Total War: PHARAOH
" Immersive action-strategy with deep political layers and dynamic weather but clunky unit battles "
Total War: PHARAOH Review
Total War: PHARAOH presents a mixed experience within the Total War franchise, eliciting both praise and frustration among players. The game excels in its deep historical immersion and strategic complexity, especially with the innovative Dynasties system that adds a rich layer of patrimonial politics and dynamic campaign events. The detailed Late Bronze-Age setting, including weather effects and resource management, enhances the gameplay atmosphere and challenge.
However, criticisms arise regarding battle mechanics and AI behavior. Many players find unit animations and collisions lacking realism, and the persistent invasions by sea tribes can feel overwhelming and unbalanced. The RPG-style hero characters and personal story focus in campaigns are divisive, with some feeling they detract from the historical authenticity. Additionally, resource and food management systems frustrate players aiming for large-scale conquests. Despite these flaws, the game is considered an improvement over some recent Total War titles and offers a rewarding experience for strategy enthusiasts willing to navigate its quirks.
Highlights
Players particularly praise the innovative Dynasties system that simulates court politics and succession, adding depth to campaign gameplay.
The dynamic weather and environmental effects such as Nile floods and dust storms influence battles strategically, enhancing immersion.
Optimization is noted as solid, running smoothly even on mid-tier hardware and portable devices like the Steam Deck.
The historical setting during the Late Bronze-Age Collapse is well-realized, appealing to fans of detailed grand strategy and history.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on clunky battle mechanics, including poor unit collisions and stiff animations that reduce combat realism.
Players express frustration with the overpowered and unrelenting sea tribe invasions, which disrupt expansion and feel unrealistic.
The inclusion of hero characters with RPG elements is seen as inappropriate for a historical title by some fans.
Resource management, especially food supply, is criticized for limiting army growth and strategic options.
Some feel the game lacks sufficient depth in late-game family-tree mechanics compared to previous Total War entries.
Pros
- • Innovative Dynasties system adds deep political and familial strategy layers.
- • Dynamic weather effects meaningfully impact battlefield tactics.
- • Strong historical immersion in the Late Bronze-Age setting.
- • Good optimization for a wide range of hardware configurations.
- • Engaging campaign with complex resource and diplomacy management.
- • Detailed environmental mechanics like floods and dust storms enrich gameplay.
- • Campaign events reflect historical systemic collapse realistically.
Cons
- • Unit collisions and animations feel unrealistic and rigid in battles.
- • Sea tribe invasions are overpowered and disrupt strategic expansion.
- • Hero characters with RPG mechanics clash with historical theme.
- • Food and resource management can be frustrating and limiting.
- • Late-game family-tree mechanics lack depth compared to predecessors.
- • Some campaign elements focus too much on individual characters.
- • Occasional balance issues with inflation and resource surpluses.
Rating Criteria
In Total War: PHARAOH, the newest entry in the award-winning grand strategy series, immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction.