Anno 117 Pax Romana's Top Secret Reveals Itself as a Stunning First-Person Perspective.
Hold on — were you aware gamers have the option to enjoy Anno 117: Pax Romana in first-person? If you're thinking that, your surprise matches as I was when I discovered this concealed mode. Allow me to step away from my empire’s management, delegate it to a capable deputy, borrow a cart, and enjoy a ride across the Roman world.
How to Access the First-Person View
Being a city-building title, Anno 117 Pax Romana is typically played using a top-down camera. However, if you press a covert button sequence — for example “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” using PC controls or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on a controller — it becomes possible to roam your domain as a common citizen. Given a comparable hidden feature appeared in Anno 1800, I was eager to test it in Ubisoft's newest game, though I was uncertain it would function before I discovered myself submerged in a structural glitch (possibly an unexpected bug — this mode can be somewhat unstable occasionally).
Discovering the Ancient Streets
Once I crawled out, I strolled the busy roads of my city and toured stalls, alehouses, flower fields, and cockle pickers — the experience was splendid to witness my diligent efforts using an entirely new viewpoint. I noticed numerous fine points that would escape notice when viewing from overhead: Front door decorations, a donkey carrying a flower bucket, chickens running loose, folks chilling on their balconies… Merely examining the shape of a window sill and the coating on a pillar proves fascinating to modern individuals unfamiliar with ancient life.
More Than Just Walking
However, there's additional content to the game's immersive perspective than strolling along the road. I became extraordinarily excited upon discovering that I could not just look upon farming fields, but also step into them. And even though I thought interiors would be restricted, I was able to enter mud extraction sites, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building as teaching was underway, and intrude into private gardens. Avoid attempting to open 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 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 using primitive rendering, apart from certain rough movements and the occasional civilian resting in a bench instead of on a bench, the first-person view appears far superior to anticipations. The intricately designed surfaces (especially stone surfaces) really have no business being this good in what is still, essentially, a top-down game. You may not see specific hair details, however, you can observe writings on surfaces, sparks flying from torches, discoloration of masonry, eye details, and conifer needles. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and celestial bodies twinkling afar, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and feels much less frightening versus the earlier title, now that the citizens don’t look like nightmarish entities these days.
Experimentation and Customization
Since Anno 117’s super-secret first-person mode lacks official documentation, I chose to test various actions, and immediately located the options to jump, sprint, and adjusting the view — with the latter allowing me to alternate between immersive and external perspectives and revert. I then experimented with various digit inputs and learned I could modify my character’s appearance. Yellow toga? Crimson attire? Blue and purple toga? Or — perhaps even better — full armor? You can wield a blade and protection, or, my favorite, don a marksman outfit; if you hit the interaction button, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. In case you’re wondering, harming inhabitants is impossible (not that I attempted, naturally).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, as they're remarkably entertaining. Shortly after I activated first-person mode, I listened to a dad instructing his kid that “Owning a fox is prohibited and if you offer additional fowl, 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,” whereas an irritable elderly woman chose to intimidate me: “Utter those words again, and your fate will be sealed.”
The Thrill of Transportation
Just when I thought I’d discovered all there is to discover within the game's immersive perspective, I experienced the pleasure of driving in Ancient Rome. Entirely by accident, I clicked on a wagon and quickly occupied the transport. Oxen, donkeys, even people-powered transports; you can control each one as desired. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, travels rather rapidly, but don't anticipate Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Fighting Restrictions
The only thing that disappointed me in Anno 117’s first-person mode was learning about my exclusion from in any fighting. Sporting my soldier fit, I approached opposing forces during active combat and tried to harm them, yet was completely overlooked. The close-up view remained quite impressive, and seeing opponents retreat, their limbs waving wildly, felt highly gratifying, but it would’ve been cool to effectively strike targets using my fiery projectiles.
