Anno 117 - Pax Romana Preview: A new age of exploration to look forward to

Anno 117 - Pax Romana is developed by Ubisoft Mainz and published by Ubisoft. Much like its critically acclaimed predecessor, Anno 1800, it has all the bells and whistles you could want from a sim; the key difference being that instead of exploring the New World, you're developing parts of the Roman Empire this time around.

From organizing logistical chains, placing buildings that will benefit one another, and ensuring your citizens are fed and watered, mastering the art of Roman greatness is something to marvel at. That said, let's dive into this preview.

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Anno 117 - Pax Romana: First impressions and gameplay

Anno 117 - Pax Romana is truly beautiful (Image via Ubisoft)

Much like its predecessor, Anno 117 - Pax Romana has a storyline, and not one but protagonists you can choose, and having said that, I went with Marcia. If you've played any of the other Anno games, you won't have trouble figuring out how things work. If you're a newcomer, I'd say it's easy enough to navigate and figure out how things work.

What really stands out instantly is how pretty Anno 117 - Pax Romana is. Truly, the developers have cooked up one of the most beautiful Anno games I've played in a while. When I say "beautiful," I don't just mean the scenery, but how everything plays out.

Tooltips in Anno 117 - Pax Romana are amazing (Image via Ubisoft)

For instance, tooltips are incredibly useful this time around. They provide you with in-depth details about production time, resources, and everything in between. For new players, this is going to be incredibly useful.

Coming to the main aspect of the game, which is building and overseeing a city, it's entertaining. Since I've spent a good amount of time playing Anno 1800, this feels like home, but to be more accurate, it feels like a Roman Holiday (pun intended).

Advancing through the ages in Anno 117 - Pax Romana (Image via Ubisoft)

Getting started is easy, and learning how to go about city planning gets easier as you progress. However, as with all simulation/city-building games, new buildings unlock as you progress through the different stages of development, and at times, you'll need to replan all over again. This is an issue if you're running low on funds, but it's a fundamental part of the game.

Between setting up districts to optimize production and ensuring your civilians have a "safe" space of their own, away from the dust and pollution of industry will be important to maintain. If not properly set up, your city may cave in on itself due to negative growth factors, which would really be horrible.

Anno 117 - Pax Romana's storyline has a light undertone (Image via Ubisoft)

Coming to the storyline, I'm yet to explore it to the fullest extent, but I must say that it is exciting and rather thrilling to be put in the shoes of Marcia and see how her life as an overseer plays out. Much like Anno 1800, there are small events that occur as well. I've had a few occur during my playthrough, and while they are small, they do impact gameplay to a certain degree.

All in all, I'm yet to truly brush past the opening hours of the game, but so far, things have been rather calm, and I'm looking forward to some aggressive expansion. That being said, Anno 117 - Pax Romana is brilliant, and I'm really eager to see how far I get on my first playthrough without having to start over.

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Performance and sound

Anno 117 - Pax Romana, provided by Ubisoft, was played on a system having the following configuration:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• GPU: RTX 3070 8GB
• RAM: 32 GB

Over the course of my playthrough, I encountered no bugs or stutter. Everything worked as intended. Of course, I'm yet to cover my entire island with structures to push the game to its limits or settle other islands for resources. That said, until now, things have been great.

In terms of sound and music, as always, the developers have delivered. Everything sounds great and really makes for an immersive all-around experience.

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In conclusion

I've spent a few hours playing and getting accustomed to it, and I must say, I am truly impressed by everything that Anno 117 - Pax Romana is and will become with time. I look forward to the years of content that will be developed, but before all of that, I look forward to completing a playthrough and experiencing everything the game has to offer.

As it stands, Anno 117 - Pax Romana is brilliant, bold, and beautiful in every way. I look forward to continuing my campaign and ensuring that the might of my Roman Empire stands the test of time.

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Reviewed on: PC

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Developer: Ubisoft Mainz

Publisher: Ubisoft

Release: November 13, 2025