Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom takes aspiring city governors to ancient China, adding several revolutionary features, including multiplayer gameplay, a first in the city-building genre. Leaving the Mediterranean behind, the city-building series makes its first foray into Asia and immerses the player in brand new surroundings. This is the world in which the player will take the reigns of leadership and take their cities through the twists and turns of Chinese history.
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom also offers gamers their first opportunity to play a city building game with their friends, online via the Internet. A great variety of both collaborative and competitive multiplayer games will be offered. Players may need to collaborate in building one of China's engineering marvels, or they may share a common goal to attain a certain level of affluence. In competitive multiplay, players take sides--or may be a side unto themselves--and fight for sole power over China.
The Impressions city building franchise continues with the ancient Chinese management sim Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom. Following on from Caesar and Zeus the premise is much the same, take control of a series of cities with varying resources, needs and objectives and build them up until you have satisfied all the criteria for promotion. Then it's time to pack your tea chest and move on to the next burgeoning metropolis.
The updates from previous historical incarnations are not exactly plentiful but then if you are a fan of this kind of game, the setting and new challenges are enough to provide variety and the incredibly addictive game play can not be underestimated. The scenarios are suitably involved, and advancement usually involves a minimum number of particular types of citizen, trade criteria and a certain amount of cash in the treasury.
Money is made not only through taxes, but by trading with your neighbours and it's this diplomatic element of the game that is one of the most fun. Most of your neighbours are ambivalent to you at the start and it's your job to bring them round to your way of thinking either through bribes, tributes or your military might.
Religion is another important factor. Your people are a superstitious race and no wonder as the gods are part of their daily lives, if you don't make enough offerings to your chosen divinity you might find yourself with a plague or famine on your hands but if you make regular gifts and devote enough festivals to your ancestral deities then they will walk among your populace granting all manner of helpful bonuses.