Anno 117: Pax Romana Preview - We built Rome (and ran out of money) in a day

When you think back to the Roman Empire - and apparently many of us do from time-to-time - it is often the murder of Caesar, gladiatorial battles, or a centurion dressed for war that comes to mind. Similarly, the many games set in this era, such as Ryse: Son of Rome and Rome: Total War, often focuses on conflict and dramatic intrigue in the heart of the empire.

The upcoming strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana takes a different approach. As the name more than suggests, the developers from Ubisoft Mainz have chosen to focus on a more peaceful and quiet period. Pax Romana, the time from 27 BC to 180 AC, is considered the Roman Golden Age. The mighty empire encompassed the entire Mediterranean, and the cities enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and political stability. In line with the DNA of the Anno series, the upcoming game is therefore more about building and developing your own city rather than destroying your neighbours.

In our preview, we land on an idyllic and remote island in the fictional province of Latium, far from the centre of power in Rome. Luckily, we're not some poor shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe that have to build everything from scratch. No, we're a young and ambitious governor with a bag full of shining denarii and our ships are loaded with workers. The goal is simple. The long abandoned island must be transformed into a modern Roman city - whatever the cost.

The very first task is to place our magnificent governor's villa. Our advisor suggests that we build the villa far from the coast, as even in the Pax Romana, war is still plentiful, and it's not inconceivable that enemy ships will one day land on our shores, once the training missions are completed. I therefore choose to hide the villa behind a large forest, while a large mountain range provides reassuring cover. However, the protective trees are soon chopped down, as I am immediately instructed to build a woodcutter and a sawmill. Progress is underway.

I quickly learn that having efficient chains of production is key in the detailed city builder. Natural resource extraction facilities such as mines, fishing camps, and fields must be located near, not only the resources in question, but also the relevant production facilities such as foundries, salt works, and bakeries. All of these facilities also need to be connected by small dirt roads so that both processed goods and resources can be transported to warehouses and trading stations.

At first it's easy enough, but as I start to produce more, the complexity increases. As an inexperienced player - both in terms of the Anno series and the genre itself - I really appreciate the well-designed interface that groups buildings according to the products they produce. If I want to make a tunic, I simply click on the item and through a new pop-up menu I can create both a hemp field for the raw materials and a spinner for the processing. Especially towards the end of the preview, where I produce more complex goods and building materials such as soap, sandals, and cement, this grouping is welcome.

So far, I have ignored the most important aspects of building a city - the workers themselves. Without strong hands and smart minds, not much happens in your Roman province. Unfortunately, it's not only in this article that I've neglected my citizens a bit; it also happens during my preview session. To begin with, I simply build too few houses and quickly suffer from a huge labour shortage. So I hastily erect a number of simple dwellings and also construct inns and markets to slightly improve the quality of life.

The latter, the quality of life, is essential. Not only to keep the citizens happy so they are productive and don't rise up in rebellion, but also because it is possible to upgrade individual households from liberti (freed slaves or lower class) to plebeia (middle class) when all the relevant needs are met. Citizens of the second tier let you produce a range of more complex products such as bread, vases, and sandals, as well as construct temples, libraries, and ships for exploration and trade.

After slowly expanding my city and getting a good mix of workers for the different professions, I hit a bit of a roadblock. I want to attract the most advanced workers: the scientific experts and skilled masters needed to make cement and produce wine. To do so, I have to satisfy the middle class with luxury goods such as olive oil or vases. However, my island has neither the soil for olive groves nor the resin needed for advanced pottery.

Until now, I have barely noticed the small mini-map at the bottom left of the screen, which clearly shows that my little island is just a small part of a larger archipelago. But now there's no way round it. I must set sail and head for - if not distant shores - then at least the neighbouring islands.

Trade and diplomacy will undoubtedly play a big part in the full game, but I only got to dip my toes. Several of the icons for trading consist of unfinished placeholders, and my advisors, who have guided me through most aspects of the game, are remarkably quiet on this point. That being said, I haven't watched both Wall Street 1 and 2 for nothing, so I eventually manage to trade some surplus wood for a series of elaborate vases.

With imported luxury goods in the local markets, I can now attract the highly educated citizens I need to take the next steps. I start planting vineyards, construct a concrete mixer, and even reward myself for a job well done with an addition to my governor's mansion, that lets me hire specialists who provide various benefits.

The attentive reader may have noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about the economy, so far. There is a reason for this. From the very first moment, my city has been running short on money, and generous loans from my friends in Rome and a governor on a neighbouring island have only managed to slow down the inevitable disaster. Yes, I've managed to build a Roman province in a single day, but I also tanked the economy. Despite a good tutorial and a well-designed interface, Anno 117: Pax Romana is still a pretty difficult game, and I'm sure that experienced players will be relieved to know there is plenty of challenge.

My four hours as a Roman governor were quite stressful, despite the sometimes slow pace and the idyllic surroundings. This was due not only to money issues, but also to the many pros and cons that you have to constantly weigh with each decision. For example, locating forges and factories close to residential areas seemed a good idea initially, but proved quite bad for fire safety.

When houses weren't burning, the workers rose up in (understandable) protest against my not too successful regime. It didn't help that - due to the aforementioned economic challenges - I had consistently prioritised short-term revenue over the welfare of my citizens when my advisors confronted me with dilemmas and political decisions, which happened quite regularly.

These kinds of dilemmas are one way the game continually throws a spanner in the works and keeps you on your toes. Another way is through missions that you can find around the map. I saved a young man from pirates by bribing them with goods (he later became my advisor in the villa), and by working as a ferryman and postman for some high-ranking citizens, I improved my diplomatic relations with the neighbouring islands.

There is rarely a quiet moment in the life of a Roman governor, but I would still recommend you take the time to admire your surroundings. Anno 117: Pax Romana has a beautiful presentation that lives up to Ubisoft's usual attention to detail. Character portraits, for example, are expressive and strike the right balance between realism and comic book style, although I would have liked a little more variety. Perhaps this will be improved in the final release.

I was pleasantly surprised by the many details and the subtle humour you notice when leaving the bird's eye view zooming in on the individual household or citizen. For example, one worker whose house was on fire, exclaimed "I'm burning like the Olympic Torch," while another dryly stated: "They say every road leads to Rome, but I'm going nowhere" (I had forgotten to connect his house to the rest of the city with roads).

If you really want to become one with the people, you can even press a hotkey and see your city's bustling life from a first-person street-level perspective. But remember - keep and eye on your finances!

Hopefully, you can avoid repeating my mistakes when Anno 117: Pax Romana releases for Xbox Series S/X, PS5, and PC later this year.