People often ask me why I like playing strategy games. The answer lies in the beauty of creating a well-oiled machine. Though the genre hardly fulfills the quick shots of adrenaline from playing competitive shooters or sports games, there’s still a palpable satisfaction in creating something that works. If you’re still on the fence, Anno 117: Pax Romana serves up an easily digestible experience even for those who are new to the genre.

What’s in a strategy game?

Have you ever built a Lego Technic set, tried knitting, or did a home improvement project on your own? A proper strategy game scratches the same itch: the desire to cobble together smaller into a beautiful product.

In Anno 117, you find yourself beginning a new life as a fledgling governor of a Roman province during a time of relative peace. The game begins, as they all do, with a blank slate. You land on your chosen island, build a few houses to start a small town, and send your villagers off chopping wood and gathering food. When you’ve gathered enough materials, you unlock a new tier of buildings and requirements. Grow big enough again, and you expand to more islands. Then, it’s all rinse and repeat.

The goal, of course, is to build a thriving Roman city that will make neighboring governors jealous. And jealous, they will be. When you butt heads enough, rival leaders can send sorties against you, necessitating you to build an army of your own.

In this way, Anno 117 is all about balancing resources and managing problems across your territories.

The interface is your friend

When you begin your first game, you might get overwhelmed with how little Anno 117 holds your hand. Besides a small introductory pop-up, you’re mostly left to fend for yourself. At first, I thought that this system was oppressive. I just wanted to play the game, not pore over menus.

But that was before I figured out the other element of the game’s magic. Besides managing resources, it’s all about discovering what’s next. The game cleverly hides your next goal by keeping it hidden from view, as opposed to just locking everything with gray locks. When you first start a game, you will have access to buildings corresponding to the first tier of citizens. To even see what the next tier of citizen is, you need to make the preceding tier happy enough with their respective set of needs and luxuries.

This is such an impressive system. While all the different problems keep me busy short-term, the desire to see what else I can unlock keeps me engaged for the long haul.

And it’s not just the different tiers of citizens and buildings, either. Anno 117 also has one of the most extensive tech trees I’ve seen in a game. Calling it a tree or a web is an understatement. There are dozens of technologies you can unlock, and it will take dozens of hours to complete.

Likewise, there’s a religion system that unlocks new benefits based on how many patrons your chosen god has.

In Anno 117, there’s always something new to unlock. Don’t let the starting interface fool you; the game is surprisingly robust and expansive.

Two regions push the boundaries of difficulty

As with other Anno games, Anno 117 features more than one region to develop. To begin with, players have a choice between Latium and Albion. Latium is the Roman-centric region of abundance where most of the neighboring governors are friendly. Albion, on the other hand, is harsher and filled with Celts who don’t always agree with the encroachment of Romans.

Each region has its own challenges, even if Latium is generally a relaxing experience. Personally, I prefer how laidback Latium is, but Albion’s challenges are still just as tantalizing.

The challenge, however, is balancing the two regions together. You can build both regions at the same time. Naturally, the goal is to create a self-running engine that you don’t need to supervise the entire time. The journey is excruciating, though. Often, while you’re in the zone building on Latium, an emergency in Albion ruins your concentration and demands your attention. It doesn’t help that there’s a lengthy loading screen when switching regions.

Thankfully, maintaining colonies in both regions isn’t a requirement. You can easily stay in Latium exclusively without disappointing your citizens.

Also, this won’t be the final lineup. Like the previous Anno 1800, Ubisoft already has a roadmap in place for more content and, presumably, more regions.

An incomplete campaign ruins the story

To be transparent, this is my first Anno game. My natural inclination is to start the campaign. It starts off with a fairly compelling premise. First, you can pick between two characters: Marcus and Marcia. While the broad strokes of their respective campaigns remain the same, there’s just enough difference to differentiate between the two.

For example, Marcus is tasked with proving his worth as a governor to his politician father. He helps build the city of Julianus and ingratiates himself with Emperor Lucius and his family. However, a tragedy forces him to the hostile lands of Albion.

On the other hand, as if in a different universe, Marcia’s campaign started off with herself betrothed to the actual governor of Julianus. However, before she can meet with her new husband, Emperor Lucius warns her that her husband is ill and whisks her away to govern on her own. Regardless, the same tragedy strikes and forces her to Albion.

