Back to the ancient world "Anno 117: Pax Romana" - the best part of the series?

With the latest installment of its cult series, Ubisoft dares to strike a balance between tradition and innovation - and hits a nerve with strategy fans.

"Peace is not the opposite of war, but the result of control." This sentence, which captures the spirit of the Roman Empire as well as that of "Anno 117: Pax Romana", could be the motto of Ubisoft's latest construction game. From 13 November, players will once again be able to colonize islands, optimize production chains and build empires. This time as governors in ancient times.

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But what remains of a series whose last game, "Anno 1800", was already a huge success? The pressure on the developers at Ubisoft Mainz was enormous. Too big a break would have alienated fans, too little new would have caused the series to stagnate. "Anno 117: Pax Romana" chooses the middle way and creates a game that rewrites its own rules.

The spark was immediate

I was able to play an early version of "Annop 117: Pax Romana" at Gamescom in August and was already impressed. Nothing changed during the more detailed test.

At first glance, a lot seems familiar. Collecting resources, constructing buildings, fulfilling needs. But behind the apparent routine lies a profound restructuring of the system. "Anno 117" introduces diagonal building methods, flexible road networks and, for the first time, land battles - all mechanics that make the game more dynamic.

At the same time, strategic decisions gain in importance. Players determine which gods their city worships, which specialists work in the "Villa of the Praetor" and which technologies are researched. These variables interlock like cogs in an ancient clockwork mechanism. Every decision changes the balance of the game, every risk can mean prosperity or downfall.

When progress smells of leather

The environmental logic is also new: tanneries, mines and lime kilns visibly influence their surroundings. The once immaculate urban planning gives way to zone management, in which stench, fire hazards and social distancing play a role. The result is a Roman realism that goes beyond marble and splendor. An empire that also thrives on dirt, sweat and compromise.

These mechanics force us to be far-sighted. Where prosperity grows, tensions also arise. Players must weigh up whether to invest in education to promote research or in temples to secure the favor of the gods. "Anno 117" thus becomes a game about priorities and the fragile balance between expansion and stability.

Freedom has its price

With growing complexity comes greater demands. The multitude of new systems is overwhelming at the beginning, the tutorial remains superficial. If you want to succeed, you have to be allowed to fail - several times. But this is exactly where the appeal lies. "Anno 117" rewards patient experimentation and strategic thinking.

However, this freedom has a downside. While "Anno 1800" shone with clear goals and steady progress, "Anno 117" often leaves the player in the dark. The new system allows for individuality, but demands discipline. It is less of a leisurely city-building simulator and more of a political planning game with economic depth.

When, after hours of planning, a Roman metropolis grows from simple huts, when the temples shine and legions march, "Anno 117" unfolds its full fascination. The alternation between microscopic attention to detail and macro-economic foresight creates the almost meditative gaming experience that has characterized the series for decades.

And yet one question remains: how long will the concept of balancing freedom and control last? Anno 117: Pax Romana is not an overthrow, but a statement - one about the power to create order and the price of maintaining it. Perhaps the game reveals more about our present than it intends.