Total War: Pharaoh’s politics and subterfuge are more exciting than its battles

polygon.com:

Ramesses II, who was born a civilian, inherited Egypt’s throne as a teenager, fought several prolonged conflicts with the Hittite empire, warded off pirate incursions along the Mediterranean coast, and navigated a political court marred by betrayals and petty grievances. He was also the victim of the first recorded military ambush ever. Basically, his job sucked!

I find myself in this very crucible when I load up Ramesses II’s campaign in Total War: Pharaoh. Throughout the course of a 50-turn demo, I battle the Hittites, reclaim land taken by the Canaanites, hatch plots against court members, and secure my place in the history books. And although Pharaoh’s real-time battles certainly aren’t the most exciting of the long-running Total War series, once Creative Assembly Sofia’s campaign builds momentum, combat is one of the last things on my mind.

That’s not to say that Pharaoh’s AI enemies aren’t testing my borders whenever they get the chance, though; the series is called Total War, after all. I sent Ramesses II and my strongest army north to capture the province of Sukkot at one point, and two minor Egyptian factions — presumably unhappy with my reign — invaded from the south. It took most of my available food, stone, and wood to field a backup army from my capital province of Neb-Gehes, but once I did, we made quick work of the would-be usurpers.

Although the variety of units available in Pharaoh’s real-time battles feels lacking — not just in comparison to Total War: Warhammer 3’s fantasy rogues’ gallery, but also to A Total War Saga: Troy’s lineup — the battles themselves are sleek and responsive. Battalions react quickly to my commands, chariots swoop around enemy flanks in fluid loops, and archers are quick to