The latest entry in Ubisoft's Anno series is free to play this weekend, but there's a huge catch

Released to plenty of solid critic reviews back in November, Anno 117 Pax Romana, the latest in Ubisoft's long, long line of city builder strategy games, is struggling a little in the user review department. Currently sat at 'mixed' with almost 5,000 of the things on Steam, it's far from the high point of the pre-Covid era Anno 1800 and its 11,000+ 'mostly positive' ratings. Still, likely in an attempt to turn its fortunes around and drum up interest in its newly-revealed Year 1 content pass, Anno 117: Pax Romana is set to go free for a long weekend. But unlike most free weekend events we cover here, there's a caveat.

So, what's the catch? Getting the chance to play a $60 title for the low, low price of nothing at all sounds like a sure-fire deal for a huge new city building game, right? Well, that depends on where you stand when it comes to installing a different storefront. Yes, the Anno 117 Pax Romana free weekend is locked to Ubisoft Connect - the publisher's Steam rival, which it won't stop pushing on us. In fact, you need an Ubisoft Connect account to play Anno 117 Pax Romana even through Steam. Keep that in mind.

Thankfully, that isn't the only way Ubisoft is attempting to get some eyes on the game's first annual content pack. On top of a live-action teaser that we won't take for granted at a time when even the biggest brands are embracing AI slop, anyone who's convinced to give the strategy game a go can link their Ubisoft account to Twitch to score some Anno 117 drops. By watching up to two hours of relevant content, you can unlock the Venusian Shell and Callinectes logos. Great?

Looking forward to said Year 1 content pack, the teaser apparently suggests new additions like a sprawling new island, volcanic eruptions, new deities, floods and river trading, new military units, and quite a bit more. Just remember that it'll all be spaced out across three DLC drops throughout the year. I can't believe we normalized pre-ordering DLC, but here we are.

Thinking you might give it a go? So what do we mean by a long weekend, anyway? Saying "from February 26 to March 2" makes the Anno 117: Pax Romana free weekend somehow sound like a week-long stint until you remember just how short February actually is. Yes, we're about ready to close out the second month of the year.

You have from Thursday February 26 until Monday March 2 to build your city in Anno 117, then watch it get blown to pieces, and try again. At least Spring is right around the corner. I really don't mind the gloomier months speeding on by, and a city builder is always one of the best ways to run out the clock.