Anno 117 Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Turns Out to Be a Breathtaking First-Person View.
Wait — did you know gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117: Pax Romana using a first-person camera? If you're thinking that, you feel equally astonished compared to my initial response the moment I learned this concealed mode. Allow me to temporarily abandon managing my empire, leave it in a capable deputy, take a wagon, and go for a joyride through Ancient Rome.
How to Access the First-Person View
In its role as a city-builder, Anno 117 Pax Romana usually operates from an overhead perspective. But, should you enter a secret combination — including “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on a keyboard alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — you gain the ability to walk your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature was part of the earlier game Anno 1800, I was eager to test it in Ubisoft's newest game, but I wasn’t sure it would operate until I found myself chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (which probably wasn’t intended — this mode can be prone to glitches now and then).
Roaming the Roman Cityscape
After extracting myself, I walked the lively avenues across my settlement and visited shops, taverns, floral patches, and seafood collectors — it was glorious to see my diligent efforts through a fresh lens. I noticed a variety of intricacies that would escape notice from above: Doorway embellishments, a beast of burden holding a blossom container, poultry scattering about, people relaxing on their verandas… Merely examining the form of a ledge and the coloration on a post becomes engaging for those not residing in classical times.
Further Than Mere Wandering
But there’s more to the game's immersive perspective beyond simply walking the paths. I became extraordinarily excited upon discovering that I could not just look upon farming fields, but also enter them. And despite my expectation structures would be inaccessible, I was able to enter earthen quarries, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building as teaching was underway, and intrude into private gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio allocated resources for that), but it’s entirely possible meander across a cereal plantation, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and look within any modest shelter provided the entrance is missing.
Visual Quality and Atmosphere
While I was completely ready to witness my city rendered in PlayStation 1 graphics, besides some crude animations and the occasional civilian resting within a bench as opposed to atop a bench, first-person mode looks much better than expected. The meticulously crafted materials (particularly rock faces) shouldn't logically be this impressive for a title that remains primarily overhead. You won't necessarily notice any individual strands of hair, however, you can observe engravings on walls, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, iris elements, and conifer needles. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and celestial bodies twinkling afar, is especially atmospheric, and also a lot less scary versus the earlier title, now that the citizens don’t look like nightmarish entities these days.
Testing and Personalization
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and quickly discovered the abilities to leap, run, and zoom in or out — with the latter allowing me to switch between first and third-person views and back. I subsequently tried pressing certain numeric keys and found I could alter my character’s appearance. Golden robe? Crimson attire? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You may carry a sword and shield, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; when you press the action key, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. In case you’re wondering, harming inhabitants is impossible (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues
Yet, I didn't want to damage my population, because they’re way too funny. Moments after I entered the first-person view, I overheard a father telling his child that he “Can’t have a pet fox and if you feed it one more chicken, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. A friendly native Celtic person then began complimenting my outstanding integration methods by describing it as “Ideal combination,” while some cranky old lady decided to threaten me: “Repeat that statement, and your disappearance will be permanent.”
The Joy of Joyriding
Just as I assumed I’d discovered all there is to discover in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I found the joys of joyriding through classical settlements. Totally unintentionally, I selected a carriage and was promptly seated on the box. Cattle, asses, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, is pretty fast, but don't anticipate any GTA-like shenanigans — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (again, not saying I’ve tried).
Combat Limitations
The sole aspect that let me down regarding the first-person view was discovering my inability to participate in battle encounters. Equipped in warrior attire, I ran up to the enemy in the midst of battle and attempted to attack them, but was entirely disregarded. The front-row seat remained quite impressive, and observing foes flee, their arms flailing about, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to effectively strike targets with my burning arrows.
