Prophecies of Ash, Anno 117 Pax Romana’s first DLC is better than the haters give it credit for

I’ve fallen down the Anno 117: Pax Romana rabbit hole this year, despite the negative buzz around it. Steam reviews and the Reddit consensus hold that 117 is empty, dull, and generally just less than its predecessor, Anno 1800. I can sort of see why. Quite a few elements seem like they’re waiting for future add-ons to come alive and wake them up. But I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly, so when I saw the “mostly negative” reviews for Anno 117‘s first big DLC, Prophecies of Ash, I figured I’d give it a try, despite the haters. I’m glad I did. An inaugural bit of DLC can’t fix every problem. But it solves some pretty big ones, and throws a welcome wrench into the usual flow of city building.