We may never know the truth behind the fascinating construction of the magnificent pyramids, but with Pharaoh: A New Era we’ll dive deep into other secrets of the Egyptian civilization. This is a remake of Sierra Entertainment’s classic city-building game released in 1999, but publisher Dotemu sweetens the deal with the inclusion of the Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile expansion. Fans of the original will find exactly the right amount of sand, monuments, and complex micro-management that could easily keep them busy for over 4,000 years… in-game years, that is.

Passion of the Nile

As it happens with the best remakes, Pharaoh: A New Era doesn’t restrict itself to a new coat of paint, but what a beautiful coat of paint it is. The detailed but mostly practical graphics of the original are reworked into gorgeous and sharp 4K visuals, going for a cartoony style while staying true to its identity, in a bid to please both newcomers and connoisseurs.

Some of this exquisitely hand-drawn art can be quite the sight, especially larger structures such as monuments, statues, and mausoleums. The uninviting sands punctuated by the occasional patch of grass and vice-versa swiftly become flooded by wave after wave of eager migrants, rushing to the new plots of housing that are your first step into turning this once desertic place into a bursting metropolis. A close look is required to better appreciate the details placed into each character and structure, such as the graceful performers of the dance school or the talented jugglers.

Housing is but the start of the adventure, with roads necessary to connect each building, and an intricate chain of structures in place for you to learn and master. This is a tough game that does its best to teach you the basics during the tutorial missions, but even so, it feels like a skill test aimed at genre experts who absolutely love to explore the inner-workings and tricks of the trade in such an in-depth game.

Beyond the lovely new art lies a new user interface, one that thankfully trades the original’s Egyptian-styled font for a standard but infinitely more comprehensible one. There were various changes to the interface, which is now more appealing to see and use, an overhaul that saves on unnecessary clicks and lessens the area that it previously occupied, giving room for the graphics to shine.

In a nutshell, to the right you have your building options divided into categories to keep things neat and tidy. From services to food, production, religion, military, and more, a couple of clicks are enough to place a structure and watch it become fully functional. On the left you have a host of analytics that give you full insights on anything you could ever need, from treasury to worker distribution. There are no build times here; your bazaars and assorted facilities only need workers to get going, something that is easier said than done due to the fickle balance that these cities require. A few mistakes could be enough to ruin your plans, throwing your city into debt and to a point of no return.

Each in-game year counts and you must optimize work routes to effortlessly favor your city. One of the features at your disposal are roadblocks, a way to stop inhabitants from wandering into sectors that won’t bring you any benefits, consequently optimizing resource distribution. This is one example of many that city-builder experts will use to its fullest, potentially making all the difference between a successful challenge or a city that is going nowhere fast.

A Plague Tale

Pharaoh: A New Era isn’t an easy game, and that’s why it includes a few options to make the simulation a little less taxing for the more casual players. Aging population is one of the examples at hand, taking the limitations of aging population out of the equation and effectively allowing you to have a fixed worker ratio of 40% always available for work.

Being a Pharaoh isn’t all about building and managing the city’s facilities, there’s conflict as well. You may get the favor of the Gods or summon their wrath through various types of plagues, and opposing forces may attempt to pillage your territory in battles that are somewhat simplistic, a revamp that may divide opinions among fans of the original. One can claim that the focus of Pharaoh: A New Era isn’t the warfare, and rightly so, but as it stands, battles feel more like an afterthought than something fully realized.

One issue that may stump some players is the vast amount of information and the somewhat vague conditions to progress in a mission. The little hand-holding there is will please skilled strategists, but others will find themselves overwhelmed with all the charts and statistics to review. Failing to properly analyze these, along with each citizen’s needs will make the risk of running into debt a serious one, potentially compromising hours of commitment.

So Much to Do, So Much to See

Pharaoh: A New Era is a remake that works by respecting the original game and addressing some significant issues, namely UI design and functionality. The graphical update is a charming one and will only bother players who for some reason loathe cartoon hand-drawn worlds. In the end, what matters the most is that this is a rich, complex, and compelling city-builder that is going to please the most demanding fans of the genre for many weeks, potentially months to come.

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• A remake that mostly stays faithful to the original
• Cleaner and more efficient UI
• Complex and absorbing gameplay
• Beautiful hand-drawn cartoon graphics
• A longevity for the ages

Cons:

• Battle system was changed into a simplistic affair
• Amount of information can be overwhelming for some players

Pharaoh: A New Era review code provided by publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.