These stories are compelling enough to see the story to its completion. Unfortunately, it’s a disappointing conclusion.

When Marcus and Marcia are shipped to Albion, a potential usurper, Calidus, ascends and claims himself as Emperor. Regardless of whether you follow or oppose Calidus’s instructions for Albion, the new Emperor will celebrate your success either way. He then leaves you in charge of Latium once again before leaving for parts unknown.

And unknown, they will remain. After settling on Albion, the campaign transitions into a sandbox mode with no limits. There is no conclusion to the story; there is no grand confrontation. It’s a sore disappointment if you’ve invested quite a lot of time in the campaign. Hopefully, future DLC patches this up.

Is Anno 117 your GameMatch?

Lackluster campaign endings aside, Anno 117 is one of the most approachable strategy games today. It doesn’t hold your hand, so you can learn the ropes and get acclimated on your own. There’s a wealth of content to discover, so you can easily spend hours just figuring out what comes next.

In a gaming climate where the Roman empire is often associated with warfare, Anno 117 is a peaceful exploration of Roman culture that leaves a more lasting memory for fans of the genre. What’s more, this is just the beginning; the upcoming roadmap looks exciting enough to keep fans playing for a long time.

With all that said, it gets a Super Swipe from me.

To appreciate budget smartphones, you first need to accept them for what they primarily are: entry-level tools.

At the end of the day, no matter how many features you try to pepper them with, they’re meant for a market that’s just looking for a basic utility device for everyday use.

That’s exactly the appeal we get from the HONOR X7d: it embraces its role without pretending to be more.

It checks all the basic boxes for a phone in this segment, at this time of year. And sometimes, it can go beyond what is asked.

Just the basics… plus AI

The HONOR X7d is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 processor. Like most smartphones in the segment, it is able to handle light to moderate tasks.

That includes messaging, social media scouring, taking quick photos and videos, and navigation. Expect hiccups once you juggle multiple apps or push into heavier gaming, which is completely understandable and normal for this segment.

Video playback is serviceable, but sharpness and vibrancy aren’t the phone’s strengths with a more basic 6.77-inch display. The same goes for when you’re gaming.

The audio quality is also expectedly flat and less immersive when compared to the more impressive and GadgetMatch-approved midrange devices.

Thankfully, HONOR Share is a plus, especially when transferring files. You are free to utilize more AI features via MagicOS 9.0, including the quick-access Instant AI Button.

Moreover, the phone also integrates Magic Capsule, Magic Portal, and Google Gemini Assistant, as well as AI Outpainting, AI Upscale, and AI Cutout.

Patience is key. These AI tricks work, but processing times remind you this isn’t a flagship device in the first place.

Water and drop resistance, optimized touches

Sticking to HONOR’s identity, the X7d likewise boasts of all-angle water resistance and close to a two-meter drop resistance.

In the Philippines, it was launched in a local resort about an hour from Manila, to highlight its water resistance.

To its credit, the phone does work even when water has been splashed onto the display. And it will continue to work even when accidentally submerged completely for a moment.

But more than that, swipes and touches have been made more optimized, thanks to Wet-hand Touch Enhancement.

This is beneficial for when there is a sudden downpour or when you really just want to fast-forward videos or skip to the next track while say, washing dishes or doing the laundry.

However, once the entire front side is wet, it’s difficult to wipe off residue from the front camera, making selfies trickier and leading to foggier captures.

Beyond the IP65 rating, the phone also has a 5-star Premium Drop Protection, earning an SGS certification for drop and crush resistance.

Its reinforced “Bulletproof Vest” corners and Cushioning Architecture help it endure everyday knocks and drops. But do remind yourself that while durability helps, longevity still depends on you.

Camera

Speaking of cameras, the HONOR X7d sports a 108MP main camera with an f/1.75 aperture. This is accompanied by a 2MP depth camera while in front is an 8MP shooter.

Quite fittingly, aside from the device’s launch, the X7d was taken to Boracay Island for a quick spin.

The main camera can still produce captures that go beyond just for record-keeping. Provided that there is ample lighting and you’ll stick to 1x zoom, you can pull off some IG-worthy captures.

