military and historical

Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom is a great follow up if you have been playing the city-builders series of Sierra/Impressions Games. I have been playing Pharaoh for sleepless months and when I acquired Emperor, I sure will miss sleeping... again.

Graphics have improved since Zeus and gameplay is a lot challenging. I recommend you buy this game along with Great Empires Collection 2. All games are excellent.

Can't wait to see the expansion.

Like Pharoah? Caesar 3? I have played most of the historical sims, and Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom competes well. The graphics are even better than Pharoah, as are the food types and interplay between your citizens and yourself. If you enjoy Impressions' other City Building Series games, you will be able to drink deeply of this exotic elixir. I find it fascinating to sit back and watch the mulberry tree farmers raise silk worms, harvest them, and then send them to a weaver to be turned into beautiful, exotic fabrics for trade. (A great way to put $ in your treasury!)

Remember: These City Building Series games are not high on military play; the real action comes in developing an efficient, thriving city via excellent planning and strategic trade pacts. The military forces you create in E:ROTMK are primarily used for defensive purposes, so if you are a war gamer, instead you might want to spend your $ on Shogun Total War: Warlord Edition (historical Japan).

One problem: Unlike Pharoah, I have been unable to find a way to control allocation of labor via a central screen. In Pharoah and C3 you can prioritize your labor, but not so in E:ROTMK. Other than this slight oversight on the part of the Impressions team, this is a fun and engaging addition to the excellent City Building Series.

One day in Wal-Mart I noticed a bin of old computer games for $4.88 each. Looking through it, I saw this game. Having already been familiar with "Zeus: Master of Olympus", one of the game's forbearers, and a fan of this game, I decided to buy it. After all, what did I risk?

I'm here to tell you that I still, months after purchasing it, get great enjoyment out of this game. Whether you want to complete the requirements for a scenario or plow your own course; conquer every city in the Middle Kingdom or set up a trading empire second to none; this is the game for you. It helps if you also like Chinese culture, because you're about to be emersed in it. From Nu Wa being the creator goddess to Xia being the name of first dynasty, you'll learn quite a lot.

In short, this game is worth $4.88. It's worth its original $19.99. In fact, it's worth much more. At $17.88, it's a steal.