Reviewed: May 26, 2004
Reviewed by: David Caviness
Publisher
The Adventure Company
Developer
Kheops Studios
Released: March 29, 2004
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
8
7
6
8
7.5
System Requirements
Recommended System
Of all the great legendary civilizations, ancient Egypt needs no introduction. The shadows of the Great Pyramids fall across the entire globe, furtive whispers of immortal curses and ungodly rituals reach ears thousands of miles away. Though we may never fully unravel the mysteries cloaked by the shifting desert sands, we are all at least somewhat familiar with the underlying myths and practices. Such knowledge is useful, as The Egyptian Prophecy thrusts you straight into the mystical time Before Christ.
All is not well in the Pharaoh’s kingdom, for he is slowly dying. Ramses II, uneager to greet the afterlife, seals a pact with the god Amun. In return for extending his life, the Pharaoh must rebuild Amun’s temple, in glorious, unprecedented proportions. Ramses takes on this monumental task and begins work immediately, but it is not long before problems arise. Accidents of a dubious nature prompt the Pharaoh to send the talented and beautiful magician Maya to investigate, and it is in her shoes that you find yourself as the game begins.
Plotline aside, the mechanical aspects of Egyptian Prophecy are closely aligned with standard adventure fare. The cursor takes on many forms to indicate whether you can move somewhere, pick something up, address someone or interact with an object. The random things you pilfer are kept in your inventory, where they can be examined further or perhaps manipulated. You can also access a journal here, which keeps track of what you’ve done and offers hints as to what should be done next. Though in practical terms the interface is nothing unusual, it is executed with such grace that it becomes remarkably easy to use and admire. With a right click it spreads across the bottom of the screen like a pair of wings, giving you access to spells, items, and whatever else you may need to complete your quest.
Speaking of magic, which Maya is quite fluent in, over the course of the game you acquire eight spells, all of which are useful in their own ways. They are based on actual Egyptian thaumaturgy, and serve as a nice diversion from the usual inventory guessing game. Authenticity plays an important role in Egyptian Prophecy, as is evident from the attention to historic detail in almost all aspects of the game.
Also provided is a Documentary Database, a sort of encyclopedic tool that offers a veritable wealth of information about ancient Egypt. Much of this information also happens to be relevant to the task at hand, and it’s nice to see designers pay homage to ancient myth without defiling it with inaccuracies and falsehoods. Instead Egyptian Prophecy weaves a compelling story while staying faithful to its source material.
So when you’re not conversing with the well-stocked and informative range of characters or gathering donkey feces, what’s a magician to do? This is an adventure game, so the obvious answer to that question is solve puzzles. Ancient Egyptians were, after all, known for building arcane devices and elaborate tombs. The puzzles here are well integrated, that is they fit nicely into the game’s environment as opposed to appearing absurd and unnecessary, and they present a healthy challenge. Nothing too mind boggling, of course, but this is a game – not a MENSA entrance exam.
It’s a good thing ancient Egyptians had such a knack for breathtaking feats of architecture and masonry, because the desert is not always the most colorful of environs. Fortunately, you do not spend your time wandering from one sand dune to the next, but instead get the distinct pleasure of exploring structures marked by intricate patterns and gargantuan columns. You’re given complete 360 degree control over your perspective, and this liberty is not wasted, for there are many things to see, whether they are important or just interesting.
On the other hand, the graphics do have the all-too-common Kodak snapshot quality to them, which is not always conducive to the ideal of immersion. This does not detract, however, from the game’s artistic merit and painstaking detail. The characters are depicted as how we would imagine the people from that time, with their smooth olive-tinted skin and jet black hair. Egyptian Prophecy does a fine job of recreating ancient structures and peoples from the ashes of time, granting a glimpse into what ancient Egypt might’ve been like.
You could probably, without having ever heard it, imagine what the music for this game would be like, and you wouldn’t be far from the mark. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good, just that it won’t surprise you, and thankfully, won’t annoy you either. It certainly adds to the almost overwhelming theme of mystery and occultism, and seems appropriate at all times.
The voice acting is well spoken and easy to understand, but does not attempt to sound even remotely Egyptian. Perhaps our Western minds would be confused by authentic regional accents, but it seems odd when in almost every other way the game tends to follow the path of factual history and unaltered myth. The voices could be much, much worse, but it is always bizarre when the Egyptian priest you’re speaking to sounds like your neighbor. Ambient sounds are abundant and used to great effect and deserve no complaints.
Depending on your aptitude with games of this ilk, you should get a fair amount of engrossing gameplay and a generous helping of edification from Egyptian Prophecy. The asking price, twenty bucks, is far from unreasonable and easily within the range of the thrifty gamer. If you’re at all interested in the history and religion of ancient Egypt, this would be a great opportunity to explore the subject while still being entertained. If you just like looking at obelisks while blowing stuff up, maybe you should opt for Serious Sam instead.
Though Egyptian Prophecy is unlikely to win any acclaim or interest from gamers who don’t generally pay regard to the adventure genre, it stands as a fine example of why the genre still lives. It is at once intriguing, educating, amusing and ultimately fulfilling. It builds upon the solid foundation of adventure conventions masterfully, much as the brilliant architects of ancient Egypt erected temples and monuments that even today challenge our conception of what mankind is capable of. The subject matter is interesting, as countless documentaries and Hollywood mockeries can attest to, and the game behind the history is as well. Overall, an excellent job, even if it suffers a bit from a limited range of appeal.