As it progresses and you get access to new resources and new problems, the game insists in giving you missions that make you build on a small map, broken in 5 islands, poor inundation, angry gods, military attacks and poorly behaved citizens. It starts off with huge open spaces, plenty of room to design cities, raise economy, anything you want, but you lack tech. It starts off I give Pharaoh an 8 instead of a 10 because it has one, huge, blaring mistake in it. I give Pharaoh an 8 instead of a 10 because it has one, huge, blaring mistake in it. Despite these complaints it's still a really fun game that I play from time to time. The combat also lacks any tactical flexibility and it's just a matter of spamming as many troops as possible. This limits your city design and you can't build or set roadblocks up in certain layouts. If these randomly-directed walkers fail, the work place shuts down. For example, work places send out 'walkers' to recruit workers on a regular basis.

It's definitely one of my favourite city-building sims set in a time and place that I am fascinated with, but game-play-wise there are some tweaks that could have been implemented. Not for lack of trying there are just so many missions and they take so long to complete that for whatever reason I lose my save files (hard drive failure etc). Not for lack of trying there are just so many missions I have been playing this game since it first came out, but I have never finished it. I have been playing this game since it first came out, but I have never finished it.

Pharaoh cleopatra game review