Anno 117 Pax Romana's Top Secret Is a Impressive First-Person Mode.
Hold on — were you aware it's possible to experience Anno 117: Pax Romana in first-person? If that’s your reaction, you’re just as shocked as I was the moment I learned this secret option. Allow me to briefly leave overseeing my civilization, entrust it to a trusted assistant, borrow a cart, and enjoy a ride around the classical city.
Unlocking the First-Person Mode
Being a city-building title, Anno 117: Pax Romana 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 console — you can explore your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature appeared in Anno 1800, I was eager to test it in the latest installment, though I was uncertain it would function before I discovered myself submerged in a structural glitch (possibly an unexpected bug — this option tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Roman Cityscape
Upon freeing myself, I strolled the lively avenues through my metropolis and explored shops, taverns, blossom gardens, and seafood collectors — it was glorious to observe the fruits of my labor through a fresh lens. I noticed a variety of intricacies I wouldn’t have spotted when viewing from overhead: Doorway embellishments, an ass transporting a floral pail, fowl roaming freely, people relaxing on their verandas… Merely examining the shape of a window sill and the paint layers on a column is quite interesting for those not residing in classical times.
Beyond Simple Strolling
But there’s more to the first-person feature in Anno 117 aside from meandering through streets. I felt particularly pleased when I found out that not only could I observe agricultural plots, but also step into them. And even though I thought structures would be inaccessible, I could walk onto earthen quarries, investigate a respected schoolhouse as teaching was underway, 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 glance into any tiny hut provided the entrance is missing.
Graphics and Ambiance
Although I was fully prepared to observe my settlement depicted in PlayStation 1 graphics, excluding a few unpolished motions and sometimes citizens positioned inside seating instead of on a bench, the first-person view appears considerably improved over predictions. The highly detailed textures (especially stone surfaces) are unexpectedly excellent for a title that remains primarily overhead. You may not see any individual strands of hair, yet you will notice wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, eye details, and pine tree leaves. The night, featuring dancing flames and distant stellar illumination, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and proves significantly less intimidating compared to Anno 1800, now that the citizens don’t look like terrifying apparitions anymore.
Testing and Personalization
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode has no guided tutorial, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the abilities to leap, run, and adjusting the view — the zoom function permitting me to switch between first and third-person views and back. I subsequently tried pressing certain numeric keys and discovered that I could change my representative's visual design. Golden robe? Red toga? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You might hold a weapon and defense, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; if you activate the engage command, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. Should you be curious, it’s not possible to kill civilians (not that I attempted, naturally).
Amusement and Inhabitant Dialogues
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, as they're remarkably entertaining. Moments after I entered the first-person view, I listened to a dad instructing his kid that “You cannot keep a fox as a pet and should you provide another poultry, your grandmother will be furious.” Understandable stance, father character. A pleasant regional Celt then began complimenting my brilliant Romano-Celtic policies by describing it as “Ideal combination,” while some cranky old lady chose to intimidate me: “Utter those words again, and your fate will be sealed.”
The Fun of Vehicle Use
Just as I assumed I had found everything available within the game's immersive perspective, I found the joys of joyriding through classical settlements. Totally unintentionally, I interacted with a cart and was promptly seated on the box. Oxen, donkeys, even human-pulled carts; you may operate any of them freely. The donkey-powered transport, notably, travels rather rapidly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (again, not saying I’ve tried).
Combat Limitations
The single feature that frustrated me regarding the first-person view was finding out I couldn’t partake in combat situations. Sporting my soldier fit, I ran up to the enemy amidst fighting and endeavored to damage them, but was entirely disregarded. The close-up view was still rather spectacular, and seeing opponents retreat, their arms flailing about, proved very satisfying, but it would’ve been cool to effectively strike targets with my burning arrows.
