Zeus: Master of Olympus Critic Reviews

The city-building series has been popular before, but we think Zeus has the potential to blow this series up big-time.

Zeus is a different city builder game because it is not restricted to just that. It is also a game of wits and diplomacy, as well a game of survival in the struggle for power.

Its total package is made up of great game play, great graphics, great sound . . . just an overall great experience.

Despite my inability to pin down what really makes this title so special, it is easy to say that it is exactly this reason that I feel that it has actually one-upped the respected Pharaoh.

The game is extremely well designed, has lots of innovation, has replayability galore, and is loads of fun to play.

In depth campaigns and three open-ended sandbox modes give you all the game you could ever want.

Shorter scenarios, smarter AI, and extensive military features make the game much more fun and intriguing, and the mythology aspects add a whole new dynamic.

Quite easy to learn, but incredibly difficult to master. Perhaps it's just me who needs to do a little adjusting, but I think newcomers to the city-building games are going to be in for a rough time.

Apart from striking the perfect balance between historical fact and romanticized fiction, they've managed to capture the essence of what makes the city building series fun and turn it into a game that feels almost wholly different from "Caesar III "and "Pharaoh."

If you are looking for a festive thinker to play in between consuming copious amounts of booze, this will be ideal, although I wouldn't recommend playing it with a hangover. A thoroughly addictive, engrossing game that ranks among my top five for this year.

A well oiled machine (not unlike Kirk Douglas in "Spartacus") that needs no fine tuning. While the pacing is a bit slow (even with the game going at top speed), the gameplay is nevertheless addicting.

The game dynamics are the best improvement in the game. Structures are being built faster, and require fewer resources.

If you're new to the series or a Greek aficionado then this is an excellent place to start, but if you stopped playing one of the earlier games after a few levels there's nothing that'll inspire you to play any more of this one.

Zeus plays like a best-of-all-worlds combination of some of the greatest strategy games ever.

It’s to the developer’s credit that this does not feel at all like "Pharaoh" with a Greek touch, but has its own feel and style to it.

If you loved "Caesar" and "Pharaoh," you'll probably really like Zeus. You'll probably enjoy the game also if you enjoy the challenge of building a city and an economy to run it, provided you have the patience to wait for your efforts to bear fruit.

It delivers more great city building action with enough twists on the genre to keep fans playing for hours on end.

Its faster pace, simpler city design, and mythological elements open the game to more casual players, but it retains enough depth to entertain long-time fans and adds the broader world-view they have requested for years. In other words, it's fun!

I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised with how well polished a game this is.

Though city-building strategy is a niche genre that has never been my favorite, it's fair to say that ZMO is the most fun I've had in quite a while.