A simple test we always do when checking for camera performance in this segment is how a tree’s leaves look when captured. The HONOR X7d consistently preserves more detail compared to competitors.

When viewed from a small screen, you won’t notice the drop-off in quality that much. However, anything beyond 1x zoom and the detail loss begins.

Against-the-light shots do expose the camera system’s limits. That’s unlike pricier devices that can fend off glare and too much light with HDR.

In fairness, there is still depth for close-ups, and the color is decent. So, the HONOR X7d gets a pass for quick snaps, food, landscapes, and portraits. Again, it’s all about relativity.

You can still salvage details for night and low-light captures, too.

Long battery life, large storage

If anything, two departments where the HONOR X7d excel in are battery life and internal storage. The handset has a 6500mAh Li-ion Polymer battery to fuel your everyday undertakings.

Standby time is optimized and doesn’t drain that much battery life. An entire day with the phone for the aforementioned light to moderate workloads will still spare you enough power by night.

And for a phone that starts at just above PhP 7,000 (roughly US$ 120), the 512GB storage is generous. But again, performance dips once you’ve crammed this space full. Although given the prices of memory cards, it’s a welcome add-on to have that much space for free.

Is this your BudgetMatch?

The HONOR X7d is a straightforward Swipe Right. It’s not dazzling, but it’s also dependable where it counts especially for a PhP 7,000-PhP 10,000 range phone.

The experience has been somewhat enjoyable. And more than that, you can rely on the budget smartphone for basics — and sometimes, even beyond that.

In a surprising turn of events, vivo has already made the X300 Pro globally available as short as three weeks after the exclusive Mainland launch.

It was first introduced to European regions. Next in line were Asian markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and definitely, the Philippines.

Without any frills, here’s my X-tensive review of the latest and greatest flagship from vivo — 300+ hours after I started using it.

For context: we unboxed the unit exactly October 31st. But it was only during the first day of my Vietnam trip (November 10) that I was able to fully utilize and maximize the X300 Pro. Counting those days (or hours), I’ve been using vivo’s latest X-phone for around 386 hours as I’m writing this piece.

X-cellent Cameras

Without beating around the bush, we all know the main reason why we’re eyeing the X300 Pro, and it’s none other than its intricate camera setup.

	vivo X300 Pro	vivo X200 Pro
Wide	50MP f/1.57 1/1.28” Sony LYT-828	50MP f/1.57 1/1.28” Sony LYT-818
Ultra-Wide	50MP f/2.0 119º FoV (Field of View) Samsung ISOCELL JN1	50MP f/2.0 119º FoV (Field of View) Samsung ISOCELL JN1
Telephoto	200MP f/2.67 ZEISS APO 3.7x optical zoom (85mm) 1/1.4” Samsung ISOCELL HPB	200MP f/2.67 ZEISS APO 3.7x optical zoom (85mm) 1/1.4” Samsung ISOCELL HP9
Selfie	50MP f/2.0 1/2.76” Samsung ISOCELL JN1	32MP f/2.0

Specs-wise, there hasn’t been a massive difference — just newer sensors equipped.

But, as I always say in my write-ups, hardware is just one factor. Actual photo output is what truly makes or breaks the performance of the phone’s cameras.

To somewhat entice you, here are some of my postcards from my very recent Vietnam trip — obviously shot on the vivo X300 Pro.

(Brace yourself, there’s a lot to come!)

Just like hopping along three cities in Vietnam, I used the three lenses of the X300 Pro more extensively due to their overall flexibility — more than what I did with my mirrorless camera and the recently-bought 35mm prime lens attached to it.

And by that, it’s the phone’s capability to switch seamlessly between several focal length options with little to no degradation.

That also meant consistent colors regardless if you use the main 1x mode, UWA (ultra-wide angle), its optical 3.5x zoom, or even beyond 5x lossless zoom.

X-ceptional Collab

The superiority of vivo X300 Pro’s cameras doesn’t revolve only around its hardware. Over the years, vivo has strengthened its ties with ZEISS even further. Starting it all with the X60 all the way to X300 series, the brand’s exceptional collab is stronger than ever.

The default ZEISS color profile captures photos that look natural without being too flat. I’ve been using this in subjects that offers the best balance in shadows and saturation.

