Anno 117: Pax Romana marks Ubisoft Mainz’s ambitious next step for one of the strategy genre’s most enduring city-building franchises. Published by Ubisoft, this latest entry follows the immensely successful Anno 1800, a title that set the benchmark for complex economic systems, vibrant cityscapes, and historical immersion. Anno 117: Pax Romana, which translates to “Roman Peace”, has the series moving into its earliest setting yet, transporting players to the Roman Empire at the height of its influence. 

In Anno 117: Pax Romana, players are tasked with shaping Rome’s destiny by establishing thriving cities, managing sprawling provinces, and balancing the delicate interplay of trade, diplomacy, and military strength.

Ubisoft Mainz did a perfect job blending the series’ hallmark economic depth with new frameworks inspired by Roman governance, offering multiple pathways to dominance, whether through commercial prowess, political strategy, or the disciplined force of legions. The instalment positions itself as both a natural evolution of Anno’s core formula and a bold reimaging that promises to expand what a historical builder can achieve. 

If you are new to these styles of games or just Anno in general, at its core, it’s a city-building, economic management strategy game. The primary objective is to establish, expand, and sustain your Roman province by balancing population needs, resource production, trade, and diplomacy. If you are chasing a fast-paced action game, then this is not your style of game, as this style of game revolves around thoughtful planning and long-term decision-making.

You begin with some bare basic buildings, and over time, you’re citizens will want more and more, which you will unlock over time, and you will also unlock upgrades, which you can use to upgrade their villas to make them more comfortable and favourable. You will need to learn the different resource chains fairly quickly to make sure you’re keeping everyone happy.

For instance, wheat is ground into flour, which can then be used to make bread. Alternatively, timber can be turned into planks, which can be used to make furniture or ships, and these ships can be used for fishing and trading. While you’re learning the different resource chains, you need to ensure that each place is sufficiently staffed and has the necessary resources. 

Exploration and expansion add another layer. The world map features multiple provinces, each with its own unique climate, resources, and strategic value. You will establish new settlements, set up trade routes between regions, and manage political relationships, ensuring you’re shaping you’re empire how you need it. Combat exists, but it’s not the primary focus. I found my military units defending trade routes more than anything, but it was good to have that peace of mind when I needed it. 

These styles of games are generally based around PC, but I was super surprised by the precision it had on the PS5. The control scheme is streamlined and intuitive, allowing you to manage your bustling province without feeling constrained. The radial menus provide quick access to construction options, resources, and city management tools. The camera controls were smooth and responsive, allowing for panning, rotation, and zooming, which felt natural and intuitive.

Key functions, such as snapping buildings to roads or managing production chains and reviewing locations, were all extremely simple and made the experience super enjoyable on the PS5. While veteran Anno players may still find a mouse and keyboard faster, the PS5 control setup is one of the most refined I have played in a long time with this style of game. 

I was blown away by the significant visual step forward from the previous game. The game’s signature city-building detail is intact. It looks more immersive than ever, with bustling forums, densely packed insulae, sprawling farmlands, and ornate temples, all rendered with high-fidelity textures and meticulous environmental design.

I was blown away by the lighting and shadow work, with sunlight glinting off the sides of buildings or enveloping them in shadows. Additionally, when the sun sets and the moon rises, the flicker of torches lights up the buildings. Things like the weather effects create the perfect scene for the Mediterranean coastline. 

I’m not one for classical music, but the Anno 117: Pax Romana soundtrack has some orchestral arrangements that create this calming, ambient sound while you’re focusing on building and planning or if there is some military or political drama, it becomes a little more abrupt, so then you know something is about to go down. It supports the game’s pace perfectly, and not once did I think I needed to turn the audio off in the game and boot up Spotify. I did like that when you zoomed in, you could hear the citizens rolling around making some ambient noises, which made the game feel a little more alive. 

Anno 117: Pax Romana stands out as a confident and compelling evolution of the franchise, successfully transporting the series into the Roman era without losing the economic depth and city-building sophistication that define Anno. Ubisoft Mainz has delivered an experience that is both familiar to long-time fans and inviting to newcomers. The PS5 version demonstrates how well a traditionally PC-focused title can adapt to console without compromising on its complexity or control.

Written by: Hayden Nelson