Ubisoft just announced the latest entry in the Anno city building franchise with Anno 117: Pax Romana which seemingly has a major focus on ancient Rome and will come in 2025.
During Ubisoft Forward, the video game studio revealed a short live-action trailer that probably disappointed some fans who were looking forward to seeing some gameplay or cinematic footage of the game itself. This is particularly true for a series that is popular for its beauty and aesthetic.
New Anno Game Announced
(Photo : Ubisoft / Screenshot taken from official website)
What fans were shown, on the other hand, is a public herald, known as a praeco, who in ancient Roman times would orate messages aloud for an audience. This was done while they were pantomiming.
The developers working on Anno 117: Pax Romana at Ubisoft talked a little bit about the upcoming game. They noted that the praeco would actually appear within the game itself as part of the title.
A previous report also said that players would be able to play as a Roman governor who was dispatched to manage provinces outside of Rome. These include "the Celtic Wetlands of Albion and the traditional Roman heartlands called Latium," according to PCGamer.
Despite the Anno series being relatively niche in the video game industry, it is one of Ubisoft's longest-running franchises. In the two and a half decades since it was first launched, there have already been seven games released.
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The latest entry in the franchise was Anno 1800 which was launched in 2019 and has since been receiving various content expansions. These have dragged out the game's life much longer than other games in the series.
But now, Ubisoft has decided to announce a completely brand-new game in the franchise to revitalize players' love for the series. Taking place in ancient Rome means that Anno 117: Pax Romana is set the farthest back in history out of all the games in the series.
A Focus on Ancient Rome
While the studio confirmed that the game is set to release next year, it did not provide any specific date. Additionally, it said that Anno 117: Pax Romana will be available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, said TheGamer.
Ubisoft is definitely trying to make the game's objective of "maintaining peace" a fun and rewarding challenge for players to overcome. One of the ways that this can be done is by allowing players to choose their starting province, which is a first for the franchise.
The first province that was revealed, Albion, is described as a land that is filled with mysteries where no civilized Roman wants to be. On the other hand, Latium is said to be "close to the hungry heart" of the Empire and will give players that more traditional Roman feel.
While these two regions may be different lands, you will ultimately be able to connect all of them together under one banner. Anno 117: Pax Romana will keep many of the franchise's pillars that fans have come to love.
These include a "unique mix of traditional city building, deep economic simulation, and 4X features such as diplomacy, military, and narrative layers," according to IGN.
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