Total War: PHARAOH

I love this series and I would honestly put Total War: PHARAOH up there as one of my favorite games in the entire series. For many people, this felt like a real return to form for the series. I played the hell out of this when it first came out and recently I was looking for a strategy game to play and I decided to go back and play this. I remember liking it, but I actually liked this way more than I remember doing back when the game first came out. As far as I can tell, it is the same game, but there was just something that clicked with me on a whole other level this time around.

The King of Kings

As the title of Total War: PHARAOH suggests, ancient Egypt is the setting of this game, the dying days of the Bronze Age to be specific and you have to decide what kind of leader you want to be. There are different kinds of faction leaders, each with their own abilities. You ultimately need to decide if you want to be the next Pharaoh and fight off the invading hordes, perhaps you want to be one of the people coming to Egypt via sea and be a maniacal warlord just taking what you want. There is a lot of choice in regards to how you tackle the campaign…. Speaking of which.

This Is Your Campaign

One of the big features that was touted in Total War: PHARAOH was the campaign customization features. The idea here is that they give you so many customization options that you can do stuff like set the frequency of the natural disasters, the starting positions, resources, and much more. They say that if you tinker with these settings, no two campaigns are ever going to be the same. My first time playing this, I just kept everything as is, but in my second playthrough I tinkered to kind of sway things in my favor and it was like having some kind of god cheat mode happening. Of course, you could make it even more challenging for yourself if you want.

It Is Hard To Be The King

If you are a fan of the series or grand strategy games in general, you will not be shocked to hear that Total War: PHARAOH is pretty damn deep when it comes to the gameplay. The exciting combat has you on the edge of your seat as you plan raids or even as you plan to defend against an incoming force. Each battle is a learning situation where even when you get your ass handed to you, you can learn something from it. As well as the dynamic real time battles, You also have your empire management as you try to keep your troops and people as happy and content as can be. This was way more challenging than I thought it would be and walking the fine line and making sure you are getting it done on the battlefield as well as keeping your people safe and happy was tough, but fun.

A Twist of Fate

The battles in Total War: PHARAOH are very exciting, but there is also a level of unpredictability to them that makes them even more exciting. The weather effects in this game are awesome. The way that torrential rain or savage sandstorms can dramatically affect battles is great. Fire also plays a part, sure fire can be an ally, but it can also spread and wreak havoc on the battlefield either causing you more trouble or perhaps even affecting the enemy more than it does you. Stuff like this is just great and a huge part of what makes this such a great and fun game to play. Sure, it can suck if you have something planned and the freaking weather throws a spanner in the works, but that just forces you to think on your feet.

Pros:

• I loved the ancient Egypt setting that the game had
• You can decide what kind of leader you want to be
• The way you can customize the campaign is awesome
• This is my favorite game in the series

Cons:

• I am in the minority when it comes to considering this the best!
• I love the dynamic weather effects, but it can sometimes be a tad frustrating

Total War: PHARAOH is a historical strategy game that will send you to the time of the Bronze Age Catastrophe. Become a pharaoh and lead your troops to victory over unknown destructive invaders. Realistic units of the time and geographically accurate terrain allows you to make precise strategic plans and simply enjoy the beauty of the desert. Choose your side and lead your country to prosperity.

Pros of the game:

• Historically accurate units
• Choose your ancient state to rule over