That said, vivo providing two more profiles just means they want the user to be as creative and as free as possible.

When it comes to food, switching to Vivid is deemed the best option. This profile gives the best pop of colors in the scene.

Architecture and interior should not be exempted when using this punchy profile.

It also made these golden hour shots more favorable than just sticking with the default ZEISS calibration.

📍 Lotte Mall West Lake (Hồ Tây)

📍 Lotte Hanoi Sky

But, for the entirety of my trip, I relied heavily on Textured as I love how my shots look more soulful in this profile with ample amount of shadows and toned-down highlights.

📍 Hạ Long Bay

📍 Sun World Fansipan Legend

📍 SaPa Center

📍 Moana SaPa

📍 Ban Mong Alpine Coaster

📍 Hanoi Train Street

📍 Phố cổ Hà Nội + Hoàn Kiếm

📍 Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh / Sài Gòn

📍 Vietnam Airlines / VN206

Furthermore, it gives that much-needed depth when taking pics of indoor and outdoor pets.

Switching to Portrait Mode, ZEISS Style Portrait remains with faster shooting times plus more precise subject to background segmentation.

Mind you, it’s not limited to human subjects as I used it all throughout my time with these cute capys in Saigon.

📍 Kapi Cafe

Speaking of, it’s worth mentioning that the user now has the ability to pick between vivo’s three color profiles when shooting in Portrait Mode. It’s something you cannot do in previous vivo phones. Not even vivo’s latest V60 midranger has this.

Also, the rear flash unit can now be toggled in this mode — just without that Aura Light madness. It makes more sense when taking night-time portraits with high facial illumination.

There’s also an additional ZEISS “Mirotar” lens. This only appears though when aiming to shoot tele-macro subjects as it’s not included in vivo’s default Portrait Mode lenses under ZEISS Style Portrait.

X-traordinary Camera X-tras

The vivo X300 Pro is very rich in camera feats. It doesn’t just end with the default Photo Mode.

Humanistic Street Snap Camera Mode still remains — which isn’t very different from the X200 Pro. Thankfully, vivo added two more film presets: Positive Film and Clear Blue.

 

The X300 Pro already has a fast shutter speed in the default Photo Mode. But in times where you’re really on the move and you cannot stay still, Snapshot Mode is here to save the day.

With my commute in Vietnam heavily relying on riding motorbikes, this mode became my go-to for capturing fast-moving subjects.

Trying to take very-detailed horizon shots? The 50MP and 200MP Hi-Res toggles exist. They were beneficial when I tried taking horizon shots of Hanoi, Saigon, and even SaPa.

* For the sake of this write-up, I’ve retained the resolution but compressed the overall quality for faster loading times

When it comes to video shooting, the vivo X300 Pro is undoubtedly dynamic. And it’s more than just that 10-bit Log feature.

The X200 Pro was only limited to 4K/60fps when shooting in Dolby Vision. Now, vivo’s X300 Pro steps it up a notch as it maxes out at 120fps — perfect for those slo-mo clips in crispier UHD quality.

If you’re the concert-goer type of fan, the X300 Pro is more than capable enough to produce those social media-ready snaps.

Stage Mode got improved as well with additional support for 4K/60fps resolution — Dolby Vision toggle not forgotten.

The X200 Pro never had any configurable options and only had a limiting 1080p / Full HD option.

I’ve fully used this camera mode when I went to BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE Tour in Bulacan.

The LBA (Lower Box A) Premium section I was seated isn’t the closest to the stage. Still, the X300 Pro had me capture shots and clips that still looked closer than what I’ve seen IRL.

Talk about concerts. It’s good to mention that both the base and Pro X300s have their dedicated Professional Imaging Grip Kit. This was something previously exclusive to the vivo X200 Ultra.

Sadly, despite anticipating for it, we were not given this special camera kit. I cannot vouch for something I haven’t tried at all.

The new Selfie X-pert?

The vivo X300 Pro not only takes great-looking mirrorfies, the improved selfie shooter provides ample amount of light and detail that the X200 Pro simply lacked.

Not only that selfie camera boasts a megapixel count more than 1.5x than its predecessor, FoV and color reproduction also seem more natural and less whitewashed.

