Okay, so I’ve played Anno 117: Pax Romana again, and guess what? I’m still trash at it. I thought I was hot stuff because I once beat Candy Crush without spending money, but this game is like, “Hold my beer (or, like, my amphora of lukewarm Roman wine).” I’ve wasted another 10-15 hours of my precious life on this thing, and I’m not even remotely competent. But hey, at least it’s PRETTY while I fail miserably 🤩. Can’t wait to waste a hundred more hours, send help! 🆘
First off, I played this masterpiece on my ROG Xbox Ally X (because I’m a fancy gamer like that 💅) and on my PC with an NVIDIA GeForce 4080 (because I need all the frames, duh 🙄). And let me tell you, this game is GORGEOUS. Even on the “less powerful” Ally X (which is still probably better than your rig, let’s be real 😜), it looks amazing. But on PC? Oh honey, I was zooming in to watch my little peasants chop wood like it was the most exciting thing ever! It’s not as smooth on the handheld, but who cares? If you can run this game in 4K, do it. Your eyeballs will thank you. Your sanity? Maybe not so much 🤪.
I already bored you with the basics in my first preview (which you should totally read if you want to feel superior to me 😎), so I won’t repeat myself. Just know that it involves resources, villagers, and me making terrible decisions. This time, I got to play more of the campaign and mess around in sandbox mode (which is basically the game saying, “Here, do whatever, I dare you to not screw it up” 😈).
“I am still in awe of how truly stunning Anno 117: Pax Romana is.”
In the campaign, you’re building stuff while following a story. Groundbreaking, I know 🤯. You can play as Marcia Tertia, who’s supposed to get married and be quiet (ugh, BORING 😴), or Marcus Naukratius, who’s rebellious and gets put to work (sounds more fun, tbh 😈). I chose Marcia because #girlboss, even though she probably spends most of her time embroidering or something 🙄.
I gotta say, the story in Anno 117: Pax Romana is surprisingly dramatic. I was expecting some political intrigue, but it’s basically a soap opera with togas. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s a little over-the-top. Like, who needs Days of Our Lives when you have ancient Rome? 🎭 There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Marcia, and honestly, I’m kind of hooked (even if it’s just to see how ridiculous it gets 😂).
I feel like the story is kind of half-baked, though. In Marcia’s case, there’s this one quest that’s basically someone asking “are we there yet?” over and over. Seriously, it’s the most annoying thing ever 😫. Hopefully, the tasks get more meaningful later on. But hey, at least it’ll keep me busy while I avoid real life 😜.
Sandbox mode is where I ended up spending most of my time in Anno 117: Pax Romana—which is weird because I usually hate that kind of freedom. Even without a story, the game still has a progression system. You need wood to build houses, which attracts villagers (the Liberti). Then you have to meet their needs to make them happy and upgrade their houses to attract more villagers (the Plebeians). It’s like The Sims but with more aqueducts and less pool ladder removal 😈. I thought the campaign would be the best way to learn the game, but sandbox mode is where I really leveled up my noob skills. I learned twice as much in the same amount of time 🤓.
So, what did I learn? I have no idea. Just kidding! (Sort of.) I managed to build a town with hundreds of people, build ships, explore new islands, and start new towns. And then I forgot to pause the game and everyone on my first island DIED. 💀 Lesson learned: always pause. We’re still in mourning 😭.
Something I’m looking forward to in Anno 117: Pax Romana is figuring out the different ways to be a terrible ruler. Right now, I’m just gathering resources myself, like some kind of digital lumberjack 🪓. I want to try trade routes and see if I can actually manage an economy without collapsing it. After all, I did just lose an entire population because I’m incompetent 🤷♀️.
“I am learning that the Anno series will humble those who deem themselves strategy or city-building aficionados.”
Seriously, this game is like, “You think you’re good? Think again, loser!” 😂 Anno 117: Pax Romana tends to leave you in the dark. I play with the tutorial on, and I STILL learn new things every time I play (even about stuff I’ve done a million times). But when things go wrong (like when everyone dies), the tutorial is useless. It’s like, “Oops, sorry, you’re on your own!” 🤦♀️
The worst part is the ship battles and the military. I got pulled into a sea fight and had no idea what to do. My ship just fired randomly, and I lost the battle, my ship, and a quest. Now I’m at war with another faction. Great 🙄. I’ve built an army, but I have no idea how to use it. If anyone attacks my city, I’m just going to hide under a rock and hope for the best 🙈.
Like I said, Anno 117: Pax Romana is all about balance. Balancing citizens, resources, trade, enemies, and allies. My goals for the full release are to learn how to fight, decorate my city (it’s currently the most boring place on Earth 😴), and master trade routes. Maybe then I’ll finally be slightly less terrible at this game 🤞.
Ubisoft’s Anno 117: Pax Romana is coming out on November 13, 2025, on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Get ready to waste your life! Just kidding…mostly 😉.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
