Anno 117 Pax Romana's Top Secret Reveals Itself as a Impressive First-Person View.
Wait — did you know you can play the game Anno 117 in first-person? Should that be your response, you’re just as shocked as my own reaction the moment I learned this hidden feature. I must briefly leave my empire’s management, delegate it to a capable deputy, take a wagon, and take a spin across the Roman world.
Activating the First-Person Mode
In its role as a city-builder, the game Anno 117 usually operates using a top-down camera. Yet, when you enter a secret combination — including “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” with a gamepad — you can explore the empire as an ordinary Roman. Since a similar easter egg was part of the previous Anno title, I felt excited to try it out in Ubisoft's newest game, though I was uncertain it would operate before I discovered myself chin-deep in a Celtic floorboard (possibly an unexpected bug — this option tends to be prone to glitches now and then).
Discovering the Streets of Rome
After extracting myself, I strolled the lively avenues across my settlement and toured markets, breweries, flower fields, and cockle pickers — it felt magnificent to witness my diligent efforts through a fresh lens. I noticed all kinds of details that would escape notice from the top-down view: Doorway embellishments, an ass transporting a floral pail, fowl roaming freely, folks chilling on their balconies… Simply noticing the design of a windowsill and the coloration on a post proves fascinating for those not residing in classical times.
Beyond Simple Strolling
But there’s more to Anno 117’s first-person mode aside from meandering through streets. I felt particularly pleased upon discovering that besides being able to observe agricultural plots, but also access them. And although I’d assumed structures would be inaccessible, I was able to enter earthen quarries, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building while lessons were in session, and intrude into private gardens. Avoid attempting to open doors (not even the developers planned for that functionality), yet it's completely feasible stroll around a barley farm, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and take a peek inside any small shack provided the entrance is missing.
Appearance and Mood
Even though I expected to see my metropolis represented in PlayStation 1 graphics, apart from certain rough movements and periodic inhabitants sitting in a bench rather than on a bench, first-person mode looks far superior to anticipations. The meticulously crafted materials (particularly rock faces) shouldn't logically be this impressive in what is still, essentially, a top-down game. You might not observe specific hair details, however, you can observe wall inscriptions, fiery particles from lamps, discoloration of masonry, pupils, and evergreen foliage. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and stars shining in the distance, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and also a lot less scary relative to the previous game, now that the citizens don’t look like terrifying apparitions now.
Testing and Personalization
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode has no guided tutorial, I opted to try different commands, and quickly discovered the functions for jumping, dashing, and adjusting the view — the zoom function permitting me to alternate between immersive and external perspectives and return. I then experimented with some number buttons and learned I could modify my representative's visual design. Amber garment? Crimson attire? Azure and violet outfit? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You may carry a sword and shield, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; when you press the action key, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. In case you’re wondering, eliminating citizens cannot be done (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, because they’re way too funny. Moments after I entered first-person mode, I overheard a father telling his child that he “Can’t have a pet fox and if you offer additional fowl, your gran will have your head.” Rightly so, Roman dad. One lovely local Celt then proceeded to praise my outstanding integration methods by labeling it “Perfect fusion,” while some cranky old lady chose to intimidate me: “Utter those words again, and your fate will be sealed.”
The Joy of Joyriding
Just as I assumed I’d discovered all there is to discover in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I experienced the pleasure of driving across historical settings. Entirely by accident, I selected a carriage and was promptly seated on the box. Bovines, equines, even manually drawn vehicles; you can control each one as desired. The donkey-powered transport, notably, travels rather rapidly, but don't anticipate 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 in Anno 117’s first-person mode was discovering my inability to participate in combat situations. Equipped in warrior attire, I approached opposing forces in the midst of battle and tried to harm them, but was entirely disregarded. The close-up view was nonetheless magnificent, and observing foes flee, their limbs waving wildly, seemed enormously rewarding, yet it would have been exciting to successfully impact objects using my fiery projectiles.
