Sid Meier’s Civilization II
Game Family:
Sid Meier's Civilization
Year:
1996
Nationality:
USA
Authors:
Jeff Briggs, Dave Ellis
Designer:
Brian Reynolds, Douglas Kaufman, Jeff Briggs
Artists:
Michael O. Haire
Publisher:
MicroProse, Koei (SNES)
Number of Players:
Single-player
Genre:
Turn-based strategy, 4X
Summary of the game
The second installment of the Civilization video game series, Civilization II (abbreviated Civ II) is a turn-based strategy video game (meaning players plan their moves in turns) where the player is able to act as the ruler of one of a variety of civilizations as they lead them through various periods of development (from the rise of civilizations around 4000 BCE to the Space Age). This series pioneered the “4X” style of game play, in which players explore land, expand into new territories, exploit resources, and exterminate opposing civilizations.
Avatar image cards of Ramesses II and Kleopatra VII in Sid Meier’s Civilization II (Image from Civ II Wiki, https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Egyptian_(Civ2)#Leaders)
Gameplay screenshot of the Egyptian civilization in Sid Meier’s Civilization II, showing the hieroglyphic figure that represents the civilization (Screenshot by author)
Egyptomania narratives or motifs
In this game, Egypt is a playable civilization, led by Ramesses II, as the male avatar, and Kleopatra VII, as the female avatar, and with a default capital city at Thebes. Ramesses and Kleopatra are depicted in the game via an image card (see screenshot), viewable in the diplomacy screen, and which seems to be loosely based on the Egyptian monumental relief style depictions of each figure. When a player chooses to play as Egypt, they are represented on the map as a vaguely Egyptian hieroglyphic figure (see gameplay screenshot).
Players can also build a Wonder once they have achieved a high level of in-game knowledge. The wonder for the Egyptian civilization is a pyramid. The civilopedia (an in-game encyclopedia that includes explanations of various aspects of the game) entry on the pyramid wonder denotes that the pyramids were built as burial monuments to the pharaohs and represented the pinnacle of the civilization. Within the game itself, rather than being associated with the burial of the Egyptian leader, the pyramid wonder allows the player to include a free granary in each city, and it can be built by any playable civilization.
Players can also build a Wonder once they have achieved a high level of in-game knowledge. The wonder for the Egyptian civilization is a pyramid. The civilopedia (an in-game encyclopedia that includes explanations of various aspects of the game) entry on the pyramid wonder denotes that the pyramids were built as burial monuments to the pharaohs and represented the pinnacle of the civilization. Within the game itself, rather than being associated with the burial of the Egyptian leader, the pyramid wonder allows the player to include a free granary in each city, and it can be built by any playable civilization.
Author: Tara Sewell-Lasater
Other information
Sewell-Lasater, T. 2023. Eternally Maligned as the Power-hungry Femme Fatale: Kleopatra VII in Assassin’s Creed Origins and Other Video Games”, in A.I. Fernández Pichel (ed) How Pharaohs Became Media Stars: Ancient Egypt and Popular Culture: 197. Oxford: Archaeopress.
Open access
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