Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 76 | 53 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 63% | 62 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 65% | 63 | 828 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 25, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 828 total reviews in window · weighted 108.2 up / 59.3 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (40)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“Total War: Pharaoh goes back to the roots of the famous series, returning to its historical foundation, realistic battles, and emphasis on tactics. The storytelling is enjoyable and engaging; the heroes are no longer incarnations of gods, but mortals who are members of an elite unit. The changing weather, which can significantly influence the course of a battle, is also a welcome addition, a won battle can suddenly turn into a struggle to rescue elite units from the mud. However, the game is let down by issues such as the sometimes odd behavior of the AI and problems with performance and smoothness.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Total War: Pharaoh is not a “return to the golden age” of Total War, whatever you think it might be. Still, is an incredible accomplishment of mixing player-driven decision and storytelling, along with some much needed battle improvements.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“I can’t say that Total War: Pharaoh is a bad game. It’s simply the same well-known game that was spruced up (again) and sold for a full price. But if you wait for a discount, Creative Assembly’s newest game should deliver dozens of hours of fun.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Once you master the complexities of its systems, pulling off your master plans in Total War Pharaoh is immensely satisfying!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Total War: Pharaoh is a truly unique strategy game for those like me who love the period it's about. The Ancient Egyptian period is where the game really stands out. However, I have to say that the artificial intelligence problems that we have experienced in other games continue and it is not very appealing for those who do not like the era. Nevertheless, with the Palace system and some improvements added to the dynamic battles, it offers a very enjoyable Total War experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Total War: Pharaoh will surely benefit from the shortage of AAA strategy games with real-time battles, but it may play things too safe for the most demanding fans of the series, and given it's a full-price release, the overall scope lands dangerously close to that of the Total War Saga entries.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Total War: Pharaoh shifts the series' focus more toward grand strategy, emphasizing political maneuvering, resource management, and societal stability over battlefield tactics. While its depth in governance and diplomacy is impressive, its combat mechanics feel familiar, and its similarities to Total War: Troy may leave some players wanting more innovation.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Dull warfare mars a fascinating battle for supremacy during the late Bronze Age collapse.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Placing the next Total War game in Egypt was probably not the best decision. The Bronze Age simply tied the creators' hands too much, and you can see it especially during the fights. A small variety of units and battles that lack real juice drag the rating down. On the contrary, dynasty management is fun and last a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Total War: PHARAOH doesn't feel like a proper Total War title, but rather like a simplified grand strategy game. This is not entirely a fault of the developers, though, the historical era the game is set in is just pretty limiting.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A Total War game proves not to be the best way to explore one of the most fascinating periods in ancient history, with boring real-time battles dragging down positive changes to the grand strategy elements.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Like its predecessors, Total War Pharaoh is extremely time-consuming. It delivers a truly colossal punch. In addition to being visually very pleasing, it has the luxury of offering numerous new features in terms of gameplay, which fit perfectly into the setting of Ancient Egypt.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Hu3br
GRYOnline.pl
The Nerd Stash
Atarita
GameWatcher
KonsoliFIN
Eurogamer
SECTOR.sk
SomHráč.sk
Metro GameCentral
Gameblog…and 28 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- DYNASTIES is OUT NOW!Jul 25, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Dev Update - CampaignJul 11, 2024
- Dev Q&A - Battle UpdateJun 21, 2024
- Dev Update – BattlesJun 20, 2024
- Dev Update – New Cultures & FactionsMay 30, 2024
- Hotfix 1.2.1May 20, 2024
- DEV UPDATE – EXPANDED MAPMay 9, 2024
- Total War: PHARAOH Update - AnnounceMay 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Total War: PHARAOH - Hotfix 1.1.1Feb 13, 2024
- The High Tide update and Patch 1.1.0 are OUT NOW!Jan 25, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Total War: PHARAOH - Patch Notes 1.1.0Jan 24, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Total War: PHARAOH - Patch 1.0.1Oct 26, 2023significant · resets scoring window