Article Key Points
Total War: Pharaoh features cinematic cutscenes and animations that add depth to the characters and provide historical context, enhancing immersion.
The enhanced dynamic weather system creates a wider range of battle scenarios and tactics by influencing troop effectiveness and army movement. Total War: Pharaoh immerses players in the vivid environmental details of beautifully designed campaign maps and combat environments that vividly bring Ancient Egypt to life.
Total War: Pharaoh, developed by Creative Assembly, is the latest addition to the popular RTS franchise. This game takes players to Ancient Egypt, during a time of great prosperity and power. Players can lead armies from various factions like Ancient Egypt, The Canaanites, and The Hittites. Although the campaign mode has a smaller scale compared to previous games, the intricacy of the game world allows for diverse and dynamic gameplay.
Total War: Pharaoh may not introduce groundbreaking advancements like A Total War Saga: Troy, but it still incorporates several minor innovations worth mentioning. Overall, the game shows improvement compared to its predecessors, despite encountering some technical issues during its initial release.
7. Cinematics
Increase Immersion And Add Depth To Characters And The Game World
An area where Total War: Pharaoh stands out compared to its predecessors is the incorporation of cinematic cutscenes and animations during different stages of a campaign. This not only adds depth and significance to the characters but also offers a better understanding of the historical context of Egypt and the socio-political dynamics of that era.
6. Dynamic Weather
The animations on the campaign map have been enhanced, resulting in more stylish and dramatic battles fought by generals after campaign battles come to an end.
Allows For More Varied Battle Scenarios And Tactics
The most significant gameplay enhancement is the introduction of a dynamic weather system. Unlike past Total War games, where players could only "wait" for days to achieve favorable weather conditions, now they must contend with ever-changing weather. Extreme heat and sandstorms can diminish the effectiveness of specific troops, and also impact the positioning and movement of armies during battles.
5. Environmental Details
Bring The World And Culture Of Ancient Egypt To Life
Total War: Pharaoh takes the environmental design of the Total War series to a whole new level. The developers have truly outdone themselves in creating an immersive and intricately detailed world. Whether it's the expansive sands of the Sahara desert or the vibrant and green banks of the iconic River Nile, the campaign map comes alive like never before.
Combat environments in the game are incredibly intricate, showcasing remarkable attention to detail. Whether it's the meticulously designed vases adorning the city streets or the majestic palm trees casting their shade, players are transported to ancient Egypt in a truly exceptional manner.
4. Music and Audio
Create An Overall More Pleasant And Immersive Experience
Previous Total War games have had notable soundtracks, with Rome: Total War and Total War: Attila standing out in particular. However, Total War: Pharaoh takes it to another level with its exceptional music that showcases authentic Egyptian instruments and meticulously crafted tracks. These tracks perfectly match the calm atmosphere and strategic nature of the campaign map, while also capturing the intensity of combat.
In addition to the music, the sound effects in the game, such as the sound of marching troops, commanding generals, and the whizzing of spears and arrows, are of extremely high quality. These immersive sound elements greatly enhance the overall gaming experience.
3. Religious System
Adds More Varied Gameplay And Challenges For Players To Manage Building More Carefully
Total War: Troy introduced a system featuring Gods, and previous games also incorporated different religions to some extent. However, Total War: Pharaoh takes this system to new heights with its extensive array of Gods and religious factions. Players can choose to worship each deity, gaining unique bonuses in return.
Players have the ability to build Shrines and Temples in order to amplify the advantages bestowed by their selected deity, and these structures can be expanded to higher levels with the construction of additional Shrines and Temples.
2. User Interface
Easy And Intuitive To Use, Perfect For New Players To The Series And Genre
The UI design in the Total War series has always been strong and user-friendly. However, this latest edition stands out for its exceptional ease of use, making it an ideal entry point for newcomers to the RTS genre. Each game in the series boasts a unique art style, and Total War: Pharaoh successfully captures the authentic feel of Ancient Egypt with its hieroglyphic fonts and papyrus-textured backgrounds. Whether navigating the campaign screen or engaging in battles, the user experience is smoother than ever before, and veterans of the series will feel right at home. The attention to detail in crafting icons to reflect the historical period and location will be appreciated by Ancient Egypt enthusiasts.
1. Characters
Give Players More Of A Personal Connection With Their Chosen Faction
Unlike newer titles, the Total War: Warhammer trilogy did not place as much emphasis on individual characters. Whether this is a positive or negative aspect is subjective and varies for each player. However, Total War: Pharaoh goes beyond previous titles in developing characters, providing a more extensive portrayal.
Players can gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between various faction leaders, their objectives, and their attitudes towards other cultures and socio-political matters. This enhances the diversity in gameplay when choosing different rulers or factions to oversee in Total War: Pharaoh.
Platform(s) PCReleased October 11, 2023Developer(s) Creative AssemblyGenre(s) Turn-Based Strategy, Tactical, Grand Strategy See at Steam
Editor's P/S
Total War: Pharaoh is a great game that improves upon its predecessors in several ways. The addition of cinematic cutscenes and animations adds depth to the characters and provides historical context, enhancing immersion. The enhanced dynamic weather system creates a wider range of battle scenarios and tactics by influencing troop effectiveness and army movement. Total War: Pharaoh immerses players in the vivid environmental details of beautifully designed campaign maps and combat environments that vividly bring Ancient Egypt to life.
The most significant gameplay enhancement is the introduction of a dynamic weather system. Unlike past Total War games, where players could only "wait" for days to achieve favorable weather conditions, now they must contend with ever-changing weather. Extreme heat and sandstorms can diminish the effectiveness of specific troops, and also impact the positioning and movement of armies during battles. This adds a new layer of strategy to the game, as players must now factor in the weather when planning their campaigns and battles.