Pharaoh: Cleopatra

Developer: Breakaway Games
Publisher: Sierra Studios

 

System Requirements Pentium 133 Mhz, 32 MB RAM

Recommended Pentium II 300MHz, 64+ MB RAM, 17 inch monitor

Ratings
Code Issues Graphics: 7.5 - While the new animations and monuments blend perfectly, nothing has changed. Put this puppy into high resolution though, and it is remarkably detailed. Audio: 8.0 - Still love those Pharaoh tunes, but could we have a few more? Sound effects are top notch. Interface: 9.0 - I can't really picture a city-building interface getting much easier.	Play Issues Solo Play: 8.5 - Excellent. The new scenarios are extremely challenging, and new additions such as monument blessings alleviate a little frustration. Although players should be able to choose the Cleopatra campaigns regardless of whether or not they completed Pharaoh. Multiplay: N/A Learning Curve: 8.0 - Well, you should know how to play already, so this isn't a big deal. Still, this is one complex game.
Other/Notes Documentation - 5: This hurts. No paper manual after the "book" that was the Pharaoh manual? Pros: Difficult missions will put your skills to the test. Additions fit nicely into the game. Editor is superb. Cons: Only attemptable if you know the original well. No new music. REVIEWER's NOTE: In the above review I stated that you could not play the Cleopatra campaigns right from the start without first completing Pharaoh. In actuality you can, you just need to complete at least the first tutorial mission from Pharaoh to access them in "Family History" mode. There was a long gap between my reviewing Pharaoh and reviewing Cleopatra. When I played Cleo it was a fresh install of Pharaoh, and this accounts for my not being able to access the extra campaigns right away. I apologize for any problems this may have caused, to both the game developers and readers of Strategy-Gaming Online. Overall: 8.9 A worthy add-on to a modern classic, Cleopatra will have would-be ancient Egyptians playing for weeks

Sim City was a game that instantly created a genre--that of "city building". Since then there have been multiple evolutions of this game type. But one thing that, for a long time, reigned supreme was the fact that the setting was always the here and now. Impressions changed all that by looking ahead towards the future of the genre, and looking back for their source material. The release of Caesar and its sequel showed how much more this genre had to offer, and I'm sure it fired up imaginings in players' heads of other periods of history that could be effectively simulated. Fans had to be satisfied with a third in the Caesar series for a while, but surely enough, Impressions innovative style wowed us with Pharaoh. Every bit as engrossing as its Roman counterpart, Pharaoh was the perfect example of flawless game design mixed with an impressive amount of historical research and detail. The game oozed style, from its Egyptian soundtrack to the slow satisfaction of constructing bygone monuments. Surely enough, the Murphy's Law of game design kicked in when an expansion was announced. And, as we all may have predicted, Impressions delivers another fantastic experience.

Cleopatra's additions are quite significant. While Pharaoh was extensive in its representation of Ancient Egypt's history, Cleopatra greatly expands this with four new campaigns that cover the reign of Tutenkamen, Ramses II, and Cleopatra. Containing a total of about fifteen new scenarios, the campaigns will really give even the expert Pharaoh player a work out. Let me say from the get-go that if you are a gamer who stopped playing Pharaoh because of its difficulty, this expansion is probably not for you. Cleopatra assumes you've beaten Pharaoh, evident in the fact that you can't play its campaigns until you've completed the original ones. Unfortunately, I find this to be both a positive and a negative. Many expansions, regardless of genre, end up being beaten too quickly or extending their welcome because they start you off with baby steps, as if you're new to the gameplay. I can think of one off the top of my head that succumbed to this-- the Tiberian Sun expansion (still a very good one). But lets face it, many of us don't beat every game we buy. After all, as soon as the new title rolls in the old ones get continually put off until you've even forgotten where you were in the game. You can, however, select any single mission right away (a big plus), but the fun of the progressive campaign is lost.

OK, getting back to difficulty, right from the start you are required to collect all of your Pharaoh skills and put them to the test. For instance, the first mission requires you to not only start constructing the Valley of the Kings, but also requires you to send immigrants across the Nile in order to transport food, deal with scorpions, and produce a variety of wares, some of which require importing. I'd suggest that your interest in digging into Cleopatra be postponed until you've had a real good taste of Pharaoh. The later missions can be absolutely daunting if you haven't the patience to learn the game mechanics inside and out. The campaigns are very well designed, tasking you to construct new monuments such as the Library and Lighthouse at Alexandria, build new products such as lamps to light the interior of tombs, and deal with a variety of new problems. Plagues of locusts and frogs will disrupt your food supply and dwellings, grave robbers will invade your tombs and steal the property of deceased rulers, and the Nile will even turn to blood. Also, the variety of military enemies have been increased, now extending to Octavian and Roman troops. All of these additions give the eyes something new to look at and the brain something new to work out--no one can blame Cleopatra for not keeping the game fresh. Also, the mission briefings are still superb and detailed, including a nice cast of historical figures such as the caesers of Rome and the venerable Mark Anthony. Real satisfaction follows each scenario's completion because of the nice sense of purpose the campaigns deliver.

Speaking of larger goals, a new addition to the game are blessings. While building pyramids and the like you can now have the gods bless its construction, thereby having a section completed instantly. This alleviates the only significant problem with the original. While playing Pharaoh one often thought they'd die of old age before they saw their pyramid completed. While monuments are still a huge undertaking, this addition goes a long way in making sure your attention isn't diverted from the otherwise excellent pacing of the scenarios.

A map editor is now included, and let me say that I found this to be the most impressive addition. You can edit existing scenarios to your liking or use it to create your own. Not only can you edit the terrain, doing everything from placing water, desert, and rocks to specifying the spawning grounds of wild animals, but you can also edit the empire map, placing as many cities and trade routes as you want. Place one or two to make resources scarce and your scenario more challenging, or place dozens of cities to spice things up. You can set the goods that each one imports and exports as well as their prices. I was never really into making my own scenarios, but this editor really got me interested in trying my hands at it. It has an excellent interface that you can jump right into. Granted you may have to consult the instructions for the more complex aspects, such as setting scenario goals, but otherwise everything is easy to pick up. I can just see the possibilities for the truly devoted fan. Do a little research and you could theoretically model any event in Egyptian history.

In terms of graphics and music nothing has changed (which could and should have not been the case), and the new units and plagues are well animated and fit nicely into the mold. The new monuments are also very impressive, giving you that same tingly feeling as when you completed your first pyramid in Pharaoh. I still have mixed feelings, however, regarding the look of the units. I find them to be a bit cartoony, and would have preferred more realistic looking models. But as fans know from Impression's game boxes, with ancient peoples shouting out amusing little expressions, it is intentional light-heartedness.

Fans of Pharaoh should not second guess themselves when staring at the Cleopatra box...you know you want it, and its worth the cash. It really extends the gameplay as much as one could hope, adding a heap of challenge. If you didn't beat Pharaoh, though, get out your CD and start playing, because if not then Cleopatra will show you whose your mummy.

Sorry, I had to.

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Reviewed by Anthony Micari