In this game, Egypt is a playable civilization, led by Ramesses and with a default capital city at Thebes. Ramesses is a generalized Egyptian figure, with Nemes headdress and holding a flail and crook (see gameplay screenshot). Although the player can develop their civilization from the ancient period into the space age, the Ramesses avatar always stays the same, presented with the imagery of an ancient pharaoh. In the payer’s in-game interactions with the pharaoh, only the background figures change to evolve with the times, as seen in the in-game screenshots where the people behind Ramesses go from Egyptian figures to modern police and political figures. This is partially a game mechanic, where the Ramesses avatar is kept the same so as to be recognized by the player throughout gameplay. But it also speaks to the current popular culture image of Egypt as a society that remained unchanged and unmodified for millennia, hinting towards the idea that Egypt was static and immobile. This idea is also echoed in the cover art of the game, where the image of a stone pharaoh is seen buried under a modern city (see game cover image). In popular culture, Egypt is seen as exotic and eternal, always stuck in the ancient past, which is seen as both a good characteristic, Egypt is lauded for its strength and longevity, but also a bad characteristic, where Egypt is a symbol of stasis and a reluctance to evolve with the times.