Total War: Pharoah is set for release in 2023 and has the potential to be the best one yet. Despite having made 14 games to date, Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive have never tackled ancient Egypt in the long-running series. The period is one of the most popular eras in the mainstream, though, and the upcoming offering is likely to attract a vast number of players.
More than 40 million copies have been sold in the series to date, and many returning players will be eager to buy the next installment. The choice of historical period could also attract new fans to the franchise.
New Game Set for Release This Year
One of the best things about the Total War series is that players never have to wait too long between games. Since Shogun: Total War was released in 2000, there has been a new game more than once every other year on average. Indeed, since 2015, there has been a new offering every year except in 2021.
Total War: Pharaoh follows on from Total War: Warhammer III which was released last year. It uses the winning formula of the other titles, tasking players with employing real-time tactics over turn-based gameplay. There will be eight leaders on offer, across the three factions of Ancient Egypt, the Canaanites of the Levant, and the Hittite Empire. The game world is designed to reflect a fractious period in which war was rife. Therefore, the gameplay gets more perilous and difficult as it goes on.
Egyptian Themes are Booming in Popular Culture
One of the reasons why some people are expecting the new Total War game to be among the series’ biggest is because ancient Egyptian themes are incredibly popular in the mainstream. The era is so prevalent in movies, games, and television series that most people have at least some understanding of it. For instance, some of the most notorious movies of all time have been set among the pyramids. The Mummy franchise has been resurrected in various iterations, while Cleopatra is regarded among the top pictures of all time.
In gaming, there have been countless successful offerings with ancient Egyptian themes. These include the likes of Assassin’s Creed Origins, Age of Mythology, and Predynastic Egypt. The period is prevalent in the online slots market as well, with recent Megaways titles using the highly recognizable theme. For example, Book of Gems Megaways features the distinctive backdrop of pyramids on the thumbnail, which is a great way to grab players’ attention.
With Egyptian themes rife in the gaming industry, the new Total War offering should have a huge readymade audience. Indeed, it may even end up attracting players who have never played any of the other titles in the franchise. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this spark a new era for the series, with sequels to the upcoming game released in the coming years.
There’s no doubting the success of the Total War games to date. They’re up there with some of the best historical offerings of all time. Heading to ancient Egypt could be the best way to take the franchise to the next level and attract an even wider audience.
