Pharaoh takes gamers back in time to roughly 3200-1350 BC. Set in Egypt, you are the ruler of a village who dreams of uniting all of the settlements in the region. Visions of a united Egypt with sprawling cities floods your imagination. This is what you want but do you have the ability to accomplish it?

Pharaoh's primary mode of play is set up like a campaign. It is divided into time periods that each contain a group of missions. Before each mission the objectives are described and must be met before the next mission, and eventually next time period, can begin. Missions are not exact duplicates of events that took place in Egyptian history but they are influenced strongly by history.

During missions it is likely contact with others will be made. Other cities and sometimes even Pharaoh will ask for your services. Services may include someone asking you for some food or military assistance. At any time it is also possible to be invaded and completely wiped out. While you may not instigate a war, some people may attack you simply because they wish to expand. Dealing with foreign affairs is one of just many aspects that will be encountered. Attempting to become one of the greatest families in history will require players to tackle every aspect one could imagine as well.

One of the most important areas is learning about the Nile river. The river is the primary source of water for your people and their agriculture. Learning what the Nile's flooding patterns are can make or break a civilization. Along with agriculture there are also industrial, militaristic, and religious functions to be tackled. Develop a working infrastructure, provide your people with jobs, and keep them pleased at all times. In order to truly place your name in history so that your family name will always be remembered you will also have construct monuments. Build such items as the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the temples of Luxor.

Instead of playing through a complete campaign players may also choose to play one of the 12 custom built scenarios. Pharaoh contains five difficulty settings so that it can be as challenging as you wish it to be.

ADDENDUM: On March 3, 2000, Impressions Games made the Pharaoh Enhancement Pack available for a free download via the Internet. This add-on pack includes 20 new missions, a mission editor and the new version update among other features. To find the enhancement pack, point your browser to www.pharaoh1.com/dl_updates.shtml. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide