Anno 117: Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Is a Stunning First-Person Mode.
Hold on — were you aware you can play Anno 117: Pax Romana in first-person? Should that be your response, your surprise matches as I was upon finding out this secret option. Allow me to step away from my empire’s management, leave it in a reliable subordinate, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride through Ancient Rome.
Activating the First-Person Mode
Being a city-building title, the game Anno 117 usually operates using a top-down camera. But, should 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 — it becomes possible to roam the realm as a regular inhabitant. Because an analogous secret was part of Anno 1800, I looked forward to test it in the new release, though I was uncertain it would work until I found myself chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (likely not meant to happen — this feature tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Streets of Rome
After extracting myself, I strolled the bustling streets through my metropolis and toured stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and cockle pickers — it felt magnificent to witness my diligent efforts from a brand-new perspective. I noticed numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted from above: Doorway embellishments, an ass transporting a floral pail, poultry scattering about, folks chilling on their balconies… Even just observing the form of a ledge and the coloration on a post becomes engaging for those not residing in classical times.
More Than Just Walking
Yet, the experience extends to Anno 117’s first-person mode than strolling along the road. I became extraordinarily excited the moment I learned that I could not just observe crop lands, but also step into them. And although I’d assumed the building models would be off-limits, I could walk onto earthen quarries, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building while lessons were in session, and intrude into private gardens. Don’t try to open any doors (not even the developers have the budget for that), yet it's completely feasible 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.
Graphics and Ambiance
Although I was fully prepared to witness my city rendered with outdated visual quality, excluding a few unpolished motions and periodic inhabitants sitting in a bench as opposed to atop a bench, the immersive perspective seems considerably improved over predictions. The intricately designed surfaces (notably masonry elements) really have no business being this good within a game that's fundamentally a city-builder. You might not observe any individual strands of hair, but you will see writings on surfaces, fiery particles from lamps, brick decoloration, iris elements, and evergreen foliage. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and also a lot less scary relative to the previous game, given that the populace appears unlike nightmarish entities now.
Experimentation and Customization
Given the covert first-person feature has no guided tutorial, I opted to try different commands, and promptly found the options to jump, sprint, and adjusting the view — with the latter allowing me to switch between first and third-person views and back. I then experimented with some number buttons and found I could alter my representative's visual design. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Azure and violet outfit? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You may carry a sword and shield, or, personally chosen, equip a shooter's costume; if you activate the engage command, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. If you're interested, eliminating citizens cannot be done (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, because they’re way too funny. Shortly after I activated first-person mode, I overheard a father telling his child that “Owning a fox is prohibited and if you offer additional fowl, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. A friendly native Celtic person then began complimenting my brilliant Romano-Celtic policies by labeling it “Perfect fusion,” while some cranky old lady chose to intimidate me: “Repeat that statement, and your disappearance will be permanent.”
The Joy of Joyriding
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 selected a carriage and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Cattle, asses, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The donkey cart, in particular, is pretty fast, although you shouldn't expect open-world vehicular chaos — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Fighting Restrictions
The single feature that frustrated me regarding the first-person view was discovering my inability to participate in battle encounters. Equipped in warrior attire, I charged toward adversaries during active combat and endeavored to damage them, yet was completely overlooked. The front-row seat was still rather spectacular, and observing foes flee, their appendages thrashing around, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to actually hit something via my incendiary bolts.
