In fact, it was precisely this kind of urban entrepreneurship that elevated China, the Middle Kingdom in question, to the position of the pre-eminent power on the Asian continent. Despite the positive reviews many were critical of the lack of originality and reported little difference between Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom and previous Impression games.The last person to walk into the middle of a field in China, plant a flagpole and declare: "I will build a great city here," was probably subjected to eight months of intensive anti-bourgeois conditioning and Maoist revolutionary indoctrination.
ReceptionĮmperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom received generally favorable reviews with a rating of 77 on Metacritic. Often the objectives involve producing a set amount of a commodity, conquering other cities, achieving a certain population level, or building a monument. Players may play the campaigns in any order they choose, though the difficulty level ramps up parallel to the chronology. In some cases, a city may be revisited after centuries have passed, having changed dramatically or fallen into ruins during the intervening years. Often, they will be sent to build up a new city, or be sent back to a previous city to accomplish a new goal. Because players serve several dynasties and Emperors throughout the game, they will not always be building the same city. 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.įoodstuffs, technologies, and religions evolve over the centuries, closely matching the actual history of Chinese culture.
In the first campaign, the player is simply a humble villager elder, in charge of leading a nomadic tribe to settle down along the river. 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. The seven campaigns of Emperor span nearly 3300 years of classical Chinese history, from the Xia Dynasty to the Jin dynasty. As such, building a monument generally requires that the city first establish a strong economy and military.
The player can build defensive walls and man them with archers for improved defense.Įventually, 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. Troops and guards are necessary to protect the city from military invasions and subterfuge. But heroes can also be made very happy, which can prompt them to visit the city and confer benefits to it.īeyond the city itself, the player must pay heed to rivals and enemies. Principally, offerings are made to appease the heroes and prevent them from becoming angry and inflicting disasters upon the city.
In the meantime, the player may elect to make offerings to the ancestral heroes. Beyond this, the player must manage trade and taxes in order to fund further development and expansion. If food and basic goods and services are provided in abundance, the city will eventually improve. This involves keeping the populace well-fed, healthy, and safe from hazards. The most basic task in each mission is to maintain the city.
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