The Total War franchise is returning to history with Total War: Pharaoh after a recent foray into the fantasy genre with Total War: Warhammer 3. Creative Assembly is venturing into unexplored territory with this game, taking players on a high-stakes adventure to the Bronze Age of Egypt. Total War: Pharaoh promises to deliver classic Total War gameplay while also introducing new features such as dynamic weather. Game Rant was able to preview some of these new features during a recent hands-on event, which included three battles of varying difficulty. Overall, Total War: Pharaoh feels like a game-changer.
A Line in the Sand
Game Rant's first encounter with Total War: Pharaoh was A Line in the Sand, a battle where Ramesses led his army of spearmen and archers against Seti's forces in a simple desert terrain with scattered forests. Despite initially planning to hold a defensive line, the AI did not charge, prompting Ramesses to advance his army towards the enemy. As a sandstorm swept across the battlefield, both sides found themselves fighting in a thick layer of sand.
Once the sandstorm hit the battlefield in Total War: Pharaoh, everything changed. The dynamic weather system added a new level of realism, as archers struggled to maintain their accuracy, units were slowed down, and even suffered some damage. This forced us to change our tactics and send in our melee units to engage the enemy head-on. While the archers still managed to take out a few units, they had to do so at a much closer range. After a hard-fought battle, we finally took down the enemy general, and their remaining units fled the field.
Bronze and Thunder
The second playable battle in the Total War: Pharaoh preview was called Bronze and Thunder. Despite being labeled as a medium difficulty, this battle proved to be the toughest one yet. Ramesses and his army faced off against Suppiluliuma in a desert forest map, where we took on the role of Ramesses once again. However, our forces were outnumbered and the enemy had a significant advantage in range units. This proved to be a game changer and led to our inevitable defeat.
The enemy launched their attack, with melee units at the front and archers at the back. Our soldiers were quickly bombarded with arrows and spears. Meanwhile, the enemy's heavy spear chariots maneuvered to break through our right flank and obliterate most of our units. Their primary target was our general, and once he fell, the rest of our troops would flee in terror. Moreover, a thunderstorm brewed during the battle, affecting the fight's dynamics. The rain made it difficult for ranged units to hit their targets, and fire did not spread as effectively. Additionally, Total War units suffered from a small morale debuff, causing them to route faster than usual. The thunderstorm added a visually striking element to the battlefield.
Playing with Fire
Despite facing numerous challenges, we persevered and emerged victorious in the battle. Overcoming the constant appearance of the defeat screen required a great deal of patience and strategic thinking. With the invaluable guidance of Total War: Pharaoh's creative director Todor Nikolov, we were able to devise a plan to halt the chariots and swiftly secure the win.
The Total War: Pharaoh preview's final playable battle, Playing with Fire, showcased the classic Total War siege gameplay that has garnered a dedicated following over the years. As Ramesses, we were tasked with defending our units behind towering walls while the enemy armies commanded by Barisone vastly outnumbered our own. It was a formidable challenge, and Creative Assembly had warned us that this battle would not be easy.
In the city of Mennefer, also known as Memphis, three capture points were strategically located within the city walls, which the enemy had to control to win the battle. The enemy forces on the outskirts of the city consisted of spearmen, axe wielders, and giant siege towers, while we had a strong defense with massive walls, dozens of archers, and an assortment of melee units. Despite being outnumbered, the challenge was intensified by the fact that the enemy attacked the walls in four different spots, forcing us to spread our already thin army even thinner. However, we were able to repel the enemy from the city, with our melee units locking down the gates and many of the enemy units unable to climb the siege towers. Although some enemy units managed to get through, they were eventually defeated, albeit with significant losses on our side.
. These battles served as a glimpse into the core mechanics of the game, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. The preview did not showcase the various menus, the new Total War campaign, additional factions, or the diverse weather types that players can expect to encounter. As the release date approaches, Creative Assembly is sure to unveil all of these exciting features. If they deliver on the promise of the preview, Total War: Pharaoh has the potential to become yet another successful addition to the franchise. PC gamers can look forward to experiencing the game for themselves in October 2023.
