Anno 117: Pax Romana gameplay trailer breakdown

The highly awaited gameplay trailer for Anno 117: Pax Romana has been unveiled. Developed and published by Ubisoft, Anno 117 is a real-time strategy city-building game set during the events of the Roman Empire in 117 AD. In this title, players take on the role of a Roman governor and must form an empire by building, trading, and expanding their cities.

The Anno 117: Pax Romana gameplay trailer revealed new details that players can expect once the game comes out in the winter of 2025. Here's a concise breakdown of the gameplay trailer.

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Anno 117: Pax Romana gameplay trailer — Key highlights

Anno 117: Pax Romana gameplay trailer has been released on the Ubisoft channel. Here are all the major details featured in the official showcase:

Setting and background

Ports in Anno 117: Pax Romana (Images via Ubisoft)

The trailer showcases the Pax Romana, a period in the Roman Empire characterized by peace and prosperity. Players assume the role of a Roman governor responsible for creating and managing cities in the Latium province. The trailer presents an environment featuring stunning Roman architecture, such as Colosseums, aqueducts, and forums, alongside lush green landscapes including coastal ports, olive groves, and rolling hills.

The trailer highlighted the challenges that the governor has to deal with to maintain prosperity while also addressing issues like invasions, politics, and rebellions. Furthermore, the trailer emphasizes historical accuracy, featuring Latin phrases and period aesthetics that enhance immersion.

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Building mechanics and gameplay

Building mechanics in Anno 117: Pax Romana (Images via Ubisoft)

The core gameplay of Anno 117: Pax Romana revolves around building and expanding infrastructure. Players can customize, design small villages and eventually develop them into massive cities. They can create modular buildings like apartments, villas, and temples. The trailer featured customizable ships that are used for trade expeditions and vala defense.

Governors build a complete ecosystem where wheat farms produce raw material for bakeries to create bread, or marble factories facilitate building construction. The trailer showcased several classes where citizens are divided into tiers, like plebians, patricians, or sailors who engage in their specific line of expertise.

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Diplomacy and trade

Trade in Anno 117: Pax Romana (Images via Ubisoft)

Trade is an important mechanic in-game, which is showcased by the depiction of ports used to transport materials like olive oil, garum, and wine across the empire. Players can strengthen their relations by building trade routes with foreign provinces using their ships.

The game also teaches diplomacy, where players can form alliances and bonds or engage in struggles. The trailer showcased a scene where a governor bribes an enemy faction, which is an example of shallow diplomacy. Anno 117 is not limited to inner conflicts and includes dynamic world events like resource shortages and pirate raids that could impact trade relations.

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Combat

Combat in Anno 117: Pax Romana (Images via Ubisoft)

Contrary to previous games in the Anno franchise, Anno 117: Pax Romana features land-based military units, including legionaries and reserve units, along with naval forces. The trailer showcased a contest initiated by barbaric invaders, emphasizing tactical battles where players build and strategically place their units

The game facilitates exploration, where players can reach newer lands for resources and colonies, which are important for expanding the empire and unlocking new infrastructure. The Colosseum was featured in the trailer, acting as a means of entertainment for the masses and a key tool for influencing citizen happiness.

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Graphics and visuals

Visuals in Anno 117: Pax Romana (Images via Ubisoft)

The trailer showcased detailed buildings, dynamic weather, and day-night cycles. This title is built in Ubisoft's AnvilNext game engine, which allowed the developers to create a cinematic environment. The use of dynamic global illumination is evident through the life-like reflections and shadows visible in the scenes of dawn.

The trailer showcases immersive character models enhanced with intricate animations and textures, effectively bringing Roman citizens to life. The characters exhibit nuanced facial expressions and fluid movements, likely achieved using cutting-edge motion capture technology.

Additionally, the trailer highlights visual feedback for gameplay actions, such as the glowing resource icons, ensuring that the visuals convey relevant information without creating visual clutter.

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