found the options to jump, sprint, and changing perspective — with the latter allowing me to change from first-person to third-person mode and back. I then experimented with certain numeric keys and found I could alter my representative's visual design. Golden robe? Crimson attire? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You may carry a sword and shield, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; if you hit the interaction button, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. Should you be curious, harming inhabitants is impossible (not that I attempted, naturally).

Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues

However, I had no desire to injure my people, as they're remarkably entertaining. Only seconds after I landed first-person mode, I listened to a dad instructing his kid that “You cannot keep a fox as a pet and if you feed it one more chicken, your elder will punish you.” Understandable stance, father character. One lovely local Celt then began complimenting my brilliant Romano-Celtic policies by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” whereas an irritable elderly woman opted to menace me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”

The Thrill of Transportation

Just when I thought I had found everything available within the game's immersive perspective, I found the joys of joyriding in Ancient Rome. Completely unexpectedly, I selected a carriage and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Oxen, donkeys, even manually drawn vehicles; you may operate any of them freely. The donkey-powered transport, notably, moves quite quickly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — you can’t drive into people or other wagons (again, not saying I’ve tried).

Fighting Restrictions

The only thing that disappointed me in Anno 117’s first-person mode was discovering my inability to participate in battle encounters. Wearing my military outfit, I approached opposing forces during active combat and tried to harm them, but was entirely disregarded. The proximate observation was still rather spectacular, and watching the enemy run, their appendages thrashing around, seemed enormously rewarding, yet it would have been exciting to successfully impact objects using my fiery projectiles.

{Conclusion: More to Discover|Final Thoughts: Additional Exploration