Anno 117 Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Reveals Itself as a Stunning First-Person Perspective.
Hold on — were you aware gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117 Pax Romana using a first-person camera? If that’s your reaction, you’re just as shocked compared to my initial response the moment I learned this concealed mode. Excuse me while temporarily abandon overseeing my civilization, leave it in a trusted assistant, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride around the classical city.
Unlocking the First-Person Mode
As a city-building game, the game Anno 117 is typically played using a top-down camera. 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 a controller — it becomes possible to roam the empire as an ordinary Roman. Since a similar easter egg was part of the previous Anno title, I felt excited to test it in Ubisoft's newest game, yet I had doubts it would work until I found myself submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this option tends to be a little buggy at times).
Exploring the Ancient Streets
Upon freeing myself, I wandered the lively avenues through my metropolis and toured stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and cockle pickers — it was glorious to witness all my hard work through a fresh lens. I observed all kinds of details that would escape notice when viewing from overhead: Doorway embellishments, a donkey carrying a flower bucket, chickens running loose, citizens lounging on their terraces… Even just observing the design of a windowsill and the coloration on a post proves fascinating to modern individuals unfamiliar with ancient life.
Further Than Mere Wandering
However, there's additional content to Anno 117’s first-person mode than strolling along the road. I became extraordinarily excited upon discovering that besides being able to observe agricultural plots, but also enter them. And despite my expectation interiors would be restricted, I was able to enter earthen quarries, tour an esteemed educational structure while lessons were in session, and intrude into private gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the creators allocated resources for that), however, you can definitely meander across a cereal plantation, see citizens working with tools and burdens, and glance into any tiny hut provided the entrance is missing.
Appearance and Mood
While I was completely ready to observe my settlement depicted with outdated visual quality, apart from certain rough movements and periodic inhabitants sitting within a bench as opposed to atop a bench, the first-person view appears considerably improved over predictions. The meticulously crafted materials (notably masonry elements) really have no business being this good within a game that's fundamentally a city-builder. You won't necessarily notice any individual strands of hair, yet you will notice wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, pupils, and evergreen foliage. The night, featuring dancing flames and celestial bodies twinkling afar, is especially atmospheric, and feels much less frightening relative to the previous game, given that the populace appears unlike terrifying apparitions anymore.
Discovery and Modification
Given the covert first-person feature lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the functions for jumping, dashing, and zoom in or out — the last option enabling me to change from first-person to third-person mode and return. I then decided to hit various digit inputs and found I could alter my avatar's look. Amber garment? Ruby clothing? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You may carry a sword and shield, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; when you press the action key, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. Should you be curious, eliminating citizens cannot be done (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
Yet, I didn't want to damage my population, as they're remarkably entertaining. Only seconds after I landed the first-person view, I heard a parent advising their offspring that “Owning a fox is prohibited and should you provide another poultry, your gran will have your head.” Rightly so, Roman dad. A pleasant regional Celt then began complimenting my excellent cross-cultural strategies by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” while some cranky old lady decided to threaten me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Joy of Joyriding
Just when I thought I’d discovered all there is to discover in the title's first-person feature, I experienced the pleasure of driving across historical settings. Totally unintentionally, I selected a carriage and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Oxen, donkeys, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The donkey cart, in particular, moves quite quickly, though you shouldn’t imagine Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Combat Limitations
The single feature that frustrated me within the immersive perspective was learning about my exclusion from in battle encounters. Sporting my soldier fit, I charged toward adversaries amidst fighting and endeavored to damage them, yet was completely overlooked. The proximate observation was still rather spectacular, and seeing opponents retreat, their limbs waving wildly, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to successfully impact objects with my burning arrows.
