Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom

After many, many iterations, Emperor is in many ways the crowning glory of the franchise that started with Caesar. It uses elements from all of the previous games. It has gods that can be invoked and walk through the city (or go to war for you!). It has separate house types for the rich and the working class, tying your armies to the amount of rich houses you can support. You can not only build armies to defend your colonies, but also to conquer and vassalize other cities. It also adds some novel features. There are multiple religions, each with separate pantheons. You have a palace where you can gather animals in a meangerie, and trade them with other cities for favor. And then there are several convenience features. Residential walls allow you to keep un-appealing structures very close to your housing without suffering ill effects. They also include gates that allow some walkers through while blocking others. Several buildings, most notably farms, can't collapse or burn down. Buildings automatically get access to workers if they are near a road, no need for any nearby housing. Overall it is a culmination of a well trodden formula. If you liked Caesar, Pharaoh, Zeus - you should certainly give Emperor a try. And conversely, if you like this one, it's worth it to play the others as well, as the formula is still very similar and they each have their specific flavor and features to discover.

The game is simple, once you figute it out. The beauty of it comes from it's beautiful looks and calming presence.

Awesome dive into the world of ancient China.

Emperor represents the greatest achievement of the old Impressions City Builders. While it may have been occasionally surpassed by modern homages it still sets the standard by which they are judged. It contains all the learned lessons from the city builders that went before like Ceasar, Zues, and Pharaoh. Well worth a play even today.

most charming zemi raecist 2000s game ever