Anno 117: Pax Romana Review

Anno has been a long-running real-time strategy franchise for PC gamers, dating back to 1998. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that it made its debut on consoles with Anno 1800. Throughout the years, games in the Ubisoft series have been set in the past and also far in the future. Now, Anno is going back further than ever before, with Anno 117: Pax Romana, focusing on Ancient Rome.

But how is the game? And, since we’ll be reviewing the PlayStation 5 version, how well does it play using a DualSense? Well, it’s time to get city building for the glory of the Emperor, as we get into the review!

Straight away, I was surprised at the level of depth the story mode offered. Playing as one of two nobles, you're placed into the role of a Governor and tasked with aiding in the expansion of the Roman Empire. There’s plenty of drama, political intrigue, and even some genuinely funny moments across both characters’ stories. Sure, it may act as a glorified tutorial, but this is a campaign that’s well worth seeing through thanks to its engaging narrative and likeable cast of characters.

Issues arise when talking about the length of the story, however. It only takes a couple of hours to finish, further driving home the point of it feeling like a long tutorial, but it also doesn’t reach a satisfying conclusion. Just when the story really gets going, it just sort of… ends. It’s such a shame as well, because the writers have given us perhaps one of the best stories in an RTS, so it’s disappointing that things sort of abruptly fizzle out.

You can, of course, forego the campaign itself and play through Endless Mode. This allows you to build without limits and goals (unless you choose to set them yourself) and build the city of your dreams! It’s worth noting that both modes offer co-op and competitive play, which is a welcome addition.

Anno 117 absolutely looks the part and is truly stunning in its graphical design. Loading times can be rather long, but once you’re in the game, it feels like you’re floating above a real, lived-in city of Ancient Rome. Being able to zoom up close and see your citizens going about their daily lives isn’t something new for the genre; however, it looks especially impressive here.

The audio design is also top-notch, with a voice cast that helps draw you into the plot. The rich, ambient music that plays as you build up your cities or partake in battles is also suited for each scenario, giving the sound design that extra touch of brilliance. It’s almost shocking just how good the overall aesthetics are in this game, as the majority of RTS titles I’ve played aren’t exactly known for their stellar visuals or great voice acting!

One of my main thoughts when playing something primarily made for PC on a console is, “How awkward is it to play?” Well, thanks to the use of radial menus, it’s not too bad! Granted, there were times when I accidentally selected the wrong choice and had to start my selection over again, and it takes a bit of time to remember where each option is located, but it’s serviceable. Playing a real-time strategy game on a controller may seem like a crime against the gaming gods, but fear not, purists! Anno 117 is fully playable on PS5 with mouse and keyboard, and it works just how it would on a PC.

In terms of gameplay, Anno 117 doesn’t stray too far from the tried and true formula of the franchise. Which, if you’ve played any of the previous titles, you’ll know that’s a good thing! That said, it is a little more simplified in an attempt to be more accessible to a broader audience. The main goal is always to build up your city whilst taking care of the needs of your population. When starting out with a small town, your citizens will ask for the basics, such as food and somewhere to live, eventually giving way to less necessary things like entertainment buildings and more choices of clothing. Not asking for much, are they?

You’ll be undertaking a wide variety of tasks to ensure prosperity; setting up trade routes to boost your economy or improving diplomatic relations with other Governors, for example. Production is key to a sustainable city, with certain buildings needing to be within close proximity of one another to fully utilise their usefulness. It doesn’t feel restrictive on how you shape your ever-growing community, thankfully, with player freedom of choice allowing you to really build something to marvel at. Just don’t build a sawmill miles away from any trees; you might end up struggling!

You’ll often be tasked with finding peaceful resolutions to disagreements with other settlements or repelling invading forces, meaning you’ll need to take up arms! Both land and ocean battles are relatively simple rock-paper-scissors affairs, with certain units being strong and weak against others. Whilst not as in-depth as other RTS titles, Anno 117’s combat still has a satisfying level of strategic challenge to it, and pulling off a nail-bitingly close victory always felt incredibly rewarding.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a wonderfully engaging real-time strategy game. The unexpectedly engaging story may end too soon, but that shouldn’t take away from just how genuinely enjoyable the gameplay is. Whether alone or with a friend, growing your settlement from humble beginnings to a city that could rival Rome itself, fans of the genre should absolutely give this one a go!