Anno 117: Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Reveals Itself as a Breathtaking First-Person Mode.
Wait — did you know you can play Anno 117 Pax Romana using a first-person camera? Should that be your response, your surprise matches as my own reaction the moment I learned this concealed mode. Excuse me while step away from managing my empire, leave it in a capable deputy, commandere a carriage, and take a spin across the Roman world.
Unlocking the First-Person Feature
In its role as a city-builder, Anno 117 Pax Romana is typically played using a top-down camera. However, if you input a hidden code — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” using PC controls alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” with a gamepad — you can explore your domain as a common citizen. Because an analogous secret appeared in the previous Anno title, I was eager to experience it in Ubisoft's newest game, though I was uncertain it would work prior to being chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (which probably wasn’t intended — this mode can be somewhat unstable occasionally).
Roaming the Ancient Streets
Once I crawled out, I wandered the lively avenues through my metropolis and toured stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and seafood collectors — it felt magnificent to see the fruits of my labor from a brand-new perspective. I noticed a variety of intricacies I wouldn’t have spotted from the top-down view: Entryway ornaments, an ass transporting a floral pail, chickens running loose, citizens lounging on their terraces… Even just observing the design of a windowsill and the coating on a pillar is quite interesting to someone who doesn’t live in Ancient Rome.
Beyond Simple Strolling
But there’s more to the game's immersive perspective aside from meandering through streets. I became extraordinarily excited when I found out that I could not just view crop lands, but also step into them. And even though I thought interiors would be restricted, I was able to enter mud extraction sites, investigate a respected schoolhouse during active classes, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio allocated resources for that), yet it's completely feasible wander through a grain field, observe people digging and transporting bags, and look within any modest shelter provided the entrance is missing.
Appearance and Mood
While I was completely ready to see my metropolis represented in PlayStation 1 graphics, besides some crude animations and the occasional civilian resting inside seating as opposed to atop a bench, the first-person view appears considerably improved over predictions. The highly detailed textures (especially stone surfaces) are unexpectedly excellent for a title that remains primarily overhead. You won't necessarily notice separate follicular elements, yet you will notice writings on surfaces, sparks flying from torches, fading on bricks, pupils, and conifer needles. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and feels much less frightening relative to the previous game, especially since the inhabitants no longer resemble terrifying apparitions these days.
Testing and Personalization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective has no guided tutorial, I chose to test various actions, and quickly discovered the functions for jumping, dashing, and adjusting the view — the last option enabling me to switch between first and third-person views and return. I subsequently tried pressing some number buttons and discovered that I could change my avatar's look. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Blue and purple toga? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You can wield a blade and protection, or, personally chosen, equip a shooter's costume; if you activate the engage command, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. Should you be curious, eliminating citizens cannot be done (though I didn't test this, obviously).
Comedy and Population Encounters
However, I had no desire to injure my people, since they're incredibly amusing. Only seconds after I landed the immersive perspective, I heard a parent advising their offspring that “Owning a fox is prohibited 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 labeling it “Perfect fusion,” whereas an irritable elderly woman chose to intimidate me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Fun of Vehicle Use
Just when I thought I had found everything available in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I encountered the delight of riding through classical settlements. Totally unintentionally, I interacted with a cart and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Cattle, asses, even people-powered transports; you can drive them all at your leisure. The donkey-powered transport, notably, is pretty fast, although you shouldn't expect open-world vehicular chaos — you can’t drive into people or other wagons (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Fighting Restrictions
The only thing that disappointed me within the immersive perspective was discovering my inability to participate in combat situations. Sporting my soldier fit, I charged toward adversaries in the midst of battle and tried to harm them, but was entirely disregarded. The close-up view was nonetheless magnificent, and observing foes flee, their limbs waving wildly, proved very satisfying, yet it would have been exciting to actually hit something with my burning arrows.
