Anno 117 Pax Romana's Top Secret Is a Impressive First-Person Mode.
Hold on — were you aware it's possible to experience the game Anno 117 in first-person? Should that be your response, you feel equally astonished as my own reaction upon finding out this concealed mode. Allow me to temporarily abandon my empire’s management, leave it in a capable deputy, commandere a carriage, and enjoy a ride across the Roman world.
Unlocking the First-Person Mode
In its role as a city-builder, the game Anno 117 is normally experienced from an overhead perspective. Yet, when you input a hidden code — such as “Ctrl,” “Shift,” and “R” on 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. Given a comparable hidden feature was included in Anno 1800, I looked forward to experience it in Ubisoft's newest game, yet I had doubts it would function until I found myself submerged in a structural glitch (likely not meant to happen — this mode is prone to glitches now and then).
Discovering the Ancient Streets
Upon freeing myself, I strolled the bustling streets across my settlement and toured shops, taverns, blossom gardens, and cockle pickers — it was glorious to see all my hard work through a fresh lens. I observed all kinds of details I wouldn’t have spotted from above: Front door decorations, an ass transporting a floral pail, poultry scattering about, folks chilling on their balconies… Even just observing the shape of a window sill and the coating on a pillar becomes engaging to modern individuals unfamiliar with ancient life.
More Than Just Walking
However, there's additional content to the first-person feature in Anno 117 aside from meandering through streets. I was especially delighted upon discovering that not only could I 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, investigate a respected schoolhouse as teaching was underway, and even trespass into people’s gardens. Avoid attempting to open doors (not even the creators have the budget for that), yet it's completely feasible meander across a cereal plantation, watch folks shoveling and carrying sacks, and look within any modest shelter when there's no doorway obstructing.
Visual Quality and Atmosphere
While I was completely ready to observe my settlement depicted in PlayStation 1 graphics, besides some crude animations and sometimes citizens positioned inside seating as opposed to atop a bench, the immersive perspective seems much better than expected. The meticulously crafted materials (especially stone surfaces) shouldn't logically be this impressive for a title that remains primarily overhead. You might not observe any individual strands of hair, however, you can observe wall inscriptions, sparks flying from torches, fading on bricks, eye details, and evergreen foliage. Evening, with glowing light sources and stars shining in the distance, generates a uniquely immersive environment, and feels much less frightening versus the earlier title, especially since the inhabitants no longer resemble terrifying apparitions now.
Testing and Personalization
Because the game's hidden immersive perspective lacks official documentation, I opted to try different commands, and immediately located the functions for jumping, dashing, and adjusting the view — with the latter allowing me to alternate between immersive and external perspectives and return. I subsequently tried pressing various digit inputs and discovered that I could change my representative's visual design. Golden robe? Ruby clothing? Sapphire and amethyst dress? Or — potentially preferable — armored suit? You might hold a weapon and defense, or, preferably, wear an archer's uniform; if you activate the engage command, you’ll fire burning arrows into the sky. Should you be curious, it’s not possible to kill civilians (though I didn't test this, obviously).
Humor and Citizen Interactions
But I wouldn’t wish to harm my citizens anyway, because they’re way too funny. Only seconds after I landed first-person mode, I listened to a dad instructing his kid that “Owning a fox is prohibited and if you feed it one more chicken, your gran will have your head.” Understandable stance, father character. One lovely local Celt then began complimenting my brilliant Romano-Celtic policies 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 Thrill of Transportation
At the moment I believed I uncovered all possible content within the game's immersive perspective, I found the joys of joyriding through classical settlements. Completely unexpectedly, I interacted with a cart and was promptly seated on the box. Oxen, donkeys, even manually drawn vehicles; you can drive them all at your leisure. The donkey-powered transport, notably, travels rather rapidly, although you shouldn't expect any GTA-like shenanigans — colliding with pedestrians or other carts is impossible (once more, not admitting any attempts).
Fighting Restrictions
The sole aspect that let me down regarding the first-person view was finding out I couldn’t partake in battle encounters. Sporting my soldier fit, I approached opposing forces in the midst of battle and endeavored to damage them, yet was completely overlooked. The proximate observation remained quite impressive, and seeing opponents retreat, their appendages thrashing around, proved very satisfying, though it might have been amazing to effectively strike targets using my fiery projectiles.
