Summary
When it comes to grand strategy franchises, there are few that have been in the game quite as long asCivilization. Debuting in 1991,theCivilizationfranchisehas managed to maintain its top spot in the strategy video game landscape for over 30 years now, and while others have tried to steal its crown, few have even gotten close. But one of the lucky few that has managed to sit atop the genre alongsideCivis Creative Assembly’sTotal Warfranchise, which itself has been around for quite some time.
Debuting all the way back in 2000,theTotal Warfranchiseis a grand strategy series that sees players control a historical leader as they lead their armies across real-world regions in a specific time period. While the general concept is similar toCivilization, theTotal Warfranchise differentiates itself in a number of major ways, and it’s those differences that might makeTotal War: Pharaohthe perfect stop-gap for those looking forward toCivilization 7.
RELATED:All Confirmed Features for Total War: Pharaoh So Far
Why Civilization Fans Should Keep Total War: Pharaoh On Their Radar
One of the biggest selling points of theTotal Warfranchise is that each new entry focuses on a completely different time period. While some of the more successful entries eventually get sequels, the vast majority ofTotal Wargames tend to showcase a completely new set of historical leaders, units, and regions. In the past, theTotal Warseries has spotlighted the Roman Empire, the Napoleonic Wars, Sengoku Japan, and even ventured intotheWarhammeruniversefor a handful of critically acclaimed entries. And now, theTotal Warseries is set to tackle the New Kingdom of Egypt, an era that covers the collapse of the Bronze Age, and the height of the Egyptian Empire’s power.
Just a week ago,Total War: Pharaohhad its first round of pre-release previews, and the overwhelming consensus seems to be that it’s shaping up to be yet another excellent entry in the long-running grand strategy franchise.Previews ofTotal War: Pharaohhave all made reference to the sheer number of features and mechanics inside its campaign mode, hinting that this may be the most complexTotal Wargame to date. While this might suggest thatTotal War: Pharaohisn’t the best jumping-on-point for new players, it’s an extremely exciting insight for long-time fans of the series, and it might offer that same level of complexity thatCivilizationfans long for.
Although theCivilizationfranchise does share some basic similarities withTotal War, they’re both two very different experiences when it comes to gameplay. WhileTotal Wardoes have a fairly meaty city-management gameplay loop, the vast majority ofTotal War’s runtime is dedicated to extremely long and epic ground battles and sieges. ForCivilizationfans who prefer a more militaristic gameplay style,Total Waris definitely a series that they should check out, and with apparently even more of a focus on historical accuracy than ever before,Total War: Pharaohmay end up being home to the most impressive battle system in the franchise.
With stillno news aboutCivilization 7- except for the fact it’s definitely in development - it seems like the perfect time forCivfans to go out and try something new. On one hand, players might try outTotal War: Pharaohand discover that they actually love the more military-focused gameplay loop, and on the other, they might end up not vibing withTotal War, but finding a new appreciation forCivilization’s more accessible approach. It’s a win-win either way.
Total War: Pharaohreleases for PC on August 04, 2025.
MORE:Total War: Pharaoh Lead Campaign Designer Talks Bringing the Bronze Age Collapse to The Franchise
