Anno 117 Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Is a Stunning First-Person Perspective.
Surprisingly — did you realize gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117: Pax Romana from a first-person viewpoint? If that’s your reaction, you feel equally astonished compared to my initial response the moment I learned this concealed mode. Allow me to briefly leave managing my empire, entrust it to a capable deputy, borrow a cart, and enjoy a ride around the classical city.
Unlocking the First-Person View
Being a city-building title, the game Anno 117 usually operates from an overhead perspective. Yet, when you press a covert button sequence — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on a keyboard alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” with a gamepad — it becomes possible to roam your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature was part of Anno 1800, I felt excited to try it out in Ubisoft's newest game, yet I had doubts it would operate prior to being submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this option tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Roman Cityscape
After extracting myself, I strolled the busy roads of my city and visited shops, taverns, blossom gardens, and seafood collectors — it felt magnificent to see my diligent efforts from a brand-new perspective. I detected numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted from above: Front door decorations, a beast of burden holding a blossom container, fowl roaming freely, citizens lounging on their terraces… Even just observing the form of a ledge and the coating on a pillar is quite interesting for those not residing in classical times.
Beyond Simple Strolling
But there’s more to Anno 117’s first-person mode aside from meandering through streets. I felt particularly pleased the moment I learned that not only could I look upon crop lands, but also step into them. And although I’d assumed interiors would be restricted, I managed to access earthen quarries, investigate a respected schoolhouse while lessons were in session, and invade personal courtyards. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio have the budget for that), but it’s entirely possible stroll around a barley farm, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and take a peek inside any small shack as long as the door is absent.
Appearance and Mood
Although I was fully prepared to witness my city rendered using primitive rendering, besides some crude animations and periodic inhabitants sitting in a bench rather than on a bench, the first-person view appears considerably improved over predictions. The highly detailed textures (particularly rock faces) are unexpectedly excellent for a title that remains primarily overhead. You won't necessarily notice specific hair details, but you will see writings on surfaces, sparks flying from torches, brick decoloration, iris elements, and evergreen foliage. The night, featuring dancing flames and stars shining in the distance, is especially atmospheric, and proves significantly less intimidating compared to Anno 1800, especially since the inhabitants no longer resemble nightmarish entities now.
Testing and Personalization
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode has no guided tutorial, I chose to test various actions, and immediately located the abilities to leap, run, and zoom in or out — the zoom function permitting me to alternate between immersive and external perspectives and back. I subsequently tried pressing some number buttons and learned I could modify my representative's visual design. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You can wield a blade and protection, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; if you activate the engage command, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. In case you’re wondering, harming inhabitants is impossible (not that I attempted, naturally).
Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, because they’re way too funny. Moments after I entered first-person mode, I heard a parent advising their offspring that “Owning a fox is prohibited and if you feed it one more chicken, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. A friendly native Celtic person then proceeded to praise my excellent cross-cultural strategies by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” while some cranky old lady chose to intimidate me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Thrill of Transportation
Just as I assumed I had found everything available within the game's immersive perspective, I experienced the pleasure of driving through classical settlements. Totally unintentionally, I clicked on a wagon and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Bovines, equines, even human-pulled carts; you can control each one as desired. The donkey cart, in particular, travels rather rapidly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (again, not saying I’ve tried).
Battle Constraints
The only thing that disappointed me regarding the first-person view was finding out I couldn’t partake in combat situations. Sporting my soldier fit, I approached opposing forces in the midst of battle and endeavored to damage them, yet was completely overlooked. The front-row seat was still rather spectacular, and seeing opponents retreat, their arms flailing about, felt highly gratifying, yet it would have been exciting to effectively strike targets via my incendiary bolts.