First-rate historical strategy sim
An expansion pack for the historical strategy game, Pharaoh, Cleopatra adds in plenty of content to an already enjoyable game and makes this a must play for fans. For those that don't know, this is somewhat like a more complex version of Sim City, but obviously based in Egyptian times, and where players must develop their city through construction, harvesting resources, and trading or fighting with other cities. In addition to the standard features found in such games, such as seasons-based farming, Cleopatra also makes use of religion, where gods can either bestow gifts upon your city or unleash disasters, depending on how well you worship them. The game includes a series of campaigns, which take you through the various periods in Egyptian history and makes use of accurate events and personalities to create a pleasingly authentic experience, which is enhanced by the included encyclopaedia-style information. The missions add in some interesting twists on those from Pharaoh to create enhanced challenge for veterans and the game really will test your skills. Although there are still a few annoying features left over from the original, like poor AI and some frustrating bugs, they don't really detract much from what is a generally fine example of the city-building genre. As an expansion pack, this is first-rate stuff but newcomers should check out Pharaoh first.