The cut-scenes, puzzles, and objects are Egyptian themed since the game is set in Alexandria in 48 BCE. The game includes several well-known locations throughout Alexandria, including the Library and Pharos Lighthouse (see screenshot). Egyptian temples and obelisks serve as the backdrops for some scenes, and the player explores houses that are accurately reproduced. Although, the game does seem to confuse some Mesopotamian motifs as Egyptian. For instance, crenelated walls decorated in Mesopotamian blue tiles, adorned with the distinctive Mesopotamian lions (akin to those on the Ishtar Gate), are seen in several scenes that the player explores. Aside from that, many of the puzzles ask the player to use Egyptian hieroglyphs, astrological tools, or identify Egyptian deities (as shown in the screenshot of the ‘Weighing of the Heart’ ceremony). The characters the player interacts with wear Egyptian clothing, including linen kilts, pectoral necklaces, and arm bands.

Although Kleopatra is the namesake of the game, the player only interacts with her a few times during gameplay. In the cut scenes depicting her, Kleopatra is shown in skin-tight clothing, emphasizing her large breasts and swaying hips (see screenshot), and she speaks with a lilting and seductive tone. She is depicted as being promiscuous and aggressive, a characterization that is taken directly from the Roman view of the queen.

Author: Tara Sewell-Lasater