Highlights
- Total War: Pharaoh will feature an in-depth campaign mode with numerous factions during the Bronze Age collapse, providing a challenging experience for players.
- Hittite Great King Suppiluliuma II is a powerful leader in the game, known for defending his homeland and being one of the hardest factions to play.
- Suppiluliuma's historical reign was marked by political instability, invasions by the Sea Peoples and the Kaska tribe, and ultimately the downfall of the Hittite Empire, reflecting the challenges players will face in the game.
Just like with every Total War game before it, Total War: Pharaoh will feature an in-depth campaign mode with dozens of factions to choose from. This time around, players will be taking control of one of the many factions vying for control during the Bronze Age collapse. It is a turbulent time that only the best Total War: Pharaoh players will be able to survive, so interested players may want to be ready.
Game ZXC was recently able to get our hands on one of Total War: Pharaoh's unique factions and its leader: the Hittite Great King Suppiluliuma II. Known as the defender, his powerful army is a force to be reckoned with on the world stage. He will do whatever he can to defend his homeland and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. However, he is not for the faint of heart as he is one of Total War: Pharaoh's hardest factions to play. Players who want to undertake that challenge may want to be careful because even the most veteran of them may not be ready for what is in store, and his history clearly reflects this.
Who Was Suppiluliuma?
Not to be confused with Suppiluliuma I, Suppiluliuma II was allegedly the last Great King of the Hittite Empire. There is not a whole lot known about him or his reign as historians have only found a few mentions of him. They do know that he was the son of Tudhaliya IV, that he ruled during the Bronze Age collapse, and that he was the one who abandoned the capital city of Hattusa, marking the end of the Hittite Empire.
Historians also believe that he may be responsible for one of the first recorded naval battles in history. In 1210 BC, a fleet supposedly under his command defeated the Cypriots multiple times. He also apparently sacked the city of Tarhutassa at one point, which was once the capital of the Hittite Empire before things drastically changed. However, even with these victories, his reign was apparently plagued with major political instability. Not only was the empire itself unstable, but encroaching forces made things even worse.
Once the Sea Peoples' invasion began, things quickly went from bad to worse for Suppiluliuma and the Hittite Empire. They pushed down the Mediterranean coastline, ransacking cities as they went. Eventually, they would end up taking cities away from the Hittites and cutting off their trade routes in the process. At the same time, the Kaska tribe also began to expand, putting the Hittites in its crosshairs. Suppiluliuma allegedly tried to get help, but it does not seