Anno 117: Pax Romana - the final hands-on preview

The Anno series has been defining and redefining the city-building and management simulation for some time. We’ve gone to the year 1602, 1503, 1701,  and 1401, then jumped to the near future of 2070 before blasting far into the distant horizon of the year 2205.  We then came back to the year 1800, and soon we’ll dive further into the past than ever before – the year 117.  Recently, we had the opportunity to play Anno 117: Pax Romana without the constraints of time or a guided demo – simply fire up the game, play wherever it takes me, and see what the team at Ubisoft Mainz has created.  Welcome to our final hands-on preview for Anno 117: Pax Romana.  

As the name suggests, this entry into the Anno series takes place in the year 117 at the height of the Roman Empire, complete with political intrigue, rampant corruption, strategy, historical narratives, and yes, city management.  Combining plausible historical accuracy with enough wiggle room to tell a story, this game lets you carve out your own legend within the real-world Roman Empire.  

The game takes place during a time of great expansion under the rule of multiple incredible Emperors. The apex of the Roman Empire's expansion captured territory that stretched from Britain all the way to ancient Mesopotamia, achieved through what they called “Pax Romana”, or “Roman Peace”.  Pax Romana was a period of renaissance and stability within the expanded Roman Empire that lasted from 27 BCE to 180 CE.  Not only military growth, but also economic power, cultural achievements, security, new types of infrastructure, trade, the establishment of laws, and the spread of Roman culture.  

In this preview, I chose the role of Marcia Titania. We were summoned to the island of Latium, where we were married to Titanius, a man thrice our age, in an arranged marriage.  Unfortunately, he's also not well and has not made the journey across the sea with us.  Instead, greeted by Emperor Lucius, we are set to the task of governing this new island in his stead.  Much of what remains here is in ruins, but thankfully, it's also fertile land with ready access to an abundant amount of resources.  We shall build, govern, and rule while we await his return.  It is on this island that we will establish the city of Juliana.  Thankfully, we have the wisdom of our house slave Ben-Baalion to help guide us.

With little more than a dock, we will need to establish our foothold on the island.  The city of Juliana will need people, and those people will need homes, services, goods, protection, and more to enrich their lives while they work the land to improve it.  First, we’d need materials, and that meant putting down a woodcutter camp.  Placing the camp, I see a number that indicates how effective that camp will be, based on proximity to the resource they are collecting – wood in this case.  My woodcutters went to work, logging the forest and then loading up the wood to send to the sawmill, the second half of the supply chain.  Once processed, they’d need somewhere to store those resources, and that’d be a warehouse – a central location for all goods needed in an area.  These only have a certain range, so we’ll need multiples of these as our little establishment grows.

With enough wood, I was able to construct a dozen basic homes, interconnecting the buildings and the houses with dirt roads.  Ben-Baalion was kind enough to remind me that those folks might also like to eat.  With limited options for our sleepy little backwater, we had the options of sardines or porridge.  More than just food, these offer additional attributes -- the sardine can provide a +1 to my income, and will feed one household.  On the other hand, porridge doesn't provide funds but can feed two families. They may not like the taste (and nobody is buying it), but that'd help us grow more quickly, so that's what I focused on. Unlike the logging camp, sardines would not require a production chain, simply a fishing hut placed on the shore.  The production of porridge, on the other hand, would need an oat farm to make it, and a porridge stand to sell it to those living nearby.  Food and shelter needs addressed, my attention was about to shift to other services, but instead, I was summoned to the nearby palace of Emperor Lucius and his wife, Juliana. 

I was surprised that, at this point, I was given dialogue choices.  I could talk with my hosts about their time in this new land, ask about my father, inquire about the ruins on our new island of Juliana, get a status update on the health of our new husband, or just eat quietly and keep my mouth shut.  I'm not sure how much "choices matter" these options are, but it's unique to see story elements like this in a strategic city builder like this.  

Before long, I was receiving not only requests from the Emperor for various goods, services, and favors, but even hearing from the Senate and neighboring factions.  You are far from alone in your new home. Anno 117: Pax Romana follows some real-world historical events, as well as giving the player to alter them to carve their own path.  Can you rise from the governor of a completely new province to the Senate, or even the Emperor?  Only time and your choices will tell.  

Like in previous Anno titles, satisfying the needs of your citizens allows you to grow them from basic homes to beautiful villas.  You’ll always need both the tax-paying rich, as well as the regular folks who help make the economic engine of goods and services operate.  Similarly, you’ll need fire, protection, and if it comes down to war, an army at your back.  Alliances with nearby kingdoms can provide some support, as well as trade opportunities, but your empire’s prosperity is entirely dependent on your leadership.  Ultimately, it’s up to you to think through the cost of your legacy as you etch your name on the annals of history. 

Getting to play the game without the pressure of a clock allowed me to really hone in on the incredible detail the Ubisoft team has placed into every aspect of this game.  Watching my plebs load carts, carry them to the next part of the supply chain, and then carry the finished goods to my docs to send them out on trade routes was fun to watch.  The arrows that showed their pathing gave me insight into how I might further optimize my city’s infrastructure and layout to better handle chokepoints.  Solving the challenges of my urban centers, as well as the more complex supply chains for luxury goods, kept me constantly tinkering with building layouts and roads.  The needs of my people had me placing upgraded roads for faster movement, aqueducts for both farming and water supply for homes, and a forum for debate and entertainment.  

Zooming the camera in, there is a level of detail we’ve never seen in an Anno game.  They’ve always been pretty, but the amount of animations and small details on display here is the kind you’d find on a game that gets 20x closer to its subject.  The citizenry roaming around, goods being moved around on the docks and onto boats, farming and tending to livestock, and many more examples just bring the game to life.  My citizens feel like they live here, and they aren’t just avatars to represent inputs and outputs to my porridge factory.  

Frankly, I could write all day about the concepts, features, and improvements present in Anno 117 and still not cover it all.  We haven’t even touched on trade routes, the role of religion and universities, or military warfare, all of which are huge cornerstones of the rise of Juliana.  We haven’t talked about the pressures of the Senate, the Emperor, or how all of the grand buildings that come later in the game.  These sorts of hands-on opportunities usually have a defined “Don’t talk about anything after XYZ,” and I found myself playing for hours past that point – something I only do when the game is far better than I expected.  Anno 117: Pax Romana is easily the best game in the series, and that’s only making the wait till launch that much longer. 

Anno 117: Pax Romana launches on November 13th, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.  Now I’ll just have to stop playing it long enough to actually review it!