That’s something I have experienced using the X200 Pro — and more of a reason why I refused taking selfies with it.

Speaking of color, the aforementioned color profiles as well as the bundled ZEISS Style Portrait lens bokeh are also applicable when shooting with the front camera.

X-quisite Design

If it ain’t broke, there’s no point of fixing it. However, vivo still tried refining the X200 Pro’s successor even further.

Gone are the slightly curved edges and the micro quad-curved display. This time, they have completely flattened everything out on the X300 Pro — camera bump, notwithstanding.

This form factor clearly reminds me of the base iPhones, premium midrange Androids, even the newest line of its sister brand, the OPPO Find X9 series.

In return, the X300 Pro is thinner at 7.99mm (versus 8.5mm of the X200 Pro). Though heft reduction isn’t significant as it weighs just 2 grams less (226 grams over 228 grams).

Comfort-wise, those flat edges felt sharp when held one-handedly. Although after several days of usage, I eventually got the hang of it.

I just miss the grippier hold of its predecessor. Also, the subtle curves I felt when swiping and navigating through the edges of its screen.

Good thing, the absence of a curved display means not having to buy any flimsy screen protectors that lack that curved edge coverage.

More so, “specialized” tempered glass that need UV glue (and light) in order for that undersonic fingerprint sensor to work properly.

Personally, I love the new look of X300 Pro’s monstrous camera bump.

How they trimmed down the camera rim in favor of a larger flat surface looks more sleek. Also, the new striped texture of the bump closely resembles a camera lens grip.

Then again, the dust magnet issue I’ve experienced before is still present in this new X-teration.

Only time will tell though how durable it is. So far, I’ve only managed it to drop it twice on a hard floor. So far, no unwanted dents and scathes found.

Speaking of, the X300 Pro still features that dual IP68 + IP69 water and dust resistance rating — a staple of Android flagships moving forward.

X-cellent Powerhouse

While the display curves are gone, vivo’s already superior display tech stays. It has an unchanged 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel. I just assume the bigger screen size is reserved for the Ultra variant.

Display accuracy and calibration, as well as support for HDR content, are top-notch as one would expect. Whether the visuals are vibrant, bright, or just dark, the X300 Pro doesn’t go overboard and accurately shows the most natural output possible.

For that ultimate audiovisual pleasure, its stereo speakers are loud and full with that powerful bass to rock your banging solo concert sessions.

Found beneath this superior slab is none other than MediaTek’s latest and greatest Dimensity 9500 SoC based on a 3nm process.

The last iteration was already great to begin with. Let alone, this all-new Dimensity chip headlined by the X300 series.

Day-to-day tasks are buttery smooth with no room for lag. Switching (and even split-screen multitasking) through multiple apps is a breeze.

Playing games wasn’t an exception to the experience.

For instance, my all-time fave racing game, Racing Master, was able to run for two hours without throttling. That’s considering I set it in the most extreme graphics setting possible.

HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero is able to run as well. But, due to the heavier nature of the game, except some overheating in the long run.

X-citing new OS

If you’ve read my X200 Pro review, I’ve boldly stated how Funtouch OS isn’t “fun” at all.

After several years of forcing to bear with that aging Android skin, vivo has finally decided to bring the latest flavor of OriginOS to global units.

Funtouch OS 15 was already fast as it is. OriginOS 6 made that even snappier with added fluidity.

The AI Tools are still there. From transcribing, call assist, all the way to gallery’s AI Erase, reflection removal, even AI UHD upscaling, they’re all there.

For me though, the best changes can be seen in its overhauled UI.

Heck, vivo even brought iPhone-like features — just with better customizations.

From the more customizable lock screen, resizable folder sizes, to the (finally) separate Notifications and Control Center.

For one, there’s the Origin Island that acts like Apple’s Dynamic Island. But, dragging texts, photos, or even files to the island itself gives you a range of apps for it to be shared.

The other one is the additional button on the X300 Pro’s left side. Unlike iOS’s limiting Action Button assignments, it’s more customizable here.

On my end, I’ve set the double-tap to quickly launch the camera in Snapshot mode for fast-firing shootouts. Holding the button fires up the flashlight behind. Unfortunately though, single-tapping the button doesn’t do anything.

