this is the last in a series of games made with the same engine. having played Caesar III and Pharoah, but not Zeus, Emperor is easily the smoothest and most pleasing execution of the ideas of the earlier games. the series is called City Building, which probably gives you a vague idea of what it's about. You have to build towns that produce resources, do trade, build monuments, defend themselves, and provide for their citizens, in a planned economy where you, the player, have to micromanage pretty much everything. this has very nice music and visuals in that very compressed 90s way - it's very engaging in how it looks and sounds, nice colours, neat little streets, atmospheric music, the sounds of the town below. you do get some very repetetive sound snippets - but you get used to it! these games have quite strange and often unclear rules, some of which you'll have to go online to try and get answers for. the best way to learn the game is to play the campaign, which is quite a commitment. however, it makes up for its length with being incredibly addictive and immersive, and very satisfying (when you win, or when things are going right, at least). of this series, Emperor is possibly the easiest to learn of them, and definitely the most well-thought-out (using honouring the gods as a way to deal with surplus commodities is a masterstroke, fixing two of the most irritating issues of earlier series entries in one go). and like all these games, it's addictive, and with its gorgeous soundtrack and lush (and extremely mid-to-late 90s) visuals, oddly hypnotic
