Anno 117: Pax Romana – Finally continue playing the Gamescom highlight at home!

The demo has started – and I couldn't wait!

After my first impressive impressions at Gamescom in Cologne, it's finally clear: Today, on 2 September Starts the playable demo of Anno 117: Pax Romana! Having already had a first look at the new building strategy game at the Ubisoft booth in Hall 6, I am really looking forward to finally being able to immerse myself in the world of ancient Rome at home.

My Gamescom experience: A taste of great

Already at the fair it was noticeable: Anno 117 is definitely one of the highlights of this gamescom! The queue at the Ubisoft booth was long, but the wait was absolutely worth it. What you could play there was only a small foretaste – but it clearly exceeded expectations once again.

The atmosphere of ancient Rome was already perfectly captured in the short season. The detailed graphics, the authentic music and the familiar Anno gameplay in a completely new historical setting - that immediately captivated me. No wonder that the game was one of the absolute flagship titles of the fair!

What can we expect in the demo?

From 2 to 16 September We can all use the demo for free. Steam, Epic Games Store or Ubisoft Connect Download and play. There are a few important details to consider:

The most important demo features:

• Each game is limited to one hour.
• Unlimited restarts possible
• Available for 14 days, then no longer playable
• First choice between two equivalent political groups

Romans or Celts? A fascinating innovation!

What particularly excites me: Anno 117 breaks with a long-standing tradition of the series and offers for the first time two full-fledged political groups to choose from. After I had already gotten a first impression of the Romans at Gamescom, I am now particularly excited about the Celts in the Albion region.

The Celts offer a fascinating freedom of choice: As a player, I can either preserve the Celtic traditions or enforce Roman customs. Each faction has its own tech and religious trees with different bonuses – that promises enormous replay value!

Particularly clever: In the course of a game, I can basically unlock both factions. Creative Director Manuel Reinher also assured that you can easily stay with only one faction without being completely excluded from the progress of the game.

Why I'll give myself at least two demo runs

With the one-hour limit per run, Ubisoft cleverly plans: It is definitely worth starting at least two games – once as a Roman, once as a Celt. After my Gamescom experience, I can say that while an hour goes by quickly, it's enough to get a good feel for the innovations and gameplay.

The unlimited restarts are a curse and blessing for Anno fans who would like to experiment and try out different strategies. So you can explore in peace the differences at the beginning of the game between the factions and prepare optimally for the release, how these decisions in the later course of the game will affect, but remains completely open with the limitation to one hour.

The countdown to release is ongoing

Until the official release on 13 November Although it is still a bit over, but the demo will definitely sweeten the waiting time. From what I saw at Gamescom, I'm sure: Anno 117: Pax Romana becomes a worthy successor to the grandiose Anno 1800.

The mix of proven Anno gameplay and the fascinating setting of ancient Rome, combined with the innovative two-fraction system, promises hours of fun. The attention to detail, which I have already been able to admire as a zaungast of the short Gamescom sessions, gives me hope for a truly extraordinary gaming experience.

In case you can't play yourself right now, whether it's because of the hardware or because you're on the go or for whatever reason, Take a look at Twitch. Over the next two weeks, there will definitely be a lot of Anno 117 playing once.

My conclusion: Don't forget to play the demo!

If you are still undecided: Use the next two weeks and try to your heart's content! After my first impressions at Gamescom, I can highly recommend the demo. It's the perfect opportunity to get an idea of this promising title for yourself.

For me personally, it's the perfect timing: I can finally deepen what I was able to do at Gamescom. The anticipation of the November release will certainly only increase with the demo – but I am happy to take this opportunity to immerse myself in the world of Anno 117 already now!