Total War developer Creative Assembly is planning a massive celebration for the series' 25th anniversary from August through November, complete with a retrospective video presentation, opportunities for interaction between the development team and fans, and sneak peeks at unannounced games. The Total War franchise made its debut in June 2000 with Shogun: Total War, a historical turn-based strategy game set during Japan's Warring States period. Since its first outing, Total War has expanded to include an impressive 16 entries, three of which are set in the high-fantasy Warhammer universe.
Creative Assembly has worked on Total War since its inception, supporting each new release with consistent updates and additional content. The Total War community is equally involved in keeping the series alive, with new mods for Total War expanding the lifespan of each entry for years beyond their release. Although this fall is poised to deliver a nostalgic celebration of Total War over the past 25 years, it's the developer's promises of future content that are most intriguing.
Every Total War Game, Ranked
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Vice President of Total War Roger Collum announced in a forum post that Creative Assembly would be celebrating Total War's 25th anniversary from August to November with behind-the-scenes video content, developer live streams, game sales, multiplayer tournaments, giveaways, and Q&A sessions. The four months of Total War festivities are all leading up to the Total War: 25th Anniversary Showcase in December, which promises to unveil new games for Total War’s fantasy and history settings that are currently in development.
New Total War Games Are Currently in Development
Creative Assembly also revealed that Total War: Warhammer 3 will receive new content leading up to the 25th anniversary celebration. Patch 6.2 drops on June 17, bringing major changes to Total War: Warhammer 3's magic item and combat systems. The game's next DLC, "Tides of Torment," will bring the game's final playable faction to Total War: Warhammer 3 in July. Although no future content beyond the DLC has been announced, Collum's forum post does tease new additions to the Total War: Warhammer series that will be revealed during the 25th Anniversary Showcase.
With 25 years of games in the Total War series' tenure, it's no surprise that Creative Assembly has enough content to fill four months of celebration. Although the development team's recent outings have been considered missteps among some fans, prompting an apology from Creative Assembly to the Total War community, the battle sim's storied history proves that the franchise has the staying power necessary to bounce back. With the Total War: 25th Anniversary Showcase promising sneak peeks at new entries, the second half of the year could be positioned to turn the Total War series around.
Total War: Pharaoh
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 54%
- Released
- October 11, 2023
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
WHERE TO PLAY
In Total War: PHARAOH immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction. With dynamic real-time battles and incredible turn-based empire management, will you rise to become Egypt’s last great Pharaoh, or a conquering Great King of the Hittites? Or will you take command of the Sea Peoples’ bloodthirsty hordes and drive the Bronze Age Collapse?
With the Bronze Age Collapse looming and the dark sails of the Sea Peoples filling the horizon the people of Egypt cry out for a new leader. Many desire the power of the throne, but the path to becoming Pharaoh is a perilous one. Unearth a breathtakingly vibrant recreation of the Bronze Age Collapse as you battle societal disarray, face natural disasters and fight to protect your people against waves of invaders.
Enemy armies aren’t the only challenges to overcome on the battlefield. Lead your soldiers through sudden and dramatic shifts in weather, such as torrential rain and sandstorms, and witness the tides of battle turn as it directly impacts the surrounding terrain. Beware the threat of fire too, as battles can become engulfed in flames, striking and spreading across the battlefield as it burns forests and damages the foundations of enemy settlements.
