Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom

Last updated
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
Emperor - Rise of the Middle Kingdom Coverart.jpg
Developer(s) BreakAway Games
Impressions Games
Publisher(s) Sierra Entertainment
Producer(s) Ed Beach
Jon Payne
Designer(s) Charles Kibler
Ed Beach
Tony Leier
Programmer(s) Andy House
Artist(s) Stephen Langmead
Mike Phillips
Andrea Muzeroll
Composer(s) Jeff van Dyck
Series City Building
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: September 10, 2002 [1]
  • UK: October 11, 2002 [2]
Genre(s) City-building
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom is a city-building video game and the sixth title in the City Building series, released in 2002 for Microsoft Windows. BreakAway Games was contracted for Emperor after having previously worked on Queen of the Nile . Emperor is the last of the series to use the same 2D-sprite game engine as seen in the earlier titles, and the first to introduce a multiplayer option.

Contents

Like the earlier games, Emperor focuses on the building and development of a city in ancient times, this time Ancient China, from the Xia dynasty (2033 BC) to the Song-Jin dynasties (1234 AD).

Gameplay

The most basic task in each mission is to maintain the city. This involves keeping the populace well-fed, healthy, and safe from hazards. If food and basic goods and services are provided in abundance, the city will eventually improve. Beyond this, the player must manage trade and taxes in order to fund further development and expansion.

In the meantime, the player may elect to make offerings to the ancestral heroes, as well as prominent figures in Chinese philosophy, Daoism, and Buddhism. Principally, offerings are made to appease the heroes and prevent them from becoming angry and inflicting disasters upon the city. But heroes can also be made very happy, which can prompt them to visit the city and confer benefits to it.

Beyond the city itself, the player must pay heed to rivals and enemies. Unlike previous city-building games in the series, the player must respond to requests and standing of various other cities, rather than just maintaining favor of the monarch. Troops and guards are necessary to protect the city from military invasions and subterfuge. The player can build defensive walls and man them with archers for improved defense.

Eventually, the player may be required to build monuments, which are costly both in time and materials, giving enemies an opportunity to take advantage of possible weaknesses. As such, building a monument generally requires that the city first establish a strong economy and military.

The seven campaigns of Emperor span nearly 3300 years of classical Chinese history, from the Xia dynasty to the Jin dynasty and Song dynasty. Notable monuments that can be built include the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canal connecting the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers, and the Terracotta Army. In the first campaign, the player is simply a humble village elder, in charge of leading a nomadic tribe to settle down along the river. In the final levels, the player is servant to the Emperor of China, and oversees the construction of the Imperial capital Zhongdu (modern-day Beijing) and fortifying its defense to foil the invading Mongols and their leader, Genghis Khan.

Foodstuffs, technologies, and religions evolve over the centuries, closely matching the actual history of Chinese culture. Because players serve several dynasties and Emperors throughout the game, they will not always be building the same city. Often, they will be sent to build up a new city, or be sent back to a previous city to accomplish a new goal. In some cases, a city may be revisited after centuries have passed, having changed dramatically or fallen into ruins during the intervening years.

Players may play the campaigns in any order they choose, though the difficulty level ramps up parallel to the chronology. Often the objectives involve producing a set amount of a commodity, conquering other cities, achieving a certain population level, or building a monument.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [3] Despite the positive reviews many were critical of the lack of originality and reported little difference between the game and previous Impression games.[ citation needed ]

In February 2017 the game was re-released on GOG.com. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Total War</i> (video game series) Computer strategy game series

Total War is a series of strategy games developed by British developer Creative Assembly for personal computers. They combine turn-based strategy and resource management with real-time tactical control of battles. Rather uniquely for real-time strategy games, flanking manoeuvers and formations factor heavily into gameplay. The first of the series, Shogun: Total War, was released in June 2000. The most recent major game released was Total War: Pharaoh on October 11, 2023. As of April 2021, the series had sold over 36 million copies.

<i>Master of Magic</i> 1994 video game

Master of Magic is a single-player, fantasy turn-based 4X strategy game in which the player plays as a wizard attempting to dominate two linked worlds. From a small settlement, the player manages resources, builds cities and armies, and researches spells, growing an empire and fighting the other wizards.

