Why Anno 117's Prophecies of Ash DLC Deserves a Second Look
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Despite negative community buzz, Anno 117: Pax Romana's first DLC, Prophecies of Ash, successfully shakes up the strategy game's mid-game loop with high-stakes volcanic eruptions and resource management challenges.
When Ubisoft Mainz dropped the first major expansion for Anno 117: Pax Romana, the initial community reaction on Steam and Reddit leaned heavily toward disappointment. Critics argued that the base game already felt a bit hollow compared to Anno 1800, and early reviews for the Prophecies of Ash expansion labeled it as an underwhelming start to the post-launch roadmap. But spending time with the actual expansion reveals a much more nuanced picture for strategy fans willing to look past the noisy launch sentiment, as reported by Josh Broadwell over at Polygon.
The expansion does not fix every structural critique leveled at the base game, but it completely revitalizes the mid-game loop by introducing genuine logistical pressure. Once your cities reach five hundred Equites, the peaceful rhythm of supply chains gets thoroughly disrupted. Players are suddenly forced to stockpile resources for sacrifices, restrict public consumption, and aggressively expand into dangerous territory to quarry marble while dodging sea raiders.
The real centerpiece of the expansion is Mount Occasus and its dramatic eruptions, which fundamentally alter how you manage your empire. The resulting volcanic winter tanks agricultural and aquatic production to a quarter of its normal output, punishing players who failed to plan ahead while rewarding smart resource hoarding. Acid rain, plummeting fire safety, and rising social unrest turn city management into a high-stakes survival exercise. While the game still suffers from light onboarding, the resulting chaos injects much-needed urgency and personality into the campaign.
Tags: Anno 117 Pax Romana, Strategy Games, DLC Review, PC Gaming, Ubisoft
Original article: Polygon