Customer Reviews

Zeus: Master of Olympus

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I finally got my hands on a copy of Zeus, and it surely doesn't disappoint. First off I noticed that this game plays very similar to Pharaoh. The animations of the characters that walk around have been slightly improved, but the biggest leap forward is the animations of the gods who walk around your city. Those are some of the best looking sprites I have EVER seen in any game, great job on those. Another aspect of the game which I love is all the little soundbites in the game. I spent hours clicking on everything I could to hear what they have to say, most of the time its really funny. Not only that you hear the strangest comments during the game, one that stands out is I always seem to hear someone saying, "Where's my spear, how can I be a spear carrier without my spear". Just little things like that make the game exciting. As for the monument building side of this game, it does take a lot less time than building a pyramid did in Pharaoh, but don't get me wrong, we are still talking hours in some cases, not that I mind. Some of the original new parts of this game is that you can blackmail and attack other city states if you wish. Everytime I have tried thus far I usually come out on the losing end mainly cause of to small a force. The campaign structure part of the game is a little different than past city builders in that you have these smaller Adventures which don't take nearly as long. Some are a little to easy, but I still think this is a great idea for future player created adventures. What can I say, I just love this game, it expands on all other city builders, looks great, sounds great, and any game that keeps me up till 3am four consecutive nights has my vote for a great game!

I've been a fan of Impression's games since Pharaoh, which I found to be thoroughly enjoyable. It was with Pharaoh that I realized how much I like city building games. So I was really looking forward to Zeus when I first read about it earlier this year. After playing the game for probably over 10 hours, I believe I can honestly say that I like it better than Pharaoh.

At first I was a little disappointed that the game wasn't as based in history as Pharaoh. Also, the graphics were a bit more on the cartoon side than I was hoping for. So my first impression was negative. But after playing it, I think I understand why they made changes that they did. The cartoon aspect to the graphics (the gods walk around your city blessing industry or possibly destroying it) I believe is intentionally done to illustrate that the game is not trying to be historically accurate. And the mythology aspect of the game is actually very engaging.

Pharaoh often used the building of monuments as the goals for the different scenarios. Zeus often uses mythology as its main goals, which is a refreshing twist (especially if you enjoy Greek mythology). So instead of a mock history lesson (as you get with Pharaoh) with Zeus you get a mock mythology lesson. I also find the interface to the game a little improved the the interface with Pharaoh. It is similar, but somewhat stream-lined and you don't have to leave the main screen to visit your advisors.

All in all, it is an improvement in their city building series. So if you enjoyed Pharaoh, I believe you will enjoy Zeus (probably a little more).

Ever wonder why the Greek Gods treated their people so harshly and why the Greeks continued to work so feverishly? In Zeus: Master of Olympus, a game by Sierra Studios and Impression Games, you are able to come to your own conclusion.

The third in a "City Building Series." Zeus proves that it's better to rule than to be ruled. Built on the same engine as its predecessors, Caesar III and Pharaoh, the subtle difference will make this one stand on its own.

Your objectives are simple. Provide food and jobs for your cities inhabitants and some of life's other luxuries such as, entertainment, wine, and sport. Build an economy through industry, trade, and diplomacy. Have a stout army at the ready. Oh... and don't piss off the gods!

Actually succeeding at these goals is not as easy as stated. Food and other commodities should be made accessible to your vendors who will then distribute them to the local residents. Leisure activities should also be a short commute. This flow of prosperity is symbolized by the walking citizens in you city. If a resident hasn't been visited by these folk then it will begin to suffer. This can be controlled by the use of strategically placed roadblocks, which will prevent access to certain citizens into already covered or unnecessary areas. Deliverymen, foreign merchants, immigrants, and emigrants amongst others will not be affected.

This brings trade and industry to mind. You will have to farm, herd, mold, forge, and squish (wine and olive oil) your way to an economic Mecca. These goods can then be traded to other Greek cities or foreign lands. Instead of opening trade routes like in Caesar III. You have to build storehouses specific for that city or country. Here you'll be able to micro manage what is imported/exported and how much.

Diplomacy plays a major role in all events. This aspect of the game is much more robust than its earlier counterparts. There are different levels of tolerance these city-states will have towards you, from being hostile to becoming your vassal, which will pay you tribute and meet your request for goods and military services. Giving gifts, making requests, raiding and full on invasion will insure your city's survival. You may even have the chance of establishing a remote colony that will serve the home city without question.

Recruiting a military is done through your palace. A certain percentage of you population will be available for "Muster." Their type will depend upon the goods they have access to and what kind of resident they live in. The type of unit will also determine what kind of special tactic they can use. They can be set to defend the city or sent abroad for invasions, raids or even as help for a friendly city in trouble. Battle can take place on land and sea. If all is quiet, they can be sent home to work as civilians eagerly waiting for the next call to arms. If you think that the neighboring city that's monopolizing all the wine is your biggest fear, think again.

This all sounds very typical to the average "City Builder" game. Well when you mix in a raging minotaur, a two ton bronze warrior, and a seven headed hydra you get something much more palatable. With the help of heroes such as Odysseus and Hercules, you will be able to counter such monstrosities. Then there are the gods. Who crave more attention than a newborn baby Spartan. Erecting immensely huge monuments in their name is the only way that seems to appease their appetite. Of course, if you do they will grant you some sort of blessing that can help you in many ways. You will even be able to pray at the temple for more favor. As with all immortal beings, they tend to get jealous if not shown an equal amount of attention. They may summon a monster to wreak havoc or jump in and get their hands dirty with the destruction of your beloved city.

With five or more campaigns and an open economic or military scenario, ensures hours upon hours of replay ability. There is even a sandbox mode, where you are given a piece of land and a green light for city building fun. Packaged with a smooth in game tutorial and well-structured manual, Impression Games and Sierra Studios have yet again reached another pinnacle in their "City Builder" series. Get a copy now before Zeus opens a can of lightning bolt.

I am Matthew and I am eight years old. (My mom is typing this for me.) Zeus is so great that even my dad wants to buy it to use it to teach to his class because it is so realistic. What else? All my friends love it, even two twins that are my friends are actually buying it because they played it at my house. I especially like it that if you don't build maintenance houses your buildings will burn down or collapse. And that every time you build a temple to a god, it has its own benefits. I recommend it to everyone who loves the Sims (and Greek mythology). I have already bought Posiedon, Pharoah, and Caesar III and can't wait to play them.

I love city builder games and the great thing about Sierra is that they get better and better with each new game. Some of the annoying things about Caesar III and Pharaoh have been addressed. Your townspeople are much smarter and you are better able to direct them. You are also able to section areas off so that you have more control. Overall I think game play has been made much more user friendly. I was worried initially because some of the art work is not as good as previous games but once you start playing the graphics are just as good. The people still say amusing little things when you click on them. Perhaps sillier then the other games. The gods and monsters are very amusing and add a new element to the game. One of my favorite things is that some of the sound effects are actually in "surround sound" very neat! Their are little extras as well in the graphics if you are observant. My favorite is the firewatchman up on the lookout tower. His cape is on fire. :)

"Zeus: Master of Olympus" is an excellent game. It's the best in Impression Game's "City Building" Series (Pharaoh, Caesar III, and Zeus). Zeus is fun and challenging, but not as complicated as Pharaoh and the Caesar games. It has a light-hearted tone to it and the episodes are easier to pass. The designers made a wise choice in relying more on Greek myth than history (though the history is accurate in most counts). The truth is is that, to the Greeks, myth was very important and every myth was written in detail, so much so that whole "Zeus" adventures could be built around one. This is an excellent game and the best of the series and probably the best game I've ever played. I reccomend this to anyone interested in Greek Mythology or ancient history, or anyone that likes strategic city-building.

There has been a run of city-building games recently, from Caesar in Rome, to Pharoh in Egypt, to the various expansion packs. It was sort of inevitable that their attention would move on to Greece, one of our founding civiliations.

Zeus follows in its predecessors footsteps, making it relatively simple to pick up on the basic idea. You plant your crops, build your industries, set up trade and shops and tax collectors. Add in some basic services - home maintenance, water, infirmaries.

They've got, of course, Greek-themed things to build. The theater is a big draw, as are the gymnasiums and schools of philosophy. It's religion, though, where this game differs from the others. Instead of trying to balance your way through keeping all the gods happy, in most missions you are working towards bringing in a hero, or pleasing a certain god. And these gods are very personal!

The first mission, for example, involves a hydra. You don't build up warriors to kill it - you biuld a temple to the hero Hercules, and once you make the town alluring enough, he appears and roams around, spouting heroisms. He goes and kills the Hydra for you, and all is well.

