Summary
Creative Assembly’sTotal War: Pharaohis the latest installment in the popular RTS franchise. Set in Ancient Egyptduring the heights of the nation’s prosperity and power, players can command armies from several factions including Ancient Egypt, The Canaanites, and The Hittites. While the campaign mode takes place on a smaller scope than some prior entries, the game world is still full of depth, with a number of complex mechanics allowing for varied and dynamic gameplay.
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WhileTotal War: Pharaohdoes not make any dramatic leaps when compared with the likes ofA Total War Saga: Troy, there are still a number of minor innovations worth noting. Overall, the game does feel like an improvement on previous entries in many ways, even if a number of technical issues have hindered performance upon launch.
7Cinematics
Increase Immersion And Add Depth To Characters And The Game World
One noticeable aspectTotal War: Pharaohimproves upon relative to previous entries is theinclusion of cinematic cutscenesand animations at various stages throughout a given campaign. In addition to giving characters more depth and significance, this also helps to provide more details surrounding the historical context of Egypt and the socio-political dynamics of the time period.
Animations following battles on the campaign map are also improved, with some very stylish and dramatic fights taking place between generals following the conclusion of campaign battles.
6Dynamic Weather
Allows For More Varied Battle Scenarios And Tactics
Perhaps the most noticeable improvement in terms of gameplay is the newdynamic weather system. Unlike previousTotal Wargames, in which the attacking side could “wait” for several days in the hopes of achieving favorable weather conditions, now players can do this but with the added element of constantly changing weather.
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Some weather such as extreme heat and sandstorms can reduce the effectiveness of certain troops and may also influence the positioning and movement of armies throughout the course of a battle.
5Environmental Details
Bring The World And Culture Of Ancient Egypt To Life
While theTotal Warseries has never been especially weak in terms of environmental design,Total War: Pharaohreally feels like one of the most immersive and detailed environments to date. From the vast sands of the Sahara desert to the lush and vegetative banks of the famous River Nile, the developers have really stepped up in terms of making the campaign map feel alive.
Equally, combat environments are also impressively detailed. From the hand-crafted vases lining city streets to the towering palm trees providing shade below, it can really feel like stepping back in time and visiting Egypt in a very unique way.
4Music and Audio
Create An Overall More Pleasant And Immersive Experience
Some previousTotal Wargames have featured memorable soundtracks, withRome: Total WarandTotal War: Attilabeing particular standouts.Total War: Pharaohfeatures perhaps one of the best in the series, with a range of authentic Egyptian instruments and carefully composed tracks to suit both the slow pace andambiance of the campaign map, as well as the intensity of combat.
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As well as the music, the sound design of marching troops, generals barking orders, and the flight of spears and arrows all appear to be very high quality and help to further improve the immersion of the game.
3Religious System
Adds More Varied Gameplay And Challenges For Players To Manage Building More Carefully
WhileTotal War: Troyfeatured a system involving Gods, and even older entries did include various different religions in one way or another, this system seems to be the most fleshed-out inTotal War: Pharaoh, thanks to the number of differentGods and religious factionsand the ability to worship each one in exchange for a different bonus.
Players can construct Shrines and Temples to enhance the benefits of their chosen God, which can also be upgraded across several tiers with the construction of further Shrines and Temples.
2User Interface
Easy And Intuitive To Use, Perfect For New Players To The Series And Genre
TheTotal Warseries has always had solid and accessible UI design, but this edition feels particularly easy to come to grips with and thus may serve as a great entry point into the RTS genre for newer players. Each title has its own distinct art style, andTotal War:Pharaohreally ensures that everything, from hieroglyphic fonts to papyrus-textured backgrounds, contributes to an authentic feel.
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Navigating both the campaign screen and battles is easier than it has ever been, andveteran players of the serieswill feel right at home with this design. Each icon has been carefully crafted to resemble the artwork of the period and location, which any fans of Ancient Egypt will appreciate.
1Characters
Give Players More Of A Personal Connection With Their Chosen Faction
Prior to theTotal War: Warhammertrilogy, there was not much of a focus on individual characters compared to newer titles. Whether this is for good or bad is really down to each player’s personal preference, butTotal War: Pharaohdevelops characters perhaps more extensively than any previous title.
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Players can really get a sense of the interrelation betweendifferent faction leadersas well as their goals and purposes, along with attitudes towards other cultures and socio-political priorities. This makes for much more variety in gameplay when selecting different rulers or different factions to control.
