Anno 117's Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Is a Impressive First-Person View.
Wait — did you know you can play the game Anno 117 in first-person? If you're thinking that, you’re just as shocked as my own reaction upon finding out this concealed mode. Excuse me while temporarily abandon my empire’s management, leave it in a capable deputy, take a wagon, and take a spin through Ancient Rome.
Unlocking the First-Person Feature
In its role as a city-builder, Anno 117: Pax Romana is normally experienced using a top-down camera. But, should you press a covert button sequence — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” using PC controls or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” with a gamepad — it becomes possible to roam the empire as an ordinary Roman. Given a comparable hidden feature appeared in Anno 1800, I felt excited to experience it in the latest installment, though I was uncertain it would work before I discovered myself chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (possibly an unexpected bug — this feature tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Ancient Streets
Upon freeing myself, I walked the busy roads across my settlement and toured markets, breweries, floral patches, and seafood collectors — it was glorious to observe all my hard work through a fresh lens. I observed a variety of intricacies I wouldn’t have spotted when viewing from overhead: Front door decorations, an ass transporting a floral pail, chickens running loose, folks chilling on their balconies… Simply noticing the form of a ledge and the coating on a pillar proves fascinating for those not residing in classical times.
More Than Just Walking
Yet, the experience extends to the game's immersive perspective beyond simply walking the paths. I became extraordinarily excited upon discovering that not only could I view agricultural plots, but also step into them. And although I’d assumed structures would be inaccessible, I managed to access earthen quarries, tour an esteemed educational structure while lessons were in session, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio planned for that functionality), however, you can definitely stroll around a barley farm, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and glance into any tiny hut provided the entrance is missing.
Graphics and Ambiance
While I was completely ready to observe my settlement depicted with outdated visual quality, apart from certain rough movements and the occasional civilian resting inside seating as opposed to atop a bench, first-person mode looks much better than expected. The meticulously crafted materials (especially stone surfaces) are unexpectedly excellent in what is still, essentially, a top-down game. You won't necessarily notice separate follicular elements, however, you can observe engravings on walls, flames emitting from lights, discoloration of masonry, iris elements, and evergreen foliage. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, creates a particularly moody setting, and feels much less frightening relative to the previous game, given that the populace appears unlike sleep paralysis demons anymore.
Discovery and Modification
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode lacks official documentation, I chose to test various actions, and promptly found the functions for jumping, dashing, and adjusting the view — the zoom function permitting me to change from first-person to third-person mode and revert. I then experimented with some number buttons and learned I could modify my avatar's look. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Blue and purple toga? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You might hold a weapon and defense, 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).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, since they're incredibly amusing. Moments after I entered the immersive perspective, I overheard a father telling his child that “Owning a fox is prohibited and should you provide another poultry, 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,” while some cranky old lady decided to threaten me: “Utter those words again, and your fate will be sealed.”
The Fun of Vehicle Use
At the moment I believed I uncovered all possible content within the game's immersive perspective, I encountered the delight of riding in Ancient Rome. Completely unexpectedly, I selected a carriage and quickly occupied the transport. Oxen, donkeys, even people-powered transports; you can drive them all at your leisure. The donkey-powered transport, notably, moves quite quickly, though you shouldn’t imagine any GTA-like shenanigans — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Combat Limitations
The only thing that disappointed me regarding the first-person view was finding out I couldn’t partake in battle encounters. Sporting my soldier fit, I charged toward adversaries during active combat and attempted to attack them, but was entirely disregarded. The front-row seat was still rather spectacular, and seeing opponents retreat, their arms flailing about, felt highly gratifying, though it might have been amazing to successfully impact objects with my burning arrows.
