Anno 117: Pax Romana

🔥 What is Anno 117: Pax Romana for PC

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a historical city-building and economic simulation game developed by Ubisoft Mainz, the studio behind Anno 1800, and published by Ubisoft. Set during the height of the Roman Empire, the game transports players to the year 117 AD a time of apparent peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana, yet filled with underlying political intrigue, cultural diversity, and social complexity. It represents a bold new chapter in the Anno series, combining its signature mechanics of trade, expansion, and production chains with a fully Roman flavor of governance, infrastructure, and empire-building.

Players take the role of a Roman governor tasked with managing provinces at the edges of the empire, balancing imperial demands from Rome with the needs and traditions of local populations. Whether ruling in the lush and civilized heartlands of Latium or the wild and untamed regions of Albion, your leadership decisions will shape both the prosperity of your citizens and the legacy of Rome itself.

In true Anno tradition, Pax Romana emphasizes both economic depth and aesthetic immersion. Every road, aqueduct, villa, and marketplace is designed to reflect the grandeur and organization of Roman engineering, while each decision political or moral ripples across the entire province. The game doesn’t just let you build cities; it lets you manage the soul of an empire.

👉 Features of Anno 117: Pax Romana

Dual-Province Campaign

One of the standout features of Anno 117 is its dual-province system, which allows players to build and govern in two dramatically different environments: the Mediterranean heartlands and the misty northern frontier of Albion. Each province has unique resources, challenges, and cultural tensions that affect trade and diplomacy.

In Latium, players will deal with urban planning, senate politics, and high-density trade routes, while in Albion, survival depends on diplomacy with local tribes and mastery of resource extraction in a rugged, untamed land. Both provinces are interconnected, enabling trade and cooperation between regions under your control.

Deep Socio-Political Systems

Anno 117 introduces a new social and political layer that mirrors the Roman concept of order and control. Players must manage Roman citizens, provincial locals, and slaves, each with distinct needs and moral implications. This creates a dynamic and morally challenging management experience, where prosperity often comes at the cost of cultural friction or social inequality.

As your city grows, you’ll also navigate senate decrees, taxes, rebellions, and decrees from the emperor himself. Political prestige becomes as important as economic wealth, forcing you to weigh reputation against efficiency in every decision.

Cultural Integration and Religion

Religion and culture play a far greater role in Pax Romana than in previous Anno titles. Players can choose to integrate conquered peoples peacefully through trade and education, or impose Romanization through strict governance and architecture. Temples, forums, and amphitheaters help maintain stability, but neglecting cultural harmony can lead to unrest or rebellion.

Religious festivals and philosophical schools add both visual and mechanical depth, influencing happiness and productivity while immersing the player in the spiritual life of ancient Rome.

Complex Trade and Economy

Economy remains at the heart of the experience, with complex production chains reflecting Roman craftsmanship and logistics. You’ll oversee the trade of wine, olive oil, marble, iron, and textiles, while ensuring your legions are supplied and your citizens entertained.

Roads, ports, and aqueducts serve as the veins of your empire, demanding careful planning to sustain efficient commerce. Sea routes connect the far corners of the empire, and players must manage both domestic production and international trade with neighboring provinces or allies.

Living Roman World

Every settlement in Anno 117 feels alive, with bustling markets, patrolling soldiers, and citizens reacting to your policies. Seasonal changes, festivals, and dynamic weather add realism to your empire’s growth. From chariot races in grand arenas to small rituals in rural shrines, every detail contributes to a vibrant, living world.

Dynamic events, such as barbarian raids, senate investigations, or natural disasters, ensure that no campaign ever feels static or predictable.

Gameplay

City-Building and Infrastructure

The foundation of Anno 117 lies in its deep and flexible city-building systems. You’ll plan your urban centers with Roman efficiency, constructing aqueducts for water distribution, forums for public life, and villas for the wealthy elite.

Each building type interacts with the environment in meaningful ways: farms require fertile land, quarries depend on mountain access, and luxurious baths demand a constant water supply. Balancing infrastructure and aesthetics becomes a strategic art form that defines the success of your cities.

Economic and Military Balance

While the game primarily focuses on trade and development, military presence remains essential to protect borders and maintain order. Players can station legions, build fortifications, and manage garrisons, though full-scale wars are less common than targeted skirmishes or defensive conflicts.

The economic system ties directly to your military logistics, as supplying troops with weapons and provisions drains your city’s output. Strategic planning and resource management become vital, especially when distant provinces demand constant supervision.

Diplomacy and Provincial Politics

Diplomacy has been expanded to include not only foreign tribes but also Roman political factions and rival governors. You can forge alliances, bribe officials, or manipulate senate votes to gain imperial favor.

Your choices influence story events, opening paths toward either benevolent governance or ruthless exploitation. Reputation and legacy now serve as long-term systems that persist beyond individual campaigns, encouraging replayability with different moral and political alignments.

Progression and Exploration

Players are encouraged to expand and explore rather than simply build. Hidden ruins, trade secrets, and cultural relics lie scattered throughout the provinces, rewarding those who invest in scouts and explorers.

Each discovery enhances your empire’s prestige and unlocks new architectural options, decorative styles, or resource bonuses that deepen your city’s identity.

Graphics

Authentic Roman Aesthetic

Anno 117 showcases a stunning artistic recreation of the Roman Empire’s architectural brilliance. The design team emphasizes authenticity, ensuring every structure from aqueducts to temples reflects historical engineering and material use.

Sunlight glinting off marble roofs, dust drifting through crowded marketplaces, and smoke rising from forges combine to form an atmosphere that feels both cinematic and lived-in. The game’s world feels ancient yet vibrant, brimming with life and motion.

Environmental Diversity

The dual setting of Latium and Albion provides striking environmental contrast. Latium offers golden hillsides, blue seas, and grand coastal cities, while Albion’s forests and moors are misty, rugged, and wild.

Each biome affects gameplay differently: fertile regions produce abundant crops, while harsher climates demand careful adaptation. Visual variety ensures each session feels unique and regionally distinct.

Lighting, Animation, and Detail

Modern lighting effects and particle systems bring unprecedented realism to Anno’s visuals. Torches flicker at night, marble reflects warm sunlight, and storms roll across the landscape with immersive drama.

Citizens move naturally, interacting with the environment farmers till soil, merchants argue, soldiers patrol walls creating an unbroken illusion of daily Roman life. The camera system allows close inspection of details, letting players appreciate every texture and animation up close.

Performance and Accessibility

Ubisoft Mainz continues the series’ tradition of technical excellence, with scalable graphics options and optimized performance for PC players. Adjustable interfaces, detailed overlays, and accessibility features make the experience both beautiful and manageable.

Whether running on ultra settings or a modest build, Pax Romana maintains smooth frame rates and crisp visuals, preserving immersion without sacrificing detail.

Pros and Cons

✔️ Pros

• Deep and morally engaging political system reflecting Roman governance.
• Dual-province structure offering unique geographical and cultural diversity.
• Detailed and historically authentic architecture and city design.
• Complex trade networks and production systems with real economic weight.
• Dynamic events and living world that react to player choices.

❌ Cons

• Potentially steep learning curve for newcomers to the Anno series.
• Political management systems may feel overwhelming without clear tutorials.
• Limited large-scale warfare may disappoint players seeking constant conflict.
• Performance demands may be high on lower-end hardware.