Comparison: Anno 117: Pax Romana brings Roman management to controllers
The first entry in the series available on consoles at launch, Anno 117 delivers on its economic core but splits its usual PC crowd a bit more than expected.
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Running intricate Roman supply chains with a controller sounded unlikely on paper, but Ubisoft Mainz has built the first Anno genuinely designed for something other than mouse and keyboard.
Still sharp production management
Production chains remain the series’ great strength: keeping a city stocked in oil, wine, or weapons demands real trade-offs, and the new diplomacy and inter-province warfare systems add a welcome layer of strategy over previous entries. The console interface, meanwhile, holds up better than expected.
A cooler reception on PC
On Steam, player reception is more mixed (around 65% positive) than the critical response, with some series veterans pointing to a slower-starting progression curve and a few early-game balance rough edges still worth ironing out.
Verdict
Solid Roman management and a genuine technical win on consoles, even if the series’ PC veterans will need a little more time to be won over.
