Anno 117: Pax Romana preview – All as it should be

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Experiencing great joy when the initial hour of a game surpasses all your hopes for it, which is quite uncommon, was exactly what happened during my hour-long playthrough of Anno 117: Pax Romana at Gamescom 2025.

In the highly anticipated new installment of this series, Ubisoft places great importance on decision-making, a factor that’s evident even before the game properly starts. For this demo, players are given two options: Latium or Albion as playable regions. Newcomers are suggested to try Latium, home of Rome, which offers beautiful Mediterranean coastlines with serene turquoise waters and no hostile barbarians to contend with.

In contrast to Latium, which represents Rome, Albion refers to Britain. Unlike the more civilized and developed lands of Latium, Albion is characterized by rugged, swampy islands inhabited by Celts with distinct customs and preferences. Navigating the challenges of Albion in Anno 117, particularly its Romanization mechanics, presented an intriguing prospect for my gameplay experience.

Initially, everything follows routine. The island is all yours with only a starting port structure and a single ship as company. Your early tasks involve constructing a few homes and gathering essential construction supplies – that’s when things start to become intriguing.

Meeting the necessities of your populace remains key to their advancement, yet each necessity can be met through two distinct approaches. For instance, the essential clothing requirements of Celts could be addressed by weaving tunics or crafting shoes. Both methods involve different production paths and offer varied beneficial effects. Tunics sold in the market generate additional income for your settlement, whereas shoes boost happiness. In Anno 117, you’re not expected to rigidly repeat similar production chains in every playthrough. Instead, you thoughtfully consider various strategies to fulfill those needs throughout the game, adjusting to the current circumstances.

When improving your populace, remember that’s when Romanization becomes relevant. Once you advance to the next level of settlement, you have the option to choose Romanization, which allows you to upgrade your houses to entice various new residents. The Romano-Celtic route grants you Mercators and Nobles, whereas remaining on the Celtic path yields Smiths and Aldermen. Each branch offers unique items and distinct gameplay aspects.

As you develop your population, keep in mind that’s when Romanization is important. When moving up to a higher level of settlement, you may decide to adopt Romanization, making it possible to enhance houses to attract new types of residents. Following the Romano-Celtic path provides Mercators and Nobles, while staying with the Celtic route gives Smiths and Aldermen. Both paths come with exclusive goods and different gaming focuses.

In this fictional game setting, the Roman-Celtic populace tends to adopt Roman practices, excelling in trade, research, and desiring foreign luxuries. On the other hand, the Celtic population maintains a more rural lifestyle, making full use of the marshlands. Your decision between these two cultures significantly impacts your gameplay. It’s not merely about the goods you produce, but also the architectural styles, buildings, and a focus on research or religious pursuits. The island’s landscape will vary based on your choice, as the Roman-Celtic population doesn’t utilize swamps. Instead, they might develop a canal system to drain the marshes, transforming them into fertile farmland for crops like wheat.

Each choice you make seems to carry weight or consequence, visible either in your records or evident on the map itself.

Incorporating building placement strategically alongside residential areas too. Unlike previous versions that separate residential and industrial zones, you’ll now want to position some production buildings in proximity to your housing units. This is because certain buildings yield beneficial interactions, although not all effects are favorable (for instance, fire hazards). Consequently, it turns into an engaging challenge where you strive for the optimal balance between logistics, synergies, and aesthetics.

Discussing construction elements: The tools in Anno 117 are top-notch! Now you can effortlessly duplicate entire districts, adjust them in various ways including rotating them, and even create structures diagonally. What’s more, the game provides detailed statistics for most items or processes, helping you quickly identify any potential issues. Plus, it already includes numerous enhancements to boost your gaming experience, such as mass updates and user-friendly features.

Ubisoft has crafted Anno 1800 to offer an aesthetically and audibly impressive experience. The musical backdrop features a harmonious blend of flutes, lutes, and horns, enhancing the atmosphere as your ship sets sail for exploration across the map, passing by imposing cliffs veiled in white fog. As the game progresses, the soundtrack dynamically adapts to match the unfolding events; for instance, if barbarian attacks ensue due to overzealous Romanization, the horns will blare intensely, mirroring the call to arms in battle. The tranquility of the night scene is accentuated by the soft glow of torches – albeit not ideal for construction activities. However, you can effortlessly transition between day and night at your convenience, ensuring this minor inconvenience doesn’t disrupt your gaming experience. Overall, Anno 1800 delivers a sublime game atmosphere that is nothing short of extraordinary.

In the captivating realm of Anno, I’ve discovered that my fellow townsfolk aren’t just friendly faces, but rivals and collaborators rolled into one! Surprisingly, it’s possible to take on contracts from them as soon as our paths cross – be it helping retrieve driftwood treasures from the ocean or delivering vital resources.

In contrast to earlier versions, it’s now noticeable that certain modifications have been implemented within the game. The governor’s villa, a significant structure in your town, is no longer expandable as time goes by. However, updates will unlock extra storage spaces for items, enabling you to enhance your settlement more effectively. It seems this system is still being refined and tweaked.

I haven’t had a lot of experience with it yet, but the religious system appears intriguing. It allows for various islands to focus on devotion to distinct deities, which enhances particular resource paths or other elements, like enhanced military training.

The military system remains a mystery to me after playing the game for some time. I trained some militia troops at my villa during gameplay, but it seemed premature as they depleted my funds without engaging in any battles.

117 A.D., it appears that Anno 117 could be a fitting successor to the acclaimed Anno 1800. It expands upon the foundations of its predecessor while introducing fresh ideas and refining aspects to keep gameplay engaging. Furthermore, the Roman theme is skillfully implemented with Romanization serving as a key gameplay mechanic.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is set to come to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on November 13, 2025.

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2025-09-02 13:19