Anno 117 Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Turns Out to Be a Stunning First-Person Mode.
Surprisingly — did you realize it's possible to experience the game Anno 117 using a first-person camera? Should that be your response, you feel equally astonished compared to my initial response upon finding out this hidden feature. Allow me to temporarily abandon managing my empire, entrust it to a trusted assistant, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride across the Roman world.
Unlocking the First-Person Mode
In its role as a city-builder, the game Anno 117 is typically played from an overhead perspective. Yet, when you press a covert button sequence — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — it becomes possible to roam the empire as an ordinary Roman. Because an analogous secret appeared in the earlier game Anno 1800, I was eager to try it out in the latest installment, but I wasn’t sure it would operate prior to being submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this feature tends to be prone to glitches now and then).
Exploring the Streets of Rome
Once I crawled out, I strolled the busy roads across my settlement and toured markets, breweries, flower fields, and shellfish gatherers — it was glorious to witness the fruits of my labor using an entirely new viewpoint. I detected numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted when viewing from overhead: Doorway embellishments, a beast of burden holding a blossom container, poultry scattering about, citizens lounging on their terraces… Simply noticing the shape of a window sill and the coating on a pillar is quite interesting to someone who doesn’t live in Ancient Rome.
More Than Just Walking
But there’s more to Anno 117’s first-person mode beyond simply walking the paths. I felt particularly pleased the moment I learned that I could not just view agricultural plots, but also step into them. And even though I thought the building models would be off-limits, I managed to access earthen quarries, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building while lessons were in session, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Avoid attempting to open doors (not even the creators have the budget for that), yet it's completely feasible wander through a grain field, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and look within any modest shelter when there's no doorway obstructing.
Visual Quality and Atmosphere
While I was completely ready to witness my city rendered in PlayStation 1 graphics, besides some crude animations and sometimes citizens positioned inside seating rather than on a bench, first-person mode looks considerably improved over predictions. The highly detailed textures (notably masonry elements) shouldn't logically be this impressive within a game that's fundamentally a city-builder. You won't necessarily notice any individual strands of hair, but you will see wall inscriptions, flames emitting from lights, fading on bricks, pupils, and conifer needles. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and feels much less frightening compared to Anno 1800, especially since the inhabitants no longer resemble sleep paralysis demons anymore.
Experimentation and Customization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective has no guided tutorial, I decided to experiment a bit, and promptly found the options to jump, sprint, and zoom in or out — with the latter allowing me to change from first-person to third-person mode and back. I then experimented with certain numeric keys and discovered that I could change my character’s appearance. Amber garment? Red toga? Blue and purple toga? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You can wield a blade and protection, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; when you press the action key, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. Should you be curious, harming inhabitants is impossible (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Comedy and Population Encounters
However, I had no desire to injure my people, as they're remarkably entertaining. Only seconds after I landed the immersive perspective, I heard a parent advising their offspring that he “Can’t have a pet fox and if you feed it one more chicken, your grandmother will be furious.” Appropriate response, paternal figure. A pleasant regional Celt then started applauding my outstanding integration methods by describing it as “Ideal combination,” whereas an irritable elderly woman decided to threaten me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Thrill of Transportation
Just when I thought I had found everything available in the title's first-person feature, I encountered the delight of riding through classical settlements. Completely unexpectedly, I interacted with a cart and quickly occupied the transport. Oxen, donkeys, even human-pulled carts; you may operate any of them freely. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, moves quite quickly, though you shouldn’t imagine any GTA-like shenanigans — you can’t drive into people or other wagons (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Combat Limitations
The single feature that frustrated me regarding the first-person view was finding out I couldn’t partake in battle encounters. Wearing my military outfit, I charged toward adversaries in the midst of battle and endeavored to damage them, yet was completely overlooked. The front-row seat was still rather spectacular, and watching the enemy run, their limbs waving wildly, felt highly gratifying, yet it would have been exciting to effectively strike targets using my fiery projectiles.
