A Glorious and Addictive Roman Empire Builder
“What have the Romans ever done for us?” said John Cleese in the Life of Brian movie, before going through the many different technological and social improvements to life that the Romans actioned in their epic period of empire. We have roads that are still used today, aqueducts to carry water, and of course, concrete, sanitation, public health, law, democracy, and even bound books. The list goes on.
Anno 117: Pax Romana puts you in the shoes of a Roman governor, building a city from scratch. Let’s go back in time and see how much we can do for our subjects.
The Anno games provide a sim city-style building experience as you build, develop, research, fight, and explore whole regions. But there is also an engaging story to go with it.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is no different and instead of just putting you into a nameless god-like being controlling everything like a puppet master, it gives you a name and a narrative to go along with it. You can choose to play as either Marcus or Marcia at the start of the game, and both have different storylines involving politics and treachery, as well as providing the tools you need to play the game well after the campaign has finished.
The Console Hurdle
Before we start talking about how much I like Anno 117: Pax Romana, we should have a conversation about controls. The endless problem about going from PC to console with these games is well known, as devs go trying to fit all the menus in a system where normally it’s just a single click of a button. In general, the controls work in Anno 117, but they do need a bit getting used to, especially when trying to navigate the submenus. I spent more time than I care to remember, at least initially, awkwardly getting into the wrong menus and not finding what I wanted. Thankfully, after a few hours, it starts to click into place. And that is when Anno 117: Pax Romana comes to life.
Porridge, Pubs, and Prosperity
You see, this is a great city builder and about as addictive as chocolate ice cream. You start from a trading post, then build roads and houses, waiting for the people to come. Then you need to feed them, so porridge is produced, fish are caught, items stored. Entertainment is needed too, and that comes in the form of inns with stages, whilst fashion means tunics and Roman hats. From there, fields of rye need to be cultivated, and wood needs to be chopped, stored and distributed. Of course, all of this is done to keep your folk happy, but throughout, those same people will find sadness, so you’ll be left to balance their needs with your finances and the bigger picture.
Pax Romana is all about balance in the end; keeping your class system in line with each other’s needs for both rich and poor. As you satisfy needs from your advisor, you will get to upgrade your world, where small resident houses turn into lush villas, and there are technological advances to unlock, helping to make your city a lovely place to be.
Diplomacy, Legionnaires, and High-Seas Trade
But you are not alone in your small city; you can expand across the sea to find other islands to inhabit, and there are also neighbours to work with, or fight and trade. Trading is finding the surplus of what you are producing, talking to a neighbour who has what you need, and hopefully, ensuring a deal can be done.
Warfare is on the cards, mostly as that is what the Romans were famous for; the conquest CV can testify. Diplomacy is always the best course (because it doesn’t cost money), but if all else fails, then use of a sword and shield is the optimum answer. That means you will need to build a garrison to protect your city from invaders, employing archers and grunts with more complicated squads, including legionnaires, all of whom need to be unlocked. Naval battles are also a key component, and having boats protecting your trade routes is an essential – yet fun – part of the game.
When you finish with the campaign, the endless mode is where the hardcore gamers will hang out, building, creating and conquering forevermore. There are three difficulty levels, and Anno 117: Pax Romana can be played in co-op and online if you want to. This can be a shared campaign or PvP if you want to get feisty. Whatever, it means that there are a lot of options on the table, and a host of things to do in this game, delivering hours and hours of gameplay in the process.
Zooming into Roman Life
Anno 117: Pax Romana looks absolutely marvellous. You have the god view of all the world from above, where you can see all your plans for the present and the future. There are also the cutscenes in the campaign with the characters you meet that look great. But it’s when you zoom right in that the attention to detail is amazing. You can see the world living and breathing, the people going about their business. When I first built a pub, I zoomed in and saw folk drinking and having a good time, someone being sick, and a little play going on in the corner.
Audio-wise, it is very strong, and it comes with a great voice cast from the major characters in the campaign, right down to people in the streets shouting the odd grumble or just commenting on life. A cracking soundtrack gives a perfect backdrop to hours of play.
An Accessible and Immense Sim Strategy Experience
There is something satisfying about building a place up from the dirt to become a huge living, breathing world. There is enough of a challenge on offer in Anno 117: Pax Romana that, whatever your tastes are for difficulty, it will provide them. I loved the campaign, but some will be more interested in the endless mode or the co-op multiplayer experience. However you go about things, the attention to detail in the visuals is immense, and the audio design is brilliant as well. A criticism? Well, that points to the control system that takes some getting used to, but from there, you’re up and away.
This is one of the more accessible sim city games out there and so if you have never played one before and fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, then maybe make Anno 117: Pax Romana your first port of call.
Important Links
Anno 117: Pax Romana Marches Onto Xbox, PlayStation And PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/anno-117-pax-romana-marches-onto-xbox-playstation-and-pc/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/anno-117-pax-romana/9NRJ3KNT0JRK/0010
There’s a Gold Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/anno-117-pax-romana-gold-edition/9PH7X6WJ94LD/0010
