Delving into the sands of time, Total War: PHARAOH offers players a grand journey through Ancient Egyptian history, blending intricate strategy with a rich historical tapestry. Grand Strategy is a bit of a specific genre that allows players to take control of a nation’s armies and resources in order to advance the aspirations of said nation further, whether that be diplomacy or the battlefield. The fighting gets down to in-depth tactical military strategy, where the entire field of battle is in play and troop movements, positioning, terrain, and even weather are paramount to whether each fight is a win or loss.
On the flip side, the diplomatic reaches of the nation chosen include sending emissaries for trade or alliance, gathering resources and scientific advancements, or even assassination attempts. Titles like this are complex and can last for incredibly long play sessions, and at the top of the pyramid is the Total War series, which began in 2000 with Shogun: Total War and has seen iterations in Rome, France, and even crossed over with the Warhammer franchise.
The next release in this storied franchise is Total War: PHARAOH—which once again allows players to embark on global domination, but this time during a pivotal and turbulent era of Ancient Egyptian history. Choosing between various characters vying for the throne allows for multiple playthroughs as well as differing strategies, with each having their own set of strengths and weaknesses.
“Titles like this are complex and can last for incredibly long play sessions, and at the top of the pyramid is the Total War series.”
The basic mechanics of Total War: PHARAOH can be broken down into two camps—what takes place during battle vs. what takes place on the overview map as you make moves as a nation rather than just as a specific army. Whether playing single-player or head-to-head with a friend, nearly everything you’ll be doing in Total War: PHARAOH boils down to tactical decisions being made for the betterment of your nation, which is an incredible oversimplification of a complex game.
While conquering rival nations, keeping your armies and people fed, and upgrading weapons through scientific advancements are pretty commonplace in the Total War series, Total War: PHARAOH puts an emphasis on religion, as sacred lands and the worship of the gods add a mythological twist on the game that any fan of old religion will truly enjoy being paired with a game such as this.
Additionally, real-life events and people make Total War: PHARAOH something of a first-hand experience on things you might have fallen asleep being lectured on in a class years ago. While I personally went to school for History and fall in love with settings and stories like this, some might find this is a much more palatable way to learn of ancient conquest and strife than a textbook, which is one hell of a bonus for a video game.
“Total War: PHARAOH puts an emphasis on religion, as sacred lands and the worship of the gods add a mythological twist on the game.”
The use of the Ancient Legacy mechanic allows the player to go a step further and branch out from history altogether to create their own lasting legacies on the lands they rule. This enhances your standing as a nation and follows on from some of the historical events mentioned earlier, but gameplay-wise it will help you to develop your nation into a powerhouse on an international scale.
The idea of legitimacy to stake a claim on the throne is used in Total War: PHARAOH in order to restrain the player from progressing too quickly in these ways—allowing them to make smaller strides before being crowned as Pharaoh, but it just doesn’t really do more than slow the player down rather than actually explaining some of the mechanics a bit better.
Also, while the game is gorgeous and running through Ancient Egypt’s vast deserts in battle is quite the spectacle, Total War: PHARAOH does chug more than I would have hoped. I have what would most likely be considered a mid-tier PC, and even after turning down the visual settings to Medium and Low in a lot of categories, load times are still way too long (sometimes reaching into minutes rather than seconds), while also experiencing several crashes throughout.
Some of this can probably be written off as a launch hiccup, with updates and optimizations surely coming down the pipe as soon as possible. It’s a product that obviously either needs high-quality equipment, the lowest graphical settings possible in some instances, or a bit more time in the oven to offer a better overall experience that fans of the franchise would hope for from this iconic series.
Total War: PHARAOH builds on everything that Creative Assembly has made up until this point, with a setting and historical playground that is to die for, that beloved Grand Strategy model that keeps gameplay interesting through tons of different mechanics, as well as the improvements to visuals and new mechanics that come with every iteration. I just wish Total War: PHARAOH ran better and had a bit more polish.
