Anno 117's Pax Romana's Hidden Gem Turns Out to Be a Impressive First-Person Mode.
Hold on — were you aware gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117 Pax Romana from a first-person viewpoint? If that’s your reaction, your surprise matches compared to my initial response upon finding out this hidden feature. I must temporarily abandon my empire’s management, entrust it to a reliable subordinate, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride through Ancient Rome.
How to Access the First-Person Mode
In its role as a city-builder, Anno 117: Pax Romana is normally experienced from a bird's-eye view. But, should you enter a secret combination — such as “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on a keyboard or “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on console — you can explore the realm as a regular inhabitant. Because an analogous secret was included in Anno 1800, I was eager to experience it in the new release, though I was uncertain it would operate before I discovered myself submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this feature tends to be a little buggy at times).
Discovering the Roman Cityscape
Upon freeing myself, I wandered the busy roads through my metropolis and toured shops, taverns, flower fields, and shellfish gatherers — it was glorious to see all my hard work through a fresh lens. I noticed all kinds of details that would escape notice from the top-down view: Doorway embellishments, a donkey carrying a flower bucket, poultry scattering about, folks chilling on their balconies… Simply noticing the form of a ledge and the coloration on a post becomes engaging to someone who doesn’t live in Ancient Rome.
Beyond Simple Strolling
But there’s more to Anno 117’s first-person mode beyond simply walking the paths. I became extraordinarily excited the moment I learned that I could not just look upon farming fields, but also access them. And despite my expectation interiors would be restricted, I was able to enter earthen quarries, tour an esteemed educational structure as teaching was underway, and intrude into private gardens. Don’t try to open any doors (not even the developers have the budget for that), however, you can definitely stroll around a barley farm, observe people digging and transporting bags, and glance into any tiny hut as long as the door is absent.
Graphics and Ambiance
Although I was fully prepared to observe my settlement depicted in PlayStation 1 graphics, excluding a few unpolished motions and periodic inhabitants sitting in a bench rather than on a bench, first-person mode looks much better than expected. The meticulously crafted materials (especially stone surfaces) 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 writings on surfaces, flames emitting from lights, fading on bricks, iris elements, and pine tree leaves. Evening, with glowing light sources and celestial bodies twinkling afar, is especially atmospheric, and feels much less frightening compared to Anno 1800, now that the citizens don’t look like nightmarish entities these days.
Testing and Personalization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the functions for jumping, dashing, and adjusting the view — the zoom function permitting me to change from first-person to third-person mode and back. I then decided to hit certain numeric keys and discovered that I could change my avatar's look. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Blue and purple toga? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You may carry a sword and shield, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; when you press the action key, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. Should you be curious, harming inhabitants is impossible (though I didn't test this, obviously).
Comedy and Population Encounters
Yet, I didn't want to damage my population, as they're remarkably entertaining. Moments after I entered the first-person view, I overheard a father telling his child that “Owning a fox is prohibited and if you feed it one more chicken, your grandmother will be furious.” Appropriate response, paternal figure. A friendly native Celtic person then started applauding my outstanding integration methods by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” while some cranky old lady opted to menace 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 experienced the pleasure of driving through classical settlements. Entirely by accident, I interacted with a cart and quickly occupied the transport. Bovines, equines, even manually drawn vehicles; you can drive them all at your leisure. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, travels rather rapidly, although you shouldn't expect Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Battle Constraints
The single feature that frustrated me in Anno 117’s first-person mode was discovering my inability to participate in combat situations. Sporting my soldier fit, I ran up to the enemy during active combat and attempted to attack them, only to be ignored completely. The close-up view was nonetheless magnificent, and watching the enemy run, their arms flailing about, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to successfully impact objects via my incendiary bolts.
