Pharaoh epitomizes the classic ancient city-builder. It combines detailed, but accessible, city management with the epic tasks of constructing massive monuments that will endure throughout the ages. Despite the game's age (it is almost 20 years old), beholding a well-built city complete with massive pyramids, sun temples, mausoleums, etc., is still a great pleasure to the eyes. Anyone looking to get into the series is well-advised to start with this. Though Pharaoh's sequels (Zeus/Poseidon and Emperor) added many quality of life improvements to the series, they did not replicate the satisfaction of building pyramids. The one problem with the game is that it is rather buggy. Dancers, who are important for upgrading houses to high-quality residences, often spawn in random locations and fail to provide their services where they are most needed unless the player works around the bug. Other bugs, such as walkers randomly spawning near out-of-the-way predators are noticeable and the game has a habit of freezing at very inconvenient times, though this happens mostly on certain levels. These are relatively minor frustrations compared to the bugs that plague modern strategy games, but they do force the player to fight the game a little bit. Overall, this is an amazing game for anyone who likes retro games. Though I played this game as a kid, I am not given to nostalgia and I can confidently say that the game's quality still holds up favorably and is an enjoyable experience.