Overall, OriginOS 6 seems and feels like a proper and polished experience.

X-panded Horizons

Another feature where I felt that I needed to have in global vivo phones is none other than the Office Kit.

As a long-time MacBook Pro user ever since my university days back in 2016, this feature is a gift from the gods.

Not only I can wirelessly transfer photos and videos, I can also receive notifications and even access Notes stored in my X300 Pro. Even when you take a freshly-captured photo, it will simply prompt you so you can easily share it.

Although you can remotely control your MacBook through the screen of the X300 Pro, that screen size simply won’t make the cut. This feature works best with a foldable or a tablet.

But hey, it’s still useful if you’re out and about and your higher-ups needed that document stored on your MacBook.

Given that nothing beats the cross-platform compatibility between iOS and macOS, it’s still a huge leap forward to be able to connect the vivo X300 Pro to an Apple device.

Lastly, OriginOS also has a new Private Space feature. It serves as a separate space from your main screen with apps and accounts that are totally unrelated to the one you’re mainly using.

This enables users to keep confidential files and information from prying eyes. I just hope users will use this feature into good use 👀.

More than enough even when you X-haust it

On paper, the battery of the vivo X300 Pro gets a battery boost from 6000mAh to 6500mAh.

While it doesn’t beat the hell out of the 7500mAh capacity of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, an increase is still an increase.

Using it moderately or ever so lightly, the vivo X300 Pro can last a full day (or even two) with staggering hours of standby time and plenty left in the tank.

Admittedly, I’ve used the cameras more than I expected during my two-week Vietnam getaway.

From shooting plethora of photos and barrage of vertical clips for Instagram Stories and possible use for Reels, the X300 Pro hogs that battery juice a lot.

I’ve even experienced some overheating in the long run. But, not to the point where the camera will shut off, as I was able to still shoot and record without ever halting.

That said, 90W FlashCharge is here to save the day. This time though, vivo has added a “FlashCharge High Speed” mode when using its bundled charger.

	FlashCharge High Speed	FlashCharge Regular
START TIME (From 0%)	12:14PM	1:59PM
3 minutes	3%	1%
5 minutes	6%	3%
10 minutes	15%	10%
15 minutes	23%	18%
20 minutes	29%	24%
30 minutes	50%	38%
40 minutes	66%	51%
45 minutes	75%	57%
50 minutes	82%	63%
1 hour	96%	71%
1 hour 10 minutes	–	85%
1 hour 15 minutes	–	99%
END TIME	1:17PM 1 hour 3 minutes	3:15PM 1 hour 16 minutes

Using non-vivo chargers and cables that are USB-C PD and/or PPS compliant will still top-up the phone fast — just with regular FlashCharge speeds.

While I haven’t tested wireless charging (which is my least favorite mode of charging), it’s worthy to point out that it was improved to 40W (from the conventional 30W).

Although the vivo X300 Pro has faster speeds than Qi2 or Qi2.2, it still doesn’t implement built-in magnets like the HMD Skyline or Pixel 10 series with Pixelsnap.

Don’t get me wrong. Support for magnetic wireless charging plus MagSafe accessories will still be possible. Only if you buy third-party cases with magnets on it.

Is the vivo X300 Pro your GadgetMatch?

It seems like 2025 has already reached the pinnacle of smartphones: superior camera system, gargantuan battery capacities with long-lasting endurance, faster than ever performance, displays and speakers that truly satisfy one’s audiovisual cravings.

The vivo X300 Pro is a great embodiment of that. Not only you get the best in class cameras, the smartphone itself is just a refined version of a smartphone that was already superior to begin with.

And if you’d ask me, the asking price of EUR 1099 / MYR 4699 / PhP 77,999 is more than justified — unlike how some brands aggressively slap overpriced tags on their barely flagship offerings 🙄

I just hope they consider bringing in a larger 1TB configuration (or maybe even 2TB) in the next lineup — especially for storage-hungry multimedia creatives like me who’s expected to shoot a lot of stills and clips in the foreseeable future.

All sentiments aside and without an ounce of doubt, the vivo X300 Pro is both a Swipe Right and a Super Swipe.

And, just like its older sibling, it also rightfully deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.