Anno 117: Pax Romana – Did Ubisoft's AI 'Slip-Up' Hide a Genuinely Spellbinding City-Builder?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Despite some early corporate AI-related kerfuffles, Anno 117: Pax Romana enchanted this digital wizard with its deeply satisfying city-building, rich trade systems, and surprisingly engaging naval combat, making it a triumph of strategic empire management.
Alright, fellow digital adventurers, before we dive into the glorious (and surprisingly complex) world of ancient Rome, can we just have a quick natter about the elephant in the forum? You know, that whole AI image 'slip-up' Ubisoft had in Anno 117's marketing? Bit sus, eh? Especially when they're out there pledging not to use AI for content creation, then 'oopsie, a rogue pixel bot snuck an image in!' the next. Classic digital wizardry gone wrong, or a carefully staged vanishing act? I'm just asking questions, mate!
Anyway, moving on to the actual game, which, thankfully, seems to have had decidedly *human* hands all over its delightful design. Fair dinkum, after a bit of a bumpy ride with the Anno series – came in a bit late, felt like I missed the memo on some of the intricate rituals with 2205 – Anno 117: Pax Romana has properly cast a spell on me. Like finally finding the right incantation, you know? Its complex economies can still wobble spectacularly, threatening to send your flourishing city into a dire failure spiral, but the resplendent mechanics for trade, naval warfare, and the blending of cultures offer plenty of chances to right the ship before it sinks into the digital abyss.
The basic routine in Anno 117 is familiar turf if you’ve dabbled in its predecessors. You start by building modest digs for your hardworking liberti, or freed people – a clever bit of world-building wizardry to gently sidestep the thorny institution of Roman slavery, I reckon. Meet their needs, and they'll promote up the social ladder, all the way to snobby patricians who demand exotic delicacies from around the world. Part of what influences these promotions is simple access to goods, which is a city-wide thing. But another key component is living near high-prestige buildings like theatres and shrines… and crucially, far away from unpleasant or polluting ones, like a charcoal burner. I absolutely adore how this naturally creates clusters of higher-class housing on important market streets, tapering off into working-class neighbourhoods in more industrial zones. It adds to the feel of a real, living, breathing city, mate. And when you upgrade to paved roads, extending the range of those fancy buildings? You immediately see the positive effects. It's genuinely delightful to zoom in and watch my little toga-clad citizens bustling about their business. Every building, from a stately villa to an idyllic lavender farm, is studded with detail and character. Even the untouched green fields and peaceful blue waters, teeming with marine life, create a strong sense of place. The character models for leaders and advisors? Maybe the one thing that didn't quite make my magical sensor go 'ping!' They’re full of personality, but some of those lip-sync issues in campaign cutscenes made it feel like a much older game, or a badly-dubbed ancient epic.
Anno 117 really comes alive with its detailed trade system. The summery paradise of Latium isn't the only locale to explore and exploit. Eventually, you unlock the ability to sail to foggy, rocky Albion – that is, Britain – with its own unique resources, aesthetic, and population. I was a bit worried Anno would lean too hard into othering stereotypes about 'mystical Celts' based on some of the marketing, but it’s actually a pretty grounded and sensible depiction, which is a relief. The really interesting choice you have mechanically in this region is whether to stay true to Celtic traditions or fully Romanise your new subjects. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and you can eventually mix and match for some powerful synergies. To truly meet the needs of demanding nobles in both regions, you'll have to set up production chains for luxury goods that might pull resources from two or three different islands, then ship them across the world map from one region to another. Each delivery requires individual ships assigned to the trade routes, so I can see exactly where my next delivery of cheese is and even reroute it somewhere else. This is all fairly easy to set up and tweak thanks to the well-organised interface, and naturally creates incentives to build smaller villages that do one specific thing, as well as warehouses and waystations to speed things up. Honestly, watching my little cheese barges ferry their precious cargo across the map? More satisfying than a perfectly executed arcane ritual.
And speaking of watery exploits, the naval combat? Bloody brilliant! Maneuvering ships feels weighty and realistic, with differences in maneuverability based on whether they rely on sails, oars, or both. I eventually got pretty good at tactics like trapping a sneaky little pirate ship in a cove where there would be no escape. It’s a proper RTS experience, not some tacked-on minigame, which I really appreciate. Ground combat is just fine; it does its job with a small selection of units. You can succeed without ever getting into a land battle if you’ve got a good navy, but I found some interesting tactics to dig into when I did.
Diplomacy is pretty basic stuff, with a single interesting wrinkle: the Emperor works a bit differently. You can't really make treaties with him, but he will make demands of you. Succeeding, failing, or refusing affects your reputation with Rome, granting bonuses or penalties. But both ends of the scale culminate in some very powerful rewards. Either you play nice and get appointed Consul, or you defy his authority so effectively that you grant yourself Proconsular authority, Caesar-style. Options, eh? Love it.
There's a decent story campaign, but it's really more of a magical apprenticeship, an extended tutorial, if you will. It took me less than 10 hours to finish and only really scratches the surface of the mechanics you can play with in the endless mode. You can play as either Marcus or Marcia, with the latter being a sort of madcap 'Weekend at Bernicus’' scenario where you're taking on the governor duties of your totally-not-dead husband. It's hardly Shakespeare, but there's some interesting intrigue and a cast of memorable characters (the Canaanite Ben-Baalion was a particularly endearing companion, mate, who presented me with an emotionally satisfying choice at the end!). While you can continue from the ending of the campaign as long as you want, most of my playtime was spent in the glorious, highly customisable endless mode. That's where the real power lies, allowing you to start in either Albion or Latium and choose from a wide range of difficulty options and rival governors with different personalities and playstyles. Mind you, their city planning sometimes looks like they let a particularly chaotic spirit possess the keyboard, but they make for decent sparring partners or dodgy trade affiliates nonetheless.
Now, it wouldn't be Anno without the occasional economic death spiral, would it? Like accidentally casting a 'Shrink Wealth' spell on your entire empire. Very large economies can become unwieldy. If food is disrupted, population drops, which causes food buildings to become underemployed, leading to even less food and even more population drop. At one point, I had to restart because I accidentally changed a large city's patron god, which made it instantly insolvent and nearly irrecoverable due to lost agricultural bonuses. But trade is kind of the hero here once again, since setting up buy orders for whatever you're out of can bail you out of a lot of tricky spots, as long as you have cash. It’s a little fiddly setting up a lot of different trades at a lot of different harbours the first time, but the interface is easy to work with, and once things were set, I didn't find I had to mess with them very often.
So, the final verdict from your resident digital wizard? Anno 117: Pax Romana is a bloody gorgeous antique city-builder that sucked me in for dozens of hours as I planned out my next district or simply watched the bustle along my aqueduct-accented boulevards. I think this series and I were always destined to hit it off, but we kept missing each other or meeting up at the wrong times. I really get Anno now, and I could hardly be more enthused. The fantastic, deep trade system with a side of exciting naval combat really seals the deal. Campaign’s a neat intro, but the endless mode? That’s where I’ll be spending another dozen real-world moons, watching my little digital Romans go about their business. It’s not just a game, mate, it’s an entire reality I’m happy to get lost in. Definitely worthy of a standing ovation, maybe even a triumphant parade down the pixelated streets!
*(Original review by Leana Hafer for IGN South Africa)*
Tags: City-Builder, RTS, Simulation, Anno, Ubisoft
Original article: IGN South Africa