Hold on — you can actually explore Anno 117: Pax Romana in first-person? I thought the same when I discovered it. I briefly entrusted my empire to Ben-Baalion’s capable stewardship, grabbed someone’s cart, and set off to roam the streets of Ancient Rome.
At its core Anno 117: Pax Romana is a top-down city-builder, but a hidden input unlocks a very different view — hit Ctrl + Shift + R on keyboard or the sequence Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B/Circle, A/X on a controller and you’ll walk the settlement as an ordinary citizen. The feature echoes an easter egg from Anno 1800, the series’ earlier entry, and I was keen to try it in Ubisoft’s newest release. It’s imperfect — I did briefly become chest-deep in a Celtic floorboard — but the novelty more than compensates for the occasional hiccup.
Once I freed myself, I wandered through bustling avenues and visited markets, breweries, flower plots, and cockle pickers — seeing my city from ground level felt revelatory. Details that were invisible from above jumped out: ornate door trimmings, a donkey with a bucket of blooms, chickens scurrying about, and neighbors lounging on balconies. Even the subtle wear on a windowsill or the layered paint on a column was unexpectedly captivating.
First-person mode goes beyond mere sightseeing. I discovered I could step into fields rather than just view them: tread across clay pits, enter an occupied Grammaticus hall during lessons, and trespass through private gardens (doors, however, remain unopenable — boundaries are still implied). You can approach a barley field, watch workers shovel and heft sacks, and peer into small shacks that lack doors.
Graphically, I braced for muddy, low-res visuals but was pleasantly surprised — aside from some stiff animations and the occasional character sitting oddly on a bench, textures are impressively detailed for a game that’s designed to be viewed from above. Stonework, wall inscriptions, torch sparks, weathered bricks, expressive pupils, and pine needles all render nicely. Nighttime is particularly evocative, with flickering fires and distant stars creating atmosphere — and, mercifully, citizens look far less unsettling than they did in Anno 1800.
Because first-person mode lacks a tutorial, I experimented and found controls for jumping, sprinting, and zooming — the latter toggles between first- and third-person perspectives. Pressing number keys cycles through character outfits: different-colored togas, full armor, or a marksman’s garb. Equip the archer set and the interaction button fires flaming arrows into the sky. Fortunately, the game prevents harm to civilians (not that I tested thoroughly).
The citizens themselves are entertaining. Early on I overheard a father scolding his child about a pet fox and warnings about rationing chickens — classic parental logic. A local Celt praised my Romano-Celtic policies as the “best of both worlds,” while a disgruntled elder threatened dire consequences if I repeated myself. The dialogue and ambient chatter add a lot of charm to the experience.
By accident I clicked on a wagon and found myself riding in it. You can hop into ox-drawn carts, donkey carts, and even human-pulled wagons — the donkey cart is surprisingly spry. There’s no carjacking chaos here (you can’t collide with pedestrians or other carts), but riding through your settlement is an absolute delight.
My sole disappointment: combat interaction is limited. Clad in soldier’s armor I sprinted into skirmishes and tried to intervene, but enemies ignore player attacks. The spectacle from the front row — foes fleeing with arms flailing — is thrilling, yet being able to affect the battle would have been the icing on the cake.
Even so, I suspect there are more hidden pleasures to unearth. Tempted though I am to ignore my people’s food and happiness meters, I’ll be slipping back into their gardens and workshops again soon — Rome and the marshes of the Celts reward repeat visits.
Source: Polygon
