Anno 117 Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Is a Breathtaking First-Person Perspective.
Surprisingly — did you realize gamers have the option to enjoy the game Anno 117 using a first-person camera? If you're thinking that, your surprise matches compared to my initial response the moment I learned this hidden feature. I must temporarily abandon overseeing my civilization, entrust it to a reliable subordinate, borrow a cart, and enjoy a ride around the classical city.
Unlocking the First-Person View
As a city-building game, the game Anno 117 usually operates from an overhead perspective. Yet, when you input a hidden code — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard or “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — you can explore your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature was part of the earlier game Anno 1800, I felt excited to try it out in Ubisoft's newest game, yet I had doubts it would function prior to being stuck in a Celtic building (possibly an unexpected bug — this mode can be a little buggy at times).
Roaming the Roman Cityscape
Upon freeing myself, I wandered the bustling streets across my settlement and explored stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and shellfish gatherers — it felt magnificent to see all my hard work from a brand-new perspective. I observed all kinds of details that would escape notice from above: Entryway ornaments, a beast of burden holding a blossom container, chickens running loose, folks chilling on their balconies… Merely examining the design of a windowsill and the coloration on a post is quite interesting for those not residing in classical times.
More Than Just Walking
However, there's additional content to the first-person feature in Anno 117 than strolling along the road. I became extraordinarily excited upon discovering that besides being able to observe crop lands, but also access them. And despite my expectation interiors would be restricted, I managed to access clay pits, tour an esteemed educational structure while lessons were in session, and invade personal courtyards. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio allocated resources for that), however, you can definitely meander across a cereal plantation, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and take a peek inside any small shack as long as the door is absent.
Appearance and Mood
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 instead of on a bench, the first-person view appears considerably improved over predictions. The meticulously crafted materials (notably masonry elements) are unexpectedly excellent in what is still, essentially, a top-down game. You won't necessarily notice separate follicular elements, however, you can observe wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, pupils, and pine tree leaves. The night, featuring dancing flames and celestial bodies twinkling afar, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and proves significantly less intimidating compared to Anno 1800, now that the citizens don’t look like terrifying apparitions these days.
Experimentation and Customization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the abilities to leap, run, and zoom in or out — the zoom function permitting me to change from first-person to third-person mode and return. I subsequently tried pressing some number buttons and learned I could modify my representative's visual design. Amber garment? Red toga? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You might hold a weapon and defense, or, personally chosen, equip a shooter's costume; when you press the action key, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. Should you be curious, it’s not possible to kill civilians (not that I attempted, naturally).
Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues
Yet, I didn't want to damage my population, as they're remarkably entertaining. Shortly after I activated the first-person view, I overheard a father telling his child that he “Can’t have a pet fox and should you provide another poultry, your gran will have your head.” Appropriate response, paternal figure. One lovely local Celt then started applauding my excellent cross-cultural strategies by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” meanwhile a grumpy senior female chose to intimidate 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. Totally unintentionally, I interacted with a cart and was promptly seated on the box. Bovines, equines, even manually drawn vehicles; you can drive them all at your leisure. The donkey cart, in particular, is pretty fast, but don't anticipate any GTA-like shenanigans — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (again, not saying I’ve tried).
Battle Constraints
The only thing that disappointed me within the immersive perspective was discovering my inability to participate in battle encounters. Sporting my soldier fit, I ran up to the enemy amidst fighting and attempted to attack them, yet was completely overlooked. The proximate observation was nonetheless magnificent, and seeing opponents retreat, their arms flailing about, felt highly gratifying, though it might have been amazing to effectively strike targets using my fiery projectiles.
