Total War: Pharaoh hands-on preview: An engrossing campaign that portrays the glory of ancient Egypt 

Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, Total War: Pharaoh is the latest addition to the franchise. While all the hype is being focused on the fantasy side of the game, it's a welcome change to go back to historical times. It's set during the collapse of the Bronze Age, at a point in time when nothing is going right.

With political turmoil brewing within the Egyptian and Hittite empires, it's the perfect setting for a Total War game. Earlier this year, I got to try out a few battle scenarios and took command of fixed armies. This time around, I got to take control of an entire faction and everything it encompasses for 50 turns. Who better to test out things with than Ramesses?

---

Total War: Pharaoh - Ramesses' reign begins!

A new day begins! (Image via Sega/Total War: Pharaoh)

If the battle scenarios in Total War: Pharaoh were not enough to get one's blood pumping last time around, taking control of an entire faction surely does the trick. Unlike last time, where I was allowed to try out fixed battles, this time around. I was given an empire to command and control as I see fit.

Let me start by saying that the campaign map is beautiful. It's vast and extensive and although I did not get to explore all of it within the 50 turns that were given to me, I saw enough to be left awestruck. Every city and the landscape itself is packed with detail. Be it in an open desert or coastal settlement, there's always something to marvel at.

Much like other Total War games, in Total War: Pharaoh, I started the campaign with Ramesses, who's a low-level leader without fancy stats. He's a down-to-earth commander who has to be leveled up to unlock his true potential. This is where my playthrough began.

---

First impressions and gameplay

Ramesses is a piece of art, and I say this in the literal sense. His design has been executed perfectly and everything about him screams would-be Pharaoh. Coming back to the campaign itself, the map is beautiful to look at with an active day and night cycle. This generates the feeling that time is moving even when idling on a turn or looking at things to check off before ending the turn.

Starting with one of the key mechanics I absolutely loved during my playthrough in Total War: Pharaoh was the Outposts. These function as forts and allowed me to expand my influence to the edge of each of my provinces. They can be equipped with various buildings that can boost resource production, increase happiness, and even help you gain legitimacy.

However, for if you are a player like me and focus on military might rather than other niche mechanics and/or gameplay systems, Outposts can even be used to store units. Units can be garrisoned to lower their upkeep cost and launch attacks on any potential attackers. Keep in mind that while this tactic is truly amazing, the enemy can use it as well.

The campaign map is jaw-droppingly beautiful (Image via Sega/Total War: Pharaoh)

During my Total War: Pharaoh campaign, I expanded northward and eventually met stiff resistance from the Sea People and other factions. Although my armies were well equipped to deal with them, I found that upgrading Outposts made a lot of difference. Rather than leaving my army to bake in the Egyptian Sun, I could store them away, allowing me to recover and focus my resources elsewhere to build up my empire.

In a way, Outposts not only change the dynamic of the game on a fundamental level but also add many layers to it. I found myself having to not only protect my Settlements but also my Outposts if I were to expand and hold ground while doing so. At first, it was tricky, but eventually, it became second nature.

Speaking of second nature, leveling up my character (Ramesses), never felt this easy. Rather than branching out or complicating the skill tree, I could choose between different Competencies to improve upon his skills. Newer players to the Total War franchise will find this approach very easy as it will allow them to grasp the system effortlessly.

Capture the Victory Point to make battles easier (Image via Sega/Total War: Pharaoh)

Each Competency focuses on a different aspect of the character which not only improves that said aspect but changes the way battles are fought as well. This also affects certain skills and stats, some of which can be unlocked by selecting certain Competencies. While it does take some time to unlock a few of them as leveling up is mostly a combat-focused task, the better Ramesses got, the easier it was to fell foes in battle.

For players like me who have been looking at the research tree for years on end in different Total War games, that has come to an end in Total War: Pharaoh. Rather than navigating research trees to see what technology works best, it's been replaced with a simpler system called Royal Decrees. From here, I was able to pick and choose buffs that suit my empire.

While many of these options have a few prerequisites to fulfill before being unlocked, they are worth the effort as the game progresses. That said, this is not the only new system.

Although I did not dally in political affairs, for those interested, the Court is always available. There, you can rub shoulders with political giants and use intrigue to advance your own goals in-game.

But be warned, when you enter the Court it is not just you that sees and hears things; others see and hear you as well. Beware while using this system as enemies both within and without will try to get the better of you.

There's also a new religion system that players can take advantage of to gain powerful buffs over the course of their gameplay. Although this is more niche in nature, it's not too difficult to grasp.

---

Performance and Sound

Total War: Pharaoh was played on a system with the following configuration:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• GPU: RTX 3070 8GB
• RAM: 32 GB

Over the course of my 50-turn playthrough, things ran fine. From setting siege to Settlements to scrolling to the edges of the map like a madman, there was zero lag and no hard crashes. Even when facing off against a full stack of enemy units in combat, everything ran smoothly.

As for the music and SFX, I found myself pleasantly lost in them while playing the campaign. It's a melodic blend of calm before the chaos and fits the Bronze Age Collapse perfectly. As for sounds of battle, much like the last playthrough, things remain unchanged and working as expected.

---

In conclusion

The river Nile will soon turn red (Image via Sega/Total War: Pharaoh)

Although I only had 50 turns to explore Egypt and conquer the lands of the shifting sands, it was an extremely fulfilling experience. Watching this timeline brought to life in all its glory was awe-inspiring. From the characters to the units, mechanics, and music, everything has been carefully crafted to create a holistic experience of ancient Egypt.

On that note, I for one can not wait to play the other campaigns and as the other characters that will be available in Total War: Pharaoh. Given that each one will bring a different playstyle to the table, there will be different objectives to fulfill and goals to meet. I look forward to playing as Irsu and experiencing the Canaanite culture firsthand.