Cleopatra

Little things like four sizes of statues as opposed to three or the ability to pay homage to a god to speed up Pyramid construction are nice. Major plagues such as frogs, locusts, rivers of blood, and hailstorms are not so nice, but do add spice to life. I managed to evade the spice, thankfully.

The major new things to look forward to are the new industries (henna is made into paint, oil is imported to make lamps) that serve to advance the cause of royal burial tomb building. You'll need to import luxuries to make the final resting place more comfy, but be aware that tomb robbers could take them as well. IN FACT ... I think I saw Lara Croft hovering around Tut's place.

No, not really.

Wild animals like scorpions, lions, and apes can wipe out your wandering villagers as they go about their daily tasks. While the police force seemed able to combat them, I couldn't SPECIFICALLY ASK the police to go after them. I must say I found that a little aggravating.

One of the really nice modifications lies in the ability to use a "choose a mission" button as opposed to "reliving the family history," Any mission in a campaign may be played in any order. There are new missions, which is to be expected in any add-on pack. Cleopatra teams up with the Romans to destroy her rebelling brother in one game, for example. There are new monuments, such as the Lighthouse and the Library of Alexandria to build.

The last truly great added feature lies in the ability to carry over family savings, monuments, and troops from mission to mission within a campaign. It's always nice to see you're still appreciated after a job well done. The designers at Impressions should feel the same way.

-Irishboy