| Egypt 1156 B.C. – Tomb of the Pharaoh | |
| Developer: | Cryo Interactive Entertainment |
| Publisher: |
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| Released: | WindowsPlayStation |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Modes: | Single-player |
Egypt 1156 B.C. – Tomb of the Pharaoh (French: '''Égypte: 1156 av. J.-C. - L'Énigme de la tombe royale''') is a 1997 adventure video game co-published by Cryo Interactive Entertainment, Canal+ Multimedia and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux for the Microsoft Windows and PlayStation (PAL region only). It was later released in North America by DreamCatcher Interactive.
Egypt was a commercial hit, with sales of 550,000 units in Europe alone by December 2000.
Ramosé, a young Theban, is on a mission to exonerate his father, who has been accused of pillaging the tomb of Seti I. In the vault at dawn, he unveils a stone showing a map of the tomb and a monkey, hinting to Hori, a former draughtsman. Ramosé then sets off to the village of Deir el-Medina where he finds Hori lying dead in his cellar, along with clues alluding to a carpenter bound for the embalmers' workshop, where he discovers a wider plot the next day. He skillfully manages to pass for one of the conspirators and is led to a tomb where a burial is being held. Ramosé descends to the funerary chamber. He is immured but manages to escape via a tunnel which leads him to the site of a tomb in construction of another noble, Panéhesy, where a mourner awaits him. She leads him to the villa of the noble, who has organized a large festivity. Passing for one of the guests, he finds a map of the Festival Hall of Thutmose III in Karnak. At the temple, Ramosé finds parts of the pillage and documents alleging Ptahnéfer, a close relative of the pharaoh. His father is exonerated.
Serious Games and Edutainment Applications suggests that the 1997 video game Versailles 1685, a pioneer in the "cultural entertainment" genre that merged entertainment with cultural education, paved the way for games such as Egypt.[1]
Egypt was a commercial success. French newspaper Les Échos reported its sales at 250,000 units by November 1998, and noted that it was among 1997's 10 best-selling computer games.[2] According to Cryo Interactive, it sold above 500,000 copies by November 2000.[3] Marketing manager Mattieu Saint-Dennis explained in December that Egypts sales totaled 550,000 units in Europe alone, of which France accounted for 200,000 units.[4] By February 2004, Egypt and its sequel, Egypt II, had achieved combined global sales above 700,000 units.[5]
The game was followed by two sequels, and Egypt III.