Creative Assembly will be taking theTotal Warfranchise to a brand-new period withTotal War: Pharaoh. While Egypt has appeared in previousTotal Wartitles,Total War: Pharaohwill be putting it on full display during its height. Players will get to experience this era in all its glory and will be able to guide its future through the campaign mode. It seems like it will be a real treat for history buffs andTotal Warfans alike and may lead to one of the most uniqueTotalWartitles so far.
This period of Egypt isuncharted territory forTotal War, and that may worry some fans. It is always risky exploring new periods instead of previously explored ones, but it feels like Egypt fits very well into theTotal Warmold. The hands-on preview had everything that fans could want while also showcasing some of the most interesting aspects of Egypt. While it may not be aTotal War: Medieval 3,Total War: Pharaohmay be the next best thing.
RELATED:Total War Remasters Shouldn’t Stop With Total War Rome: Remastered
After checking out the preview, Game Rant was able to speak withTotal War: Pharaoh’s creative director Todor Nikolov about this new period. While the focus of the discussion was more on the dynamic weather and strategic aspect of the game, we also discussed the setting in great detail. When asked about the decision process behindTotal War: Pharaoh’s premise, Nikolov said,
“Well, we wanted to be focused on a portion of the history of Egypt that represents the Egyptians that are not Greek, like from a later period. We opted to go for the New Kingdom, because at that time Egypt was maybe kind of different from what most people imagine.”
Egypt has appeared ina couple ofTotal Wartitlesbefore, but it has never appeared like this. Not only is it no longer a side faction, but this period is also largely unexplored. This is a new type of Egypt that players have not really seen before, and one that some people may not know even existed. This version was a vast empire at the pinnacle of its power, but its power had begun to wane.
“… Egypt started rolling downhill, and the collapse really sped this up. Egyptians might have not survived actually, if it was not for Ramesses the third, our main character, who is also the last warrior Pharaoh because he managed to keep Egypt together, like he repelled the invading Sea Peoples that were threatening his kingdom. But afterward, although Egypt survived, it never really fully recovered. It never reached again this height of power and influence that it enjoyed during the previous years. So this is why the New Kingdom, it was the greatest moment in Egyptian history, like the greatest period, they were the most influential back then. It was also one of the most dangerous because they could have been wiped out.”
TheTotal War: Pharaohcampaign modewill put this collapse of Egypt front-and-center, and hopefully, it is as interesting as it sounds at launch. Players will have to fight across Egypt to gain legitimacy to claim the title of Pharaoh in hopes they can save it. Desperately trying to hold together a vast empire could be exhilarating, but Creative Assembly has not shared more specifics about the mode yet. It seems to have nicely recreated Egypt, and hopefully, the campaign can back the concept up.
It sounds likeTotal War: Pharaohwill do Egypt justice. The developers seem passionate about the period, and the brief previews have really captured Egypt’s glory. It looks like it will deliver on the premise, butTotal WarFans will just have to wait until the studio is ready to share more information to judge that for themselves.
Total War: Pharaohwill be available for PC in October 2023.
MORE:After Total War: Warhammer 3, the Franchise Should Explore TV’s Biggest Fantasy Franchise
