Creative Assembly, developers of Total War, recently announced their latest title for the franchise, Total War: PHARAOH, returning to the historical roots that made the franchise so popular.
The developers over at Creative Assembly have been focusing on, what is now their flagship title, Total War: Warhammer, since the original game came out back in May 2016. While there have been a few historical games in between, including A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA, A Total War Saga: TROY, and Total War: Three Kingdoms, there hasn’t been a true historical main Total War game since Atilla, which was released back in 2015. However, that’s all about to change with the upcoming Total War: PHARAOH, which is slated to be a historical look at ancient Egypt during the end of the Bronze Age.
What is Total War: PHARAOH?
Total War: PHARAOH is a standalone game and the latest entry in the Total War franchise. Players will be thrust into Ancient Egypt during the Bronze Age collapse and must rise above their competitors and claim the throne as Egypt’s last Pharaoh.
Like previous Total War games, Total War: PHARAOH will require players to utilize both real-time and turn-based gameplay tactics while overseeing a kingdom, ensuring your populace’s happiness, and seizing more territory for your faction.
Total War: PHARAOH Release Date and Platforms
While the exact release day has not been announced, Creative Assembly is aiming for an October 2023 launch, according to the game’s FAQ. The game will launch for PC and Mac on Steam and the Epic Game Store.
Total War: PHARAOH will have two-player co-op and head-to-head mode, where players can fight against each other with pre-built armies.
Total War: PHARAOH Announce Trailer
The trailer for Total War: Pharaoh doesn’t do much to show actual gameplay; it does do a nice job of setting the scene and time period for the game.
Right under 2-minutes long, Creative Assembly showcases some of the game’s amazing cinematic scenes, with bleach-white pyramids and massive armies colliding.
If you’re confused, a dung beetle, or scarab, represented the eternal cycle of life in Ancient Egypt.
What Factions are in Total War: PHARAOH?
The base game of Total War: Pharaoh will release with eight playable factions hailing from three cultures. The factions in the game include:
- Ramesses (Egyptian)
- Seti (Egyptian)
- Tausret (Egyptian)
- Amenmesse (Egyptian)
- Bay (Canaanite)
- Irsu (Canaanite)
- Kurunta (Hittite)
- Suppiluliuma (Hittite)
Is Total War: PHARAOH a “Saga” Title?
The reason that PHARAOH will be the first true historical Total War game since Total War: Atilla is because A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA and A Total War Saga: TROY are both sub-games to the main flagship games, Total War. In addition, Three Kingdoms and Troy both featured fantasy elements based on Chinese mythology and The Odyssey, respectively.
Total War: PHARAOH is directed by Todor Nikolov and will be handled by Creative Assembly Sofia, the company’s studio in Bulgaria — the same studio responsible for A Total War Saga: TROY. However, as the title would indicate, PHARAOH does not look to be a Saga title; instead — it boasts the full expansive breadth of a complete Total War entry, even though it will take place in a more localized region of the world.
It’s important to note that the main Total War series, including Warhammer, have been handled by the company’s main studio located in the UK.
Total War: PHARAOH Cost and Pre-Order Bonus Details
Total War: PHARAOH will release on Steam and the Epic Games Store in three versions. These include:
- Base Game ($49.99)
- Deluxe Edition ($72.87): Contains the base game, DLC Faction Pack 1, and Digital Soundtrack.
- Dynasty Edition ($91.46): Contains base game, DLC Faction Packs 1-3, DLC Campaign Pack, and Digital Soundtrack.
Pre-ordering the game will provide an Early Access weekend before the game is released. Players will also get the Avatar of the Gods Cosmetic Pack and Heart of the Shardana Cosmetic Pack.
Visit the official Total War: PHARAOH website for more information.
