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Surprisingly — did you realize it's possible to experience Anno 117 Pax Romana from a first-person viewpoint? Should that be your response, you feel equally astonished compared to my initial response upon finding out this concealed mode. Allow me to briefly leave my empire’s management, leave it in a reliable subordinate, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride around the classical city.

Unlocking the First-Person Mode

In its role as a city-builder, Anno 117: Pax Romana is typically played using a top-down camera. But, should you input a hidden code — such as “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard alternatively “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” with a gamepad — it becomes possible to roam your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature was included 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 before I discovered myself chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (which probably wasn’t intended — this option tends to be a little buggy at times).

Discovering the Roman Cityscape

Once I crawled out, I strolled the busy roads through my metropolis and explored stalls, alehouses, blossom gardens, and seafood collectors — it was glorious to witness the fruits of my labor through a fresh lens. I noticed all kinds of details I wouldn’t have spotted from the top-down view: Entryway ornaments, a donkey carrying a flower bucket, poultry scattering about, citizens lounging on their terraces… Merely examining the design of a windowsill and the paint layers on a column is quite interesting to someone who doesn’t live in Ancient Rome.

Further Than Mere Wandering

However, there's additional content to the first-person feature in Anno 117 than strolling along the road. I became extraordinarily excited the moment I learned that I could not just observe farming fields, but also step into them. And despite my expectation structures would be inaccessible, I could walk onto earthen quarries, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building as teaching was underway, 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 stroll around a barley farm, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and glance into any tiny hut when there's no doorway obstructing.

Graphics and Ambiance

Although I was fully prepared to witness my city rendered using primitive rendering, excluding a few unpolished motions and the occasional civilian resting within a bench as opposed to atop a bench, first-person mode looks considerably improved over predictions. The meticulously crafted materials (particularly rock faces) 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, however, you can observe engravings on walls, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, iris elements, and evergreen foliage. Evening, with glowing light sources and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and also a lot less scary versus the earlier title, given that the populace appears unlike terrifying apparitions now.

Discovery and Modification

Because the game's hidden immersive perspective doesn’t come with an instruction manual, I decided to experiment a bit, and promptly found the functions for jumping, dashing, and changing perspective — the last option enabling me to switch between first and third-person views and return. I subsequently tried pressing some number buttons and learned I could modify my representative's visual design. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You may carry a sword and shield, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; if you activate the engage command, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. In case you’re wondering, harming inhabitants is impossible (though I didn't test this, obviously).

Comedy and Population Encounters

But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, because they’re way too funny. Moments after I entered 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 elder will punish you.” Rightly so, Roman dad. A pleasant regional Celt then started applauding my outstanding integration methods by describing it as “Ideal combination,” while some cranky old lady chose to intimidate me: “Repeat that statement, and your disappearance will be permanent.”

The Thrill of Transportation

Just when I thought I uncovered all possible content in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I experienced the pleasure of driving across historical settings. Completely unexpectedly, I selected a carriage and was promptly seated on the box. Cattle, asses, even people-powered transports; you may operate any of them freely. The donkey cart, in particular, is pretty fast, but don't anticipate open-world vehicular chaos — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (again, not saying I’ve tried).

Fighting Restrictions

The only thing that disappointed me regarding the first-person view was discovering my inability to participate in battle encounters. Equipped in warrior attire, I charged toward adversaries amidst fighting and tried to harm them, yet was completely overlooked. The front-row seat was nonetheless magnificent, and watching the enemy run, their limbs waving wildly, seemed enormously rewarding, yet it would have been exciting to actually hit something with my burning arrows.

{Conclusion: More to Discover|Final Thoughts: Additional Exploration