Total War: Pharaoh, by Creative Assembly, arrives on October 11th. Players will have the chance to take on the role of a leader from one of three different origins: Egyptian, Canaanite, or Hittite. The time period chosen by the developers focuses on the Bronze Age collapse of Ancient Egypt. The preview build I had access to was limited to choosing the Ramesses campaign; the progress ended after 50 turns, and the game build was a month old. Given those limitations, I still enjoyed my time with the game as I am a fan of this time in history, and this rendition of Ancient Egypt was fun to explore.
From turn one, I felt the look and sound were on point. Some players may find that certain unit models are lacking, but they match the Eygpt theme and complement the various UI elements well. While I wouldn’t mind seeing more polish on some models, the design works well for the setting. I also found the soundtrack enjoyable. It immersed me in the gameplay and again fit the theme.
As I began to click my way through each turn, I noticed the challenges faced by Ramesses were likely quite different from other leaders. I made my typical mistake and spread myself too thinly on multiple fronts during my first attempted playthrough and was surprised at the number of AI opponents that reacted to my hostilities from the outset. I also found that my access to stone was limited, even though Ramesses’ access to resources is meant to be plentiful. I had no issues with bronze, gold, wood, and food so long as I planned ahead for which building I most needed. I was curious to experience other leaders and their starting positions to see how they compare.
I found the Battles in Total War: Pharaoh enjoyable at first. But the unit types in the early game felt a bit underwhelming. While this is understandable for the setting and time period. I started autocompleting most encounters after the first few battles. As I leveled, my leader could improve in three attributes: Presence, Fortitude, or Ardor. Each one provides a passive bonus at every rank with milestones that unlock different combat abilities. It's a simple advancement system and works, but it doesn't feel particularly engaging.
One of the systems that I enjoyed the most is the environmental effects that can alter the terrain during combat. Players can delay when they initiate a battle to try and improve the weather conditions. If it is raining, for example, you can try and hold off until the weather is more of an advantage for your forces. Otherwise, your army may be fighting in the mud. During my 50-turn playthrough, unfortunately, I didn’t encounter any sandstorms or other weather conditions, but I am looking forward to how they will impact battles during a full campaign playthrough.
The Tech Tree in Total War: Pharaoh is represented by Royal Decrees. The decrees are your standard fare for a Total War game, providing various passive bonuses. Players can tailor decree picks to match specific play styles. My default early gameplay usually is to go with anything that increases population growth. But with Ramesses, I quickly was second-guessing what Royal Decrees to pick and if I should focus more on enhancing my various units. His starting position has so many opportunities for expansion via conquest that it felt like a focus on growth was slowing me down.
In contrast to some of the less engaging elements, the Shemsu Hor event and Court Intrigue kept me entertained right up to turn 50. I loved taking on a court position as Ramesses and initiating plots against the other court members to try and reduce their standing. Each court position provides a special ability usable once per six turns and specific benefits. Some of these abilities/benefits can change the power dynamic substantially if used successfully. My favorite is the Vizier's ability to launch the Assassinate plot. The system is an enjoyable minigame to plan out which plot(s) to initiate and who to gain regard with for future favors. After six turns, all active schemes resolve during the Shemsu Hor event, and the game of courtly politics starts again.
I have also enjoyed how the gods work in Total War: Pharaoh. At the start of a campaign, a leader follows one god. The god provides bonuses depending on the number of shines built at different outposts. The benefits provided advance through three tiers.
To discover the other gods, players need to conquer settlements associated with each one. There are 19 gods in Total War: Pharaoh and a leader can follow up to three gods at the same time. But to gain the maximum benefit of all three, the number of shrines dedicated to each must be balanced as well, possibly at the expense of other buildings that could provide additional resources.
As the campaign progresses, the ability to choose an Ancient Legacy eventually opens up. Each legacy focuses on a specific playstyle: Thutmose the Conqueror, Hatshepsut the Merchant, Akhenaten the Heretic, and Khufu the Builder. During my playthrough, I chose Thutmose the Conqueror. This legacy added an additional element of strategy. I could now target a city in advance that I wanted to attack and begin to undermine the defenses before my army arrived at the gate.
My initial experience with Total War: Pharaoh was fun. It felt too short to get a complete feel for the game but I did want to finish my quest for power. By the end of 50 turns, The Sea Peoples were invading, and Tausret had made a move to become the new Pharaoh. My Ramesses had managed to gain some Legitimacy through battle and building monuments. But any chance to seize power was still only a distant dream. I didn’t even get to the point where I could play with improving my regalia since Tausret had made their move to take control first a lot earlier than I expected. While some of the systems are not particularly engaging, the overall package is enjoyable and I could see myself immediately trying at least two of the other leaders at release.