<i>Dune 2000</i> Real-time strategy game

Dune 2000 is a real-time strategy video game, developed by Intelligent Games and published by Westwood Studios in 1998 for Microsoft Windows. It was later ported to the PlayStation in 1999. It is a partial remake of Dune II, which is loosely based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe. The story of the game is similar to Dune II, and is continued in Emperor: Battle for Dune.

<i>Stronghold</i> (2001 video game) 2001 video game

Stronghold is a historical real-time strategy video game developed by Firefly Studios and published in 2001 by Gathering of Developers for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game focuses primarily on conquest and expansion through military pursuits but also has prominent economic and infrastructure development elements. There is both an economic and a military campaign to be played and both are discussed in the game manual. In the English version, the game takes place in Medieval Britain around the year 1066; however, since there is not always a time limit, scenarios can continue hundreds of years beyond that date.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic IV</i> 2002 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic IV is a turn-based strategy game developed by Gus Smedstad through New World Computing and published by the 3DO Company for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers in 2002. A Macintosh port was subsequently developed by Contraband Entertainment and released by the 3DO Company. The fourth installment of the popular Heroes of Might and Magic franchise, it is the sequel to Heroes of Might and Magic III, and was the last to be developed by New World Computing.

<i>Summoner</i> (video game) 2000 video game

Summoner is an action role-playing game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000, and was subsequently ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS the following year. In the game, the player plays the role of Joseph and can assemble a team of compatriots and summon powerful monsters. The game has a world map, involved storyline, and unique hybrid combat system involving real-time and turn-based mechanisms.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 2</i> 2000 video game

Dynasty Warriors 2, known in Japan as Shin Sangokumusō (真・三國無双), is a crowd-combat sequel to the fighting game Dynasty Warriors. It is the second game in the Dynasty Warriors series, but the first in the Shin Sangokumusō series. The game was released in other countries as Dynasty Warriors 2, leading to the discrepancy in title numbers. In North America and Europe, it was released as a launch title for the PS2.

<i>Zeus: Master of Olympus</i> 2000 video game

Zeus: Master of Olympus is a single-player strategy game developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Studios. It is considered to be an additional installment in the City Building series of games. Like previous titles in the series, Zeus focuses on the building and development of a city in ancient times. The game features a number of changes from previous titles in the series, including being set in Ancient Greece as well as changes to certain gameplay mechanics; however, it is considered to be in most aspects very similar to its predecessor, Caesar III.

<i>Pharaoh</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Pharaoh is an isometric city-building game released in November 1999. It was created by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Studios for Microsoft Windows. Using the same game engine and principles of Caesar III, it is the first such game in Sierra's City Building series to focus on another civilization of ancient times. Players oversee the construction and management of cities and settlements in Ancient Egypt, micro-managing every aspect of the city to ensure citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected from diseases, disasters and wars. An expansion pack, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, was released in 2000, developed by BreakAway Games. In 2001, both the game and expansion pack were bundled together as Pharaoh Gold. A remake titled Pharaoh: A New Era was released by Triskell Interactive and Dotemu in 2023.

<i>Mystic Heroes</i> 2002 video game

Mystic Heroes is a hack and slash video game developed by Koei. The game is loosely based on Investiture of the Gods, a Chinese supernatural novel about the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty.

<i>Zapper: One Wicked Cricket</i> 2002 video game

Zapper: One Wicked Cricket! is a platform game for the Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows. For most platforms, it was developed by Blitz Games and published by Infogrames Interactive; Atomic Planet Entertainment developed the Game Boy Advance version. Zapper was released in North America in 2002 and 2003 in Europe. On November 17, 2008, Zapper became available on Xbox Live as part of the Xbox Originals range. On February 15, 2024, Zapper was rereleased for Microsoft Windows on GOG and Steam platforms.

<i>Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon</i> 2000 video game

Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon is a video game developed by Overmax Studios in 2000 for the PC. It is based on the historical background of the epic 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. As one of the three Warlords of the Kingdoms, in 184 AD China, the player must build their own kingdom, develop new technologies and create mighty armies to conquer the other Warlords and ultimately take control of the Three Kingdoms and reunify China. Fate of the Dragon is a real-time strategy game very similar in format to that of the Age of Empires series, developed by Ensemble Studios, in which the user takes on the role of a character, namely Liu Bei, Sun Quan and Cao Cao from one of the Three Kingdoms and controls their kingdom through such means as pointing and clicking on certain parts of the map to decide what to do. The player is tasked with collecting various resources and building a standing army in order to protect their borders and defeat the other kingdoms in the game.

