After spending around three hours with Anno 117: Pax Romana, I felt like I was getting a good grasp of the various systems. I was building trade routes with nearby islands to improve commerce. Various resources were being farmed and foraged, then processed into goods and stored in nearby warehouses. My population was growing and improving, meaning I could build new buildings, craft new items, and grow under the weight of managing the needs of my people. While I thought I was doing well, the income started to drop and the panic set in.
There’s a hell of a lot to learn in Anno 117: Pax Romana. I’m familiar with different city builders, but I have never played an Anno game before. One similar title that sprung to mind while playing was Steamworld Build. Thanks to some knowledge of how that worked, I was able to grasp the fundamentals needed to at least find my way in ancient Rome. To veterans, there’re are tweaks and changes to how attributes work. The needs of your people are also spread across secondary requirements. It’s involving, but so satisfying.
The most important thing you can do in Anno 117: Pax Romana is keep your population fulfilled. Keep them fed, clothed, and supplied with the basics needed to live. When you have that in place, providing them with a marketplace to spend their hard-earned money and a tavern to drink away the evening hours after a hard day’s work will improve their attributes, eventually raising the level of their population. A city is only going to thrive if the workforce is efficient. Different areas of your province offer resources like clay, wheat, and iron.
Gathering these, building nearby warehouses, and connecting them to the trading post forms the basis. Then you can start to use them to produce goods. Things can go wrong if you’re not knowledgeable about the basics. I struggled at first to gain income because my population was growing through building residential areas without using them to do anything. I had to rely on loans from nearby islands. This is not the right way to go because it can lead to a more than rocky relationship.
On top of building a thriving island, you need to keep your people safe. Fires can break out and spread. Watching a row of houses burn down is soul-destroying. Making sure you have a fire station of sorts can help quell the damage done. You also need to keep your people clean and well-fed. Of course, how you run your island is down to you. Being the type of governor you want will impact every facet of life within your province, but ignoring the needs of your people is the worst thing you can possibly do.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is a beautiful looking game. The level of detail in the individual buildings is staggering. The way people and animals move; the way the ocean sways; and simply watching your island go about its day is always fascinating to watch. The UI is also well-designed. It’s simple enough to find out what needs to be done at any one time, however, an in-menu tutorial would be great when the game releases to the public. Just a simple description of every item or task, or how to do certain things would be much appreciated.
So far, Anno 117: Pax Romana is shaping up nicely. The staged approach to growth within your providence never seems like you’re losing control. The opening tutorial is helpful, but a reference tab in the menus would be great. There are plenty of systems to get to grips with, but you rarely feel out of your depth. There are also a lot of different ways to grow and build relationships. All in all, I’m more than exited to play the entire game when it releases.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is coming in 2025.
