Anno 117 Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Is a Impressive First-Person View.
Hold on — were you aware you can play Anno 117: Pax Romana using a first-person camera? If that’s your reaction, you feel equally astonished as I was the moment I learned this hidden feature. I must temporarily abandon overseeing my civilization, delegate it to a capable deputy, commandere a carriage, and take a spin 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 — including “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on keyboard or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — it becomes possible to roam the realm as a regular inhabitant. Because an analogous secret appeared in the previous Anno title, I felt excited to experience it in the latest installment, though I was uncertain it would work prior to being submerged in a structural glitch (which probably wasn’t intended — this feature is a little buggy at times).
Roaming the Ancient Streets
Upon freeing myself, I wandered the busy roads through my metropolis and visited shops, taverns, blossom gardens, and seafood collectors — it felt magnificent to observe my diligent efforts using an entirely new viewpoint. I noticed a variety of intricacies that would escape notice from above: Entryway ornaments, an ass transporting a floral pail, poultry scattering about, people relaxing on their verandas… Merely examining the design of a windowsill and the coloration on a post proves fascinating for those not residing in classical times.
Beyond Simple Strolling
However, there's additional content to Anno 117’s first-person mode aside from meandering through streets. I felt particularly pleased the moment I learned that besides being able to view agricultural plots, but also access them. And although I’d assumed interiors would be restricted, I could walk onto earthen quarries, investigate a respected schoolhouse while lessons were in session, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Don't bother with door access (not even the studio planned for that functionality), yet it's completely feasible wander through a grain field, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and take a peek inside any small shack when there's no doorway obstructing.
Appearance and Mood
Although I was fully prepared to observe my settlement depicted with outdated visual quality, apart from certain rough movements and the occasional civilian resting in a bench rather than on a bench, the immersive perspective seems considerably improved over predictions. The meticulously crafted materials (especially stone surfaces) are unexpectedly excellent for a title that remains primarily overhead. You may not see separate follicular elements, however, you can observe wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, brick decoloration, iris elements, and pine tree leaves. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, is especially atmospheric, and feels much less frightening compared to Anno 1800, especially since the inhabitants no longer resemble sleep paralysis demons now.
Experimentation and Customization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and promptly found the options to jump, sprint, and changing perspective — the zoom function permitting me to change from first-person to third-person mode and back. I subsequently tried pressing various digit inputs and learned I could modify my representative's visual design. Yellow toga? Red toga? Azure and violet outfit? Or — maybe superior — complete battle gear? You might hold a weapon and defense, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; if you hit the interaction button, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. If you're interested, it’s not possible to kill civilians (not that I’ve tried, of course).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
Yet, I didn't want to damage my population, because they’re way too funny. Only seconds after I landed the first-person view, I overheard a father telling his child that “You cannot keep a fox as a pet and if you offer additional fowl, your elder will punish you.” Appropriate response, paternal figure. A pleasant regional Celt then proceeded to praise my excellent cross-cultural strategies by labeling it “Perfect fusion,” meanwhile a grumpy senior female chose to intimidate me: “Say that one more time, and they’ll never find your body.”
The Fun of Vehicle Use
Just when I thought I’d discovered all there is to discover in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I encountered the delight of riding in Ancient Rome. Totally unintentionally, I selected a carriage and was promptly seated on the box. Oxen, donkeys, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, moves quite quickly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — impacting citizens or additional vehicles cannot occur (again, not saying I’ve tried).
Fighting Restrictions
The sole aspect that let me down within the immersive perspective was finding out I couldn’t partake in battle encounters. Wearing my military outfit, I approached opposing forces during active combat and endeavored to damage them, but was entirely disregarded. The front-row seat remained quite impressive, and seeing opponents retreat, their limbs waving wildly, seemed enormously rewarding, yet it would have been exciting to effectively strike targets with my burning arrows.