<i>Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders</i> 2004 video game

Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders is a tactical wargame developed by the Korean studio Phantagram for the Xbox. It is the sequel to the 2001 game Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes, and continues its storyline. Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders combines third-person action and role-playing elements in its gameplay, which differs from its predecessor.

<i>Tzar: The Burden of the Crown</i> 2000 video game

Tzar: The Burden of the Crown, also known as simply Tzar, is a real-time strategy game for Microsoft Windows published by TalonSoft and developed by the Bulgarian game developer company Haemimont Games. It received average reviews from critics.

<i>Celtic Kings: Rage of War</i> 2002 video game

Celtic Kings: Rage of War is a game developed by Haemimont Games. It is set during the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar.

<i>The Settlers</i> City-building and real-time strategy video game series introduced in 1993

The Settlers is a city-building and real-time strategy video game series created by Volker Wertich in 1993. The original game was released on the Amiga, with subsequent games released primarily on MS-DOS and Windows: The Settlers II (1996), The Settlers III (1998), The Settlers IV (2001), The Settlers: Heritage of Kings (2004), The Settlers: Rise of an Empire (2007), and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010). There are also several spin-offs; The Settlers II (2006) is a remake of The Settlers II, The Settlers DS (2007) is a port of The Settlers II for Nintendo DS, Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen (2008) is a German-only spiritual successor to 10th Anniversary, The Settlers HD (2009) is a handheld remake of The Settlers IV, and The Settlers Online (2010) is a free-to-play online browser game. With the exception of The Settlers HD, Ubisoft Blue Byte has developed every game in the series, as well as publishing the first three titles. From The Settlers IV onwards, Ubisoft has published all titles.

<i>The Sims Medieval</i> 2011 video game

The Sims Medieval is a life simulation game that was released in March 2011 by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, and on September 22, 2011 for iOS, as part of The Sims series. It was also made available for Windows Phone on March 26, 2013. Set in medieval times, it allows the player to build a kingdom through quest-driven gameplay. During presentation at E3 2010, a pre-order exclusive Limited Edition was also available.

<i>Might & Magic Heroes VI</i> 2011 video game

Might & Magic Heroes VI is a turn-based strategy video game for Microsoft Windows developed by Black Hole Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. Some patches and downloadable content were developed by Limbic Entertainment, while the standalone expansion Shades of Darkness was developed by Virtuos. It is the sixth installment in the Heroes of Might and Magic series, and was released on October 13, 2011, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Might and Magic franchise. Heroes VI acts as a prequel to Heroes of Might and Magic V, occurring almost five centuries earlier, and is set in the fictional world of Ashan. The story follows the five heirs to the Griffin dynasty in their quests to repel a demon invasion and assist or impede Michael, a legendary Archangel general plotting to revive an ancient war.

<i>Kao the Kangaroo</i> (2000 video game) 2000 video game

Kao the Kangaroo is a platform video game developed by X-Ray Interactive for Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast and Game Boy Advance. During development it was known as Denis the Kangaroo.

References

  1. Parker, Sam (September 10, 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom ships". GameSpot . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  2. Bramwell, Tom (October 11, 2002). "What's New?". Eurogamer . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  4. "Review: Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". Computer Games Magazine . No. 144. theGlobe.com. November 2002. p. 88.
  5. Chick, Tom (November 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 220. Ziff Davis. pp. 126–27. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  6. Grant, Jules (October 8, 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". The Electric Playground . Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on July 2, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  7. Brogger, Kristian (September 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". Game Informer . No. 113. FuncoLand. p. 93. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  8. Dulin, Ron (September 10, 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom Review". GameSpot . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  9. Abner, William (September 21, 2002). "GameSpy: Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". GameSpy . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 9, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  10. Lafferty, Michael (September 10, 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  11. Adams, Dan (September 10, 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 16, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  12. Romendil (December 16, 2002). "Test: Empereur : L'Empire Du Milieu". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  13. Poole, Stephen (November 2002). "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". PC Gamer . Vol. 9, no. 11. Imagine Media. p. 128. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  14. "Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom". GOG.com . CD Projekt . Retrieved March 15, 2020.