Creative Assembly and Sega‘s Total War: Pharoah launched on October 11th, taking players to the ancient Near East. CA accompanied Pharoah’s launch with a new cinematic trailer featuring some of the game’s playable rulers.
Total War: Pharaoh launch trailer featuring Ramesses and Amenmesse
As with much of Total War: Pharaoh’s promotional material, the launch trailer takes the perspective of future ruler Ramesses III. The short video opens with a brief flash of approaching ships as Ramesses narrates. The next scene shows him emerging from a large palace. His narration laments about Egypt’s rulers ignoring his warnings and leaving the kingdom unprepared for the oncoming Sea People invasions.
Forced to face the Sea People alone, Ramesses leads his army across the desert. However, his march is interrupted by the arrival of an army commanded by Amenmesse, one of Pharaoh’s other playable leaders. The two armies clash, and eagle-eyed viewers might notice some of Ramesses and Amenmesse’s unique units engaging in battle. Accompanying Ramesses are his elite Medjay light infantry and armored Sherden warriors. Meanwhile, Amenmesse, as ruler of Egypt’s sub-Saharan provinces, brings forth an army of Kushite warriors and Nubian mercenaries.
The scene culminates in a duel between the two rulers. Rameses wins but chooses to spare his rival. Moments later, the battle is interrupted by a signal from Ramesses’ lookouts on a nearby hilltop. Climbing the hill, Ramesses and Amenmesse witness the vast Sea People fleet approaching as a storm gathers behind them.
Developer Creative Assembly produced the Total War: Pharaoh launch trailer in-engine, though it did not feature any actual gameplay. It also doesn’t add much that anyone following the game’s development isn’t likely to have already known. Still, the launch trailer does a reasonably good job of setting the stage.