Pharaoh was a better game than I was expecting it to be and I think it is a great game to add to the historical Total War franchise collection.

Probably my favorite aspect of the game is that there is no lack of combat in the first 160 turns of the game. During this time you're likely either combating the invading Sea Peoples, Libyan Invaders, a civil war for a crown or fighting battles to pursue your own personal strategic aims. I think this constant action and attention to borders does a great job keeping players like me engaged and reflects a lot of the conflict present during the time. The battles themselves are also beautiful as ever with scenery from the Egyptian Nile, the desolate deserts and full sized cities.

Although each faction present in the game isn't as uniquely diverse as say, the factions from the Warhammer series, that isn't a bad thing and they are all unique enough to make replay-ability high. Each faction has their own unique units. Each culture has their own unique objectives. And each time you play you are able to set your civilization on a path of your choosing separate from the global setting. This makes each play through unique and rewarding without losing the historical focus the game is going for.

Something new the table is the economy system. No more is the strategy to max gold in order to win, although snowballing is a thing in the late-game (but that's expected from basically every strategy game where the enemy can't keep up). Now it's about balancing 4 different resources in the early game, building them up in the mid game and utilizing them to create elite units in the late game. I personally love this change even if it adds quite a bit of complexity and difficulty early on.

All this positivity aside, the game does have some notable flaws. The one that has annoyed me the most are the Libyan invaders in the Western deserts of Egypt. I get that Creative Assembly needed to add some action there, but I think there were more units invading from that direction in this game than people who live in Libya today. It became tedious to need to have 2-3 armies sitting on that front the entire game just because the invaders would spawn in every 2-3 turns. The Hittites have the same problem with the Phrygians in the North and West that will pull 1-2 armies from the front, but they come in much more manageable waves and not consistently.

I also felt that the combat was too simple compared to previous titles. The usual hard-counter system found in other Total War games is present, but it's a bit more dumbed down than usual. In order to win most battles, all you need is a good strong line of infantry and archer spam to heavily damage enemies before they close in on you. Also don't build chariots; they're an expensive waste that get routed easily.

Overall if you're a fan of the Total War historical titles, this is a game to grab. Don't let the Mixed reviews put you off from trying this title out, it's a great gem with a ton of polish.