Anno 117's Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Turns Out to Be a Stunning First-Person Perspective.
Wait — did you know gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117 Pax Romana in first-person? If that’s your reaction, you’re just as shocked as I was upon finding out this concealed mode. Allow me to step away from my empire’s management, leave it in a reliable subordinate, take a wagon, and enjoy a ride through Ancient Rome.
Unlocking the First-Person View
Being a city-building title, the game Anno 117 usually operates from a bird's-eye view. But, should you input a hidden code — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on a keyboard or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — you can explore the empire as an ordinary Roman. Since a similar easter egg was part of the previous Anno title, I looked forward to test it in the new release, yet I had doubts it would operate prior to being chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (which probably wasn’t intended — this feature tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Roman Cityscape
Upon freeing myself, I wandered the bustling streets through my metropolis and toured stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and shellfish gatherers — the experience was splendid to observe my diligent efforts through a fresh lens. I observed numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted when viewing from overhead: Front door decorations, an ass transporting a floral pail, chickens running loose, people relaxing on their verandas… Even just observing the form of a ledge and the coloration on a post becomes engaging to modern individuals unfamiliar with ancient life.
Further Than Mere Wandering
However, there's additional content to the game's immersive perspective beyond simply walking the paths. I was especially delighted when I found out that I could not just observe farming fields, but also step into them. And even though I thought structures would be inaccessible, I was able to enter 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 developers have the budget for that), however, you can definitely meander across a cereal plantation, observe people digging and transporting bags, and look within any modest shelter when there's no doorway obstructing.
Visual Quality and Atmosphere
Even though I expected 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 far superior to anticipations. The intricately designed surfaces (notably masonry elements) shouldn't logically be this impressive in what is still, essentially, a top-down game. You may not see separate follicular elements, but you will see wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, fading on bricks, pupils, and evergreen foliage. The night, featuring dancing flames and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and proves significantly less intimidating relative to the previous game, given that the populace appears unlike sleep paralysis demons anymore.
Testing and Personalization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective has no guided tutorial, I opted to try different commands, and quickly discovered the abilities to leap, run, and adjusting the view — with the latter allowing me to switch between first and third-person views and back. I then decided to hit certain numeric keys and found I could alter my representative's visual design. Yellow toga? Crimson attire? Azure and violet outfit? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You might hold a weapon and defense, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; when you press the action key, you shoot flaming projectiles upward. 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, because they’re way too funny. Shortly after I activated the immersive perspective, I heard a parent advising their offspring that “You cannot keep a fox as a pet and if you feed it one more chicken, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. A pleasant regional Celt then proceeded to praise my excellent cross-cultural strategies by labeling it “Perfect fusion,” whereas an irritable elderly woman decided to threaten me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Fun of Vehicle Use
Just as I assumed I’d discovered all there is to discover in the title's first-person feature, I encountered the delight of riding through classical settlements. Totally unintentionally, I interacted with a cart and was promptly seated on the box. Oxen, donkeys, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, moves quite quickly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (reiterating, without confirming testing).
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 charged toward adversaries amidst fighting and endeavored to damage them, but was entirely disregarded. The proximate observation remained quite impressive, and watching the enemy run, their limbs waving wildly, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to successfully impact objects via my incendiary bolts.
