Anno 117: Pax Romana (PS5)

Eins der besten Annos, das mehr auf Evolution statt Revolution setzt und ein heißer Anwärter auf das Strategiespiel des Jahres ist.

Schwächen in der Erzählung der Kampagne und das überschaubare Taktieren im Kampf ändern nichts daran, dass man in dieser angenehm vielschichtigen und ebenso zugänglichen Aufbaustrategie mit einem Auge fürs Detail prachtvolle Ortschaften entwickelt.

Wenig überraschend nach unserer Preview liefert Anno 117: Pax Romana jede Menge Aufbauspielspaß. Der römisch-keltische Kulturkampf in Albion und viele kleinere Verbesserungen gegenüber den Vorgängern sind interessant und den eigenen Siedlungen beim Wachsen zusehen, Handelsrouten einrichten und sich mittels Diplomatie abzusichern unterhält für Stunden. Auch grafisch und akustisch trifft das Spiel ins Schwarze. Nur der Militärpart, die Kampagne, die inhaltlich etwas an Fahrt verliert und ein paar technische Schwächen sowie Bugs trüben den Gesamteindruck ein wenig. Aber nach weiteren drei Stunden im Endlosmodus, hat man das wieder vergessen.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is an incredibly rich historical strategy game that adapts to whatever the player needs it to be. Whether that’s a cosy city-builder offering boundless customisation, a deep economy management sim, or a competitive RTS, Ubisoft Mainz ticks all the boxes with flair.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a major achievement for Ubisoft Mainz. The Anno 1800 formula remains largely intact, expanded with streamlined processes, a system of hybrid cultures, and assets unlike we've seen in a city building game that allow players to reconstruct a dream that was Rome.

Polished city-building that goes the extra mile to create character and meaning to your block-dropping feats.

By that token, Anno 117 somehow feels like both a natural progression of the franchise that took all of the seasons of DLC and quality of life updates from the previous title and a big, bold swing to keep the title as the defining game in the genre. If you’re looking for a reason to think about the Roman Empire every day, Anno 117: Pax Romana is that. The gameplay is easy to learn but challenging to master, and in terms of bringing new audiences to Anno, I think this can do it, without overwhelming them with the systems. Still, that depth and challenge are there for those seeking it, especially for those among us with hundreds of hours in one save.

While not particularly revolutionary, there's a lot to like about Anno 117. If you get your teeth into the game's complexity, you'll find yourself investing a lot of time into spreading Roman ways across your islands and growing your settlements from tiny villages to grand cities.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a gorgeous antique city-builder that sucked me in for dozens of hours as I planned out my next district or simply watched the bustle along my aqueduct-accented boulevards.