It has been almost 30 years since the series Anno offers a unique experience of managers of management and construction games. Six years after the last opus, Anno 1800who delighted aficionados by exploring the dawn of the industrial era, she is about to come back at the end of the year with a new episode located in the heart of a particularly fascinating period of the Roman Empire. Is there what to get excited? Here is our opinion after a few hours spent on a preliminary version of the game.
As its name suggests, Anno 117 Plant his decor at the heart of the Pax Romana, which started with the takeover of the Emperor Augustus. A rare fact in the history of this civilization, it is a period of relative peace, and this unusual stability allowed the Empire to prosper in a rather spectacular way. It is therefore an ideal decor for a new opus ofAnno.
For those who are not familiar with the series, it has always been focused on management and construction than on fighting. The gameplay loop is largely based on the construction of the infrastructure and supply chains which will allow your civilization to flourish, and the result tends to be particularly addictive: there is always a new resource to be exploited, a district to be developed, a new product to manufacture, or another decision to make.
The veterans of the series will be delighted to learn that this effective dynamic is perfectly preserved in Anno 117. Seeing his colony expand and come to life gradually remains a particularly rewarding experience, in particular thanks to the enormous efforts made by developers in terms of presentation.
A very successful artistic direction
Because the first element that strikes in Anno 117it’s the remarkable quality of the artistic direction; Ubisoft Mainz troops have definitely hit a blow. Even at an all -time quality level of quality, in 1080p – a technical limitation linked to the test format, which took place in a distance streaming -, all the elements of the game are decidedly proud. The characteristic style of the series, fundamentally realistic but elegantly stylized, works perfectly in the context of this idealized Roman Empire. Each alley overflows with life, the vegetation undulates at the whim of the wind, the craftsmen are busy in their stalls …
This concern for detail makes experience particularly immersive, and even contemplative. During our test, we surprised each other several times to zoom in on a building or a market for the simple pleasure of seeing citizens go about their occupations, like a child fascinated by the activity of an anthill. A real feast for the eyes.
Even more strategic depth
But beyond these obvious aesthetic qualities, the strategic dimension and the management of the economy remain both omnipresent and deep enough to remain captivating without harming immersion. As in previous opus, it is crucial to carefully manage your resources and priorities to maintain a certain balance, a sine qua non -non -colony so that the colony can continue to prosper. But the options seemed numerous enough to leave a lot of freedom to the player, who has plenty of time to shape his civilization according to his preferences.
We were also pleasantly surprised to note that new interesting mechanics appeared, such as religion. Shortly after the start of the game, we were able to build a temple dedicated to one of the deities of Roman worship. We opted for Ceresses, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, to obtain a substantial bonus for the productivity of our fields. But we could also have chosen others. We can cite Neptune; With the latter, our ships could have moved more quickly. A more than substantial advantage, knowing that exploration, trade and diplomacy always occupy a central place in the gameplay.
All these religions do not fundamentally modify the way of playing, but these are welcome additions which, in the long term, should help the player to diversify his experience. Even if we did not really judge during this relatively short test, it is a safe bet that these mechanics reinforce the viability of the different possible play styles, with all that that implies in terms of replayability.
A reinforced military dimension
Alternatively, we could also have chosen to devote ourselves to Mars, the god of war, which allows in particular to strengthen … his troops. Yes, you have read correctly: for the first time in the history of the series, the developers have chosen to integrate a earth combat systemand no more naval, to their game.
Anno 117 will indeed allow to recruit and deploy the famous Roman legions to extend its territory. Please note, however: that does not mean thatAnno 117 will get closer to the formula of conventional RTS, way Age of Empires. These fights will in no case be compulsory. But this option will undoubtedly add a welcome layer of additional complexity, especially when you know the importance of conquests in the trajectory of the Roman Empire. We can’t wait to see how this new system will integrate into the historical foundations of the series.
Conclusion
This short preview did not give us time to study all the mechanics in depth, far from it. It is typically the kind of game that takes a lot of time and investment to be appreciated at its fair value, and it is a safe bet that certain changes have completely escaped us.
But overall, it is clear that this taste turned out to be very enticing. It is always as easy to get caught up in this simulation which, failing to be perfectly realistic, remains absolutely captivating – by the freedom it offers to the player, but also thanks to its aesthetic qualities. We are already looking forward to seeing if this impression will continue beyond the first hours once the game released, in which case we could be dealing with the best title in the history of the franchise.
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