Anno 117 Pax Romana's Best-Kept Secret Is a Breathtaking First-Person View.
Surprisingly — did you realize it's possible to experience Anno 117: Pax Romana from a first-person viewpoint? If you're thinking that, you’re just as shocked as I was the moment I learned this secret option. Allow me to temporarily abandon my empire’s management, delegate it to a capable deputy, take a wagon, and take a spin through Ancient Rome.
How to Access the First-Person Mode
As a city-building game, Anno 117: Pax Romana is typically played from a bird's-eye view. Yet, when you input a hidden code — such as “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on a keyboard or else “Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B/Circle, A/X” on console — you gain the ability to walk your domain as a common citizen. Because an analogous secret appeared in the previous Anno title, I felt excited to test it in the new release, but I wasn’t sure it would function prior to being submerged in a structural glitch (possibly an unexpected bug — this option is prone to glitches now and then).
Roaming the Streets of Rome
Once I crawled out, I walked the bustling streets of my city and toured stalls, alehouses, floral patches, and shellfish gatherers — it felt magnificent to observe my diligent efforts using an entirely new viewpoint. I detected numerous fine points I wouldn’t have spotted when viewing from overhead: Doorway embellishments, a beast of burden holding a blossom container, poultry scattering about, people relaxing on their verandas… Even just observing the form of a ledge and the coloration on a post is quite interesting for those not residing in classical times.
Beyond Simple Strolling
However, there's additional content to the game's immersive perspective beyond simply walking the paths. I felt particularly pleased the moment I learned that besides being able to view agricultural plots, but also step into them. And although I’d assumed the building models would be off-limits, I managed to access clay pits, explore a prestigious Grammaticus building as teaching was underway, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Don’t try to open any doors (not even the creators allocated resources for that), however, you can definitely stroll around a barley farm, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and glance into any tiny hut provided the entrance is missing.
Graphics and Ambiance
Even though I expected to witness my city rendered in PlayStation 1 graphics, besides some crude animations and the occasional civilian resting in a bench rather than on a bench, first-person mode looks far superior to anticipations. The meticulously crafted materials (particularly rock faces) are unexpectedly excellent for a title that remains primarily overhead. You may not see specific hair details, yet you will notice engravings on walls, fiery particles from lamps, discoloration of masonry, eye details, and conifer needles. Nighttime, with its flickering fires and distant stellar illumination, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and proves significantly less intimidating versus the earlier title, now that the citizens don’t look like sleep paralysis demons anymore.
Experimentation and Customization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the abilities to leap, run, and adjusting the view — with the latter allowing me to change from first-person to third-person mode and back. I subsequently tried pressing some number buttons and discovered that I could change my character’s appearance. Golden robe? Red toga? Blue and purple toga? Or — potentially preferable — armored suit? You can wield a blade and protection, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; if you hit the interaction button, you launch incendiary bolts heavenward. Should you be curious, harming inhabitants is impossible (though I didn't test this, obviously).
Comedy and Population Encounters
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, since they're incredibly amusing. Moments after I entered the first-person view, I listened to a dad instructing his kid that “You cannot keep a fox as a pet and if you offer additional fowl, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. A friendly native Celtic person then began complimenting my outstanding integration methods by calling it the “Best of both worlds,” meanwhile a grumpy senior female decided to threaten 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 in Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first-person mode, I experienced the pleasure of driving through classical settlements. Completely unexpectedly, I interacted with a cart and immediately found myself in the driver's position. Oxen, donkeys, even manually drawn vehicles; you can control each one as desired. The ass-drawn vehicle, specifically, moves quite quickly, although you shouldn't expect Grand Theft Auto-style mischief — you can’t drive into people or other wagons (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Battle Constraints
The sole aspect that let me down in Anno 117’s first-person mode was finding out I couldn’t partake in any fighting. Equipped in warrior attire, I approached opposing forces during active combat and attempted to attack them, only to be ignored completely. The close-up view remained quite impressive, and seeing opponents retreat, their limbs waving wildly, proved very satisfying, yet it would have been exciting to actually hit something with my burning arrows.
