Been playing this game for 10 years, after growing up on Cleopatra. Zeus adds many QoL things (building while paused, road blocks etc), has a much more interactive god system, and overhauls the storytelling for the series by allowing you to return to cities. The community on Zeusheaven is still live and kicking, so there are dozens and dozens of custom scenarios as well. Fantastic game!
Interrogation - You Will Be Deceived is one of the most unique games I have ever encountered, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. You play as a police officer leading a brand new task force created to deal with The Liberation Front, a group of extremists-turned-terrorists. The core gameplay mechanic, as the name suggests, consists of a series of interrogations you conduct with sympathisers, innocent bystanders and full-blown terrorists, trying to figure out which people fall into which category and how to coax the truth out of them. Where Interrogation really shines is here: 1) For what's essentialy a conversation simulation, by God is it an immersive one. I found my heart pounding every time I managed to get a new piece of information, my mind jumping at how to spin it to the suspect in the next room. I grew increasingly frustrated as it became clear this particular guy will just sit here with his arms crossed and not give me a single name - becoming more and more stressed as the timer ticked down until the next bomb would go off. I loved every second of it. 2) You're free to say and do pretty much whatever you want in order to get the information and confessions you need. PArdon their illegal activities, bond over a glass of whisky, outright agree with TLF - or just go ahead and beat the everloving sh-t out of your suspects. Your call, officer. Beware, though, as your actions have consequences - if the public turns against you, or the authorities lose faith... Well. An open conversation system, a realistic simulation of how people react to the questions you ask or statements you make, and your own moral compass coming into play (both on police conduct and whether or not these guys really /are/ that bad..?) creates a gameplay experience where you have to keep yourself in check and try to stay three thoughts ahead at all times. All in all, Interrogation is as unique as it is thrilling. For a game about fighting terrorism, it sure is morally challenging.
I have few things to say that previous reviewers have not aldready said; This game is stunningly beautiful, left me desperately craving for more and with that feeling of adventure that you can otherwise only get on a day of summer vacation. I loved the story and the numerous quote unquote "side"-quests made me feel like I got to know the world better and the cute character design often made me smile. I feel the need to mention the music on its own. It is fantastic, and even listening on repeat for some twelve hours of gameplay managed to ruin the atmosphere of the score for me. With that said, if you do not like point-and-click puzzle/adventure type games, this might not be for you. I think the puzzles were generally logical in the "oh, I should have gotten that right away" kind of feeling after you've tried an item with every possible clickpoint because you know it's connected somehow, just not exactly how. This is not a game to grind and beat, it's a game to wander around and get lost in, to get to know the world and its inhabitants. You then solve puzzles and figure out the story as you go along. (When I say "left me wanting for more," I mean that in the good way. If Daedalic were to release a sequel or a tie-in I would buy it in a heartbeat.)
