In Computer Game Review, Scott Gehrs concluded, 'I found the action to be slow at first, but still interesting, and the activity of building my empire quite an enjoyable task.' GameSpot said 'Openly taking on Civilization 2 (Civ 2), the folks at Impressions have taken loads of interesting cultural information, fantastic sound and graphics, and full network support and combined them in a title that is full of atmosphere and life, but slightly lacking in its strategy content'. The game received mixed to positive reviews. Critical reception Reception to 'The Rise & Rule of Ancient Empires'
After release, it appeared in best-seller lists for the United States from the week ending 27 April to the week ending May 25. It was considered 'somewhat slower-paced than Civilization II and gets a bit dull on occasion', but easier for novice gamers as an introduction to the empire-building format. Like the Civilization franchise, each city produced military units that would take turns exploring the map. Each city had several buildings that could be upgraded, including a temple, a barracks, and a wall. Much of the focus of the game was building cities and armies. In it, the player is able to choose from six civilizations: the Celts, Egyptians, China, Ancient Greece, Indians, and Akkadians. The Rise & Rule of Ancient Empires is a 1996 empire-building strategy game developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra On-Line.
