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The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The team was established in 1989 and has since become a prominent franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Magic play their home games at the Amway Center, a state-of-the-art arena located in downtown Orlando. Throughout its history, the Orlando Magic has had its fair share of successes and challenges. The team has made it to the NBA Finals twice, in 1995 and 2009. Although they ultimately did not win the championship in either of those seasons, these appearances showcased the Magic's talent and ability to compete at the highest level.

The latest one, The Curse of the Pharaohs, is the best yet.

It can feel like busywork given how many times Assassin s Creed Origins has asked us to perform these exact same objectives in service of other storylines. Released in March of 2018, the expansion takes our protagonist, Bayek of Siwa, to Thebes home to the great temples of Luxor and Karnak and to the Theban Necropolis, including the famed Valley of the Kings.

Although they ultimately did not win the championship in either of those seasons, these appearances showcased the Magic's talent and ability to compete at the highest level. Over the years, the Magic has had several notable players on its roster. One of the most iconic figures in the team's history is center Shaquille O'Neal, who played for the Magic from 1992 to 1996.

Game Review: Assassin’s Creed – The Curse of the Pharaohs

In the spring, the Nile Scribes invited guest blogger Emily Hotton to tell us how Egypt is represented in the latest installment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise: Origins. The game developers recently added a new expansion called “The Curse of the Pharaohs” featuring the afterlife worlds of four Egyptian royals. This week, we are pleased to welcome Emily Hotton back for a review of the expansion.

Promotional poster for ACO: The Curse of the Pharaohs (Photo: Ubisoft)

Guest Scribe: Emily Hotton

In my previous two reviews of Ubisoft’s 2017 addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Origins (read Review #1 and Review #2), I praised and criticised the base game and the Discovery Tour in equal measure. I enjoyed this installment of the franchise immensely and respected the time and effort the developers and consultants gave towards perfecting the finished product. That appreciation, however, was nearly shattered with the release of the largest expansion to the game to date: “The Curse of the Pharaohs”.

Released in March of 2018, the expansion takes our protagonist, Bayek of Siwa, to Thebes: home to the great temples of Luxor and Karnak and to the Theban Necropolis, including the famed Valley of the Kings. Bayek is drawn to Thebes due to rumours that the kings of old are reawakening, mysteriously massacring the innocent citizens of the city. In order to stop this otherworldly phenomenon, Bayek must travel to the afterlives of each of the resurrected pharaohs through their tombs in the Valley of the Kings in order to save Thebes from this “curse”.

The city of Thebes as it was reimagined during the Ptolemaic Period (Photo: Ubisoft)

I was somewhat disappointed that a large expansion was playing into one of the biggest cliches of ancient Egypt in popular culture. Since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV 62) in 1922 by Howard Carter, the stereotype of the mummy’s curse has been irrevocably interwoven with ancient Egypt’s portrayal in popular media. The base game and its first expansion, “The Hidden Ones,” avoided the stereotype and instead stuck to a storyline delicately interwoven with the main franchise’s overarching plot. Like the decision to make Bayek a Medjay or choosing the decline of the Ptolemaic dynasty as the setting, I feel this decision to perpetuate the false notion of the “curse of the mummy” was made to draw attention to the game instead of focusing on educating those unfamiliar with Egyptian histor y.

Ba-birds, representations of the human soul in ancient Egypt, are seen flying through Nefertiti’s Afterlife (Photo: Ubisoft)

What Was Well Done

(1) Entering the Afterlife

Bayek enters the afterlives of Nefertiti (1353-1336 BC), Akhenaten (1353-1336 BC), Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC), and Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) in order to end their terrorizing in the living world.In general, I found the process of entering the afterlife to be a well-rendered experience. It plays appropriately into the themes of the Underworld Books which dictate the soul’s journey into the afterlife. The one criticism I have was the use of false doors: while universal in tomb architecture of the Old Kingdom, false doors do not appear in the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings as they do in the game. Regardless of this fact, the false doors do work quite well to transport Bayek from the realm of the living to the dead.

False door leading to the afterlife in the rear of Tutankhamun’s in-game tomb (KV 62). (Photo: Ubisoft)

After Bayek makes his way through the false door, he finds himself in a long chamber with water flowing across a narrow walkway dotted with waterlilies and pads – the Lake of Flowers. On either side stand tall, intimidating statues – presumably representing the 42 Judges of the Dead. Powerful voices echo through the chamber, both male and female. Initially, I thought the recited lines were those of the well-known Negative Confession and this was the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at before Osiris and the 42 Judges. But, listening closely, I realized the judges were accusing Bayek of transgressions: “Have you killed the innocent; the weak? Murdered for your cause! Avenge yourself; burn with rage! Cause terror in the hearts of innocents?” The effect was even more dramatic than the “I have not” confession formula featured in the Weighing of the Heart scene. I adore this adaptation – while not replicating the exact Negative Confession uttered by the deceased, you are given strong admonishments from powerful voices as you progress through the hall to the afterlife.

Waterlily path, where the Bayek hears the judgments of the gods. (Photo: Ubisoft)

(2) Tutankhamun’s Tomb

As with the base game, the attention to detail in the expansion is phenomenal. There is intention behind the placement of every object, and wall scene. For example, Tutankhamun’s tomb is filled to the brim with royal funerary grave goods, while the others are mostly empty – picked clean in antiquity. This reflects reality: Tutankhamun’s tomb, though still looted at least twice in antiquity, was promptly resealed and eventually lost after the stairs were mistakenly buried.The one criticism I have for Tutankhamun’s tomb is the entrance: it should have been inaccessible from the surface due to the Ramesside workmen’s huts which blocked the stairs until Carter’s rediscovery of the tomb in the 1920s.

Treasury room in the tomb of Tutankhamun (Photo: Ubisoft)

Another detail worth mentioning were the thrones of the pharaohs within their afterlives. Each throne has a famous scene depicted on the back of the seat – though I would say the scene from Tutankhamun’s throne is most recognizable. The throne bears the same scene found on one of his many funerary chairs. The throne (JE 62028) made its home in the Egyptian Museum, but will soon be displayed together with the entire Tutankhamun collection in the Grand Egyptian Museum which is currently under construction at Giza.

This is where this add-on gets to really commit to the idea of Egyptian mythology, and it makes good on the opportunity. Every afterlife setting is splendidly unique, but there are constants that tie them all together. The enemy guards are jackals instead of humans. Unsettling ba-birds (ostensibly birds with human heads) flock to most every edifice. Giant scorpions rove freely, acting as passive guardians of the land.

O'Neal was known for his dominant presence on the court and played a crucial role in popularizing the team. Another key player for the Magic was power forward Dwight Howard, who played for the team from 2004 to 2012. Howard's athleticism and shot-blocking abilities made him a force to be reckoned with, and he helped lead the Magic to their second NBA Finals appearance in 2009. In recent times, the Orlando Magic has gone through a rebuilding phase, focusing on developing young talent and creating a strong team culture. While the team has not achieved significant success in terms of playoff appearances or championships in recent years, there is optimism for the future as the Magic continue to build a solid foundation. Overall, the Orlando Magic is a respected franchise in the NBA, with a loyal fan base and a history of success. While recent years have been challenging, the team's commitment to growth and development indicates a promising future. As the Magic continue to build and improve, fans eagerly await the day when they once again reach the pinnacle of basketball success..

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