The game has a series of tutorials for those who haven't played this type of sim before, but for those experienced in the others, diving into the first "beginner" mission isn't a walk in the park. Unlike some other games where the first missions boringly walk you through the same old crop maintenance, this starts you full bore into the game, with a very wide selection of buildings you can use and things to do. It gets more challenging from there.

There are also various open play options, if you just want to create your own military adventure or build a city that stretches from coast to coast. In all, the game is not a huge change from its predecessors, but it's still quite fun!

Zeus is more than Pharaoh moved to Greece. The entire game has been changed to fit ancient Greek culture in the Heroic Age. Another change is the introduction of mythic characters directly into the player's city building. Add a streamlined interface, and you get probably the best city-building game to date. In this game, one starts an adventure covering an historical city-state's development over time. Each adventure is made up of "episodes". The episodes all have certain goals to reach: population, political/military/economic power, religous goals. These mini-games link together, so that what is accomplished in the previous one continues on to through the rest. Depending on victory conditions, and how well you did last game, each episode can run 15min - 2hours. Although somewhat cartoonish (not that this is a bad thing), there are historical bases for how the game plays. Unlike Pharaoh where one takes orders from on high or gives them to the entire country, in Zeus your city-state is an entity unto itself-you answer to no one. Unless, your city is taken by another independent city-state. Thus diplomacy is an important facet of city development. Another historical "engine" is the role of religion. Here the gods have very human personalities: they hold grudges and try to get you to worship them promising blessings on your community. Again, very Greek in the relationship and "ethos" of religion. The raising and employment of your military forces is also quite historical. In Zeus there are four basic types: "Rabble", "Hoplites", "Cavalry" and "Triremes" (navy). Rabble closely model "Peltastoi"-Peltasts light infantrymen who did basically throw rocks as depicted in the game; they are defensive troops only. Hoplites are the guys depicted on vases. They formed the famous Phalanx and did come from the wealthier classes; Cavalry are mounted Hoplites in game terms. Both can be used (as can the navy) to raid/attack your rivals. As in actual Greek cities, whether to mobilize your forces for offensive or defensive operations is a weighty decision. These are citizen-soldiers, so while mobilized their civilian jobs are not being done. If you choose to defend your city every time it's being attacked, the result can be economic disaster, even if you win militarily. Overall, this is a great game, and probably a better history lesson than most folks realize...

I don't play city building games very often because I assume, as I'm standing in the software store looking at the back of the box, that they are too festidious. You are constatly juggling the minutia of balancing a budget or keeping guns vs. butter in check. And they typically seem to come with a long learning curve. The only game I truly enjoyed that might be considered from this genre is Populus II. That's one of my top 10.

The only reason I even looked at Zeus is that it reminded me on Populous II in regards to conjuring up other gods, etc. Still I expected to be disappointed.

Oh Man, is this game fun. And so addictive! My wife hates it! It's a pretty rich game in that you can play for hours and hours and keep learning litte nuggets that help overall. The tutorials are a must but quick and worth the time. The graphics are terrific and from what I've seen, clearly better than its predacessor Pharoah. Sound is great too although I'm not sure I'm comfortable with ancient Greeks saying things like "Whoa, Dude". But then Pharoah was critizied for adhereing too closely to history. This game has opened my eyes again to city building games.

I had previously purchased Caesar and Pharaoh/Cleopatra games put out by Sierra, so I was expecting much the same with Zeus. I was in for a surprise. Although the game has a similar software engine playing the game is much different. In Caesar and Pharaoh, one had to satisfy population, culture and prosperity levels before winning the game and moving on to the next scenario. Usually, my level of prosperity never got high enough to win and I would get bored. The solution was to use the cheats to go to the next level.

Happily, with Zeus this has changed. Each game has several different goals that you can win without spending months attempting to fulfill. For example, in order to summon the hero Jason to kill Thalos, one needs a required number of horses, food and wine. The goals can be reached without protracted effort so you will not wait and wait for Jason to show up.

I found Zeus much more fun that the other city building games by Sierra. Also valuable was the tutorial that allows you to walk through the scenarios and provide an idea how to better place buildings. An educational side to the game is the chance to explore Greek mythology that may spur many players to read up on these fascinating stories.