Total War Pharaoh Dynasty - Addressing The Disappointments And Shortcomings
Introduction
As a long-time fan of the Total War franchise, I was incredibly excited about the release of Total War: Pharaoh. The historical setting, focusing on the tumultuous period of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom and the Bronze Age collapse, promised a fresh and engaging experience. The strategic depth, combined with the grand scale battles that the series is known for, had me eagerly anticipating countless hours immersed in this new world. However, after spending a considerable amount of time playing the game, I've encountered several aspects that I find disappointing. While Total War: Pharaoh undoubtedly has its strengths, there are some significant shortcomings that prevent it from reaching its full potential. This article delves into the specifics of what I don't like about Total War: Pharaoh, providing a detailed analysis of the issues that have impacted my overall enjoyment of the game. From gameplay mechanics and campaign features to historical accuracy and overall polish, I'll explore the areas where the game falls short of expectations, offering constructive criticism and highlighting potential improvements that could enhance the experience in future updates or expansions.
Lack of Innovation in Core Gameplay
One of my primary disappointments with Total War: Pharaoh stems from the lack of significant innovation in its core gameplay mechanics. While the game introduces some new features, they often feel like minor additions rather than substantial improvements. The essence of the Total War formula – managing resources, building armies, engaging in diplomacy, and fighting battles – remains largely unchanged. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does leave the game feeling somewhat stagnant, especially for veterans of the series who have experienced these mechanics in previous titles.
The campaign map, for instance, follows a familiar structure of province management, resource gathering, and city development. While the addition of weather effects and their impact on battles is a welcome touch, it doesn't fundamentally alter the strategic gameplay. Similarly, the battle mechanics, while visually impressive, lack the tactical depth and strategic options that I had hoped for. Unit variety is decent, but the AI often employs predictable tactics, making battles feel somewhat repetitive after a while. The siege battles, a staple of the Total War series, also suffer from a lack of innovation, with the same chokepoints and defensive strategies dominating the gameplay. The game could have benefited greatly from a more daring approach to its core mechanics, introducing new systems or overhauling existing ones to create a truly fresh and engaging experience. For instance, incorporating a more dynamic political system, with internal factions and power struggles, could have added depth to the campaign gameplay. Similarly, expanding the economic system with more complex trade routes and resource management could have provided a greater sense of strategic depth. In essence, Total War: Pharaoh plays it safe, and while it delivers a competent Total War experience, it fails to push the boundaries of the franchise in meaningful ways.
Disappointing Campaign Features
Beyond the core gameplay, the campaign features in Total War: Pharaoh also leave something to be desired. While the historical setting of ancient Egypt and the Bronze Age collapse is rich with potential, the campaign narrative and faction mechanics often feel underdeveloped. The game offers a selection of playable factions, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses, but their campaigns often follow similar trajectories, lacking the distinct flavor and strategic challenges that I've come to expect from the series.
The campaign objectives, for instance, tend to be generic, often revolving around conquering a certain number of provinces or achieving specific military victories. While these objectives are functional, they lack the narrative depth and historical context that could have made the campaigns more engaging. The diplomacy system, another crucial aspect of the campaign gameplay, also feels somewhat limited. AI factions often behave predictably, making diplomatic negotiations feel like a chore rather than a strategic opportunity. Alliances are easily broken, and trade agreements are often unreliable, undermining the potential for complex political maneuvering. The game could have benefited from a more nuanced diplomacy system, with more realistic AI behavior and a wider range of diplomatic options. Internal politics within factions are also underrepresented, with limited options for managing internal conflicts or power struggles. This lack of depth detracts from the overall immersion and makes the campaign gameplay feel less dynamic and engaging. In short, while Total War: Pharaoh provides a solid foundation for a historical strategy game, its campaign features fall short of their potential, lacking the depth and complexity that could have truly brought the ancient world to life.
Historical Inaccuracies and Presentation Issues
As a historical strategy game, Total War: Pharaoh carries the responsibility of accurately representing the historical period it portrays. While the game does capture some aspects of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern culture, it also suffers from several historical inaccuracies and presentation issues that detract from the overall immersion. The unit rosters, for instance, include some questionable choices, with units and equipment that don't always align with historical evidence. While some creative license is understandable, these inaccuracies can be jarring for players with a strong knowledge of the period.
The game's portrayal of ancient Egyptian society and culture is also somewhat superficial. While the visuals are impressive, the game lacks the depth and nuance needed to truly capture the complexity of this ancient civilization. The campaign narrative often glosses over important historical events and figures, focusing instead on generic conflicts and power struggles. The UI and presentation also suffer from some inconsistencies. The fonts and icons, while visually appealing, can sometimes be difficult to read, especially on smaller screens. The map design, while detailed, lacks the clarity and intuitiveness that I've come to expect from Total War games. The game could have benefited from a more thorough research and attention to detail in its historical representation. Consulting with historians and incorporating more primary sources could have enhanced the game's authenticity and immersion. Similarly, improving the UI and presentation could have made the game more accessible and enjoyable to play. In essence, while Total War: Pharaoh provides a visually impressive depiction of the ancient world, it falls short in terms of historical accuracy and overall presentation, detracting from the game's immersive qualities.
Technical Issues and Lack of Polish
Finally, one of my biggest frustrations with Total War: Pharaoh is the presence of technical issues and a general lack of polish. The game suffers from a range of bugs and glitches, some of which can be game-breaking. Crashes, freezes, and performance issues are common occurrences, especially during large battles or complex campaign scenarios. These technical problems can be incredibly frustrating, disrupting the flow of gameplay and undermining the overall enjoyment of the game.
The AI also exhibits some questionable behavior, making poor decisions in battles and behaving erratically on the campaign map. These AI issues can detract from the challenge and immersion of the game, making it feel less strategic and more unpredictable. The game's optimization is also a concern. Even on high-end PCs, the game can struggle to maintain a smooth frame rate, especially during graphically intensive scenes. This lack of optimization can be particularly frustrating for players who have invested in powerful hardware to enjoy the game at its best. The game could have benefited from more thorough testing and optimization before its release. Addressing the technical issues and improving the AI behavior would significantly enhance the overall gameplay experience. Similarly, optimizing the game's performance would ensure that players can enjoy the game without being hindered by technical limitations. In short, while Total War: Pharaoh has the potential to be a great historical strategy game, its technical issues and lack of polish prevent it from reaching its full potential.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Total War: Pharaoh offers an engaging historical setting and the familiar Total War gameplay, it ultimately falls short of expectations due to a lack of innovation, disappointing campaign features, historical inaccuracies, and technical issues. The game plays it safe, failing to push the boundaries of the franchise in meaningful ways. The campaign features lack depth and complexity, the historical representation is sometimes inaccurate, and the technical issues can be incredibly frustrating. Despite these shortcomings, Total War: Pharaoh is not without its merits. The visuals are impressive, the battles can be engaging, and the historical setting has a certain appeal. However, the game needs significant improvements and polish to truly live up to its potential. Future updates and expansions could address some of these issues, adding new features, improving the AI, and enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Ultimately, Total War: Pharaoh is a decent game, but it could have been so much more. It's a testament to the strength of the Total War formula that the game is still enjoyable despite its flaws, but it also serves as a reminder of the importance of innovation, polish, and attention to detail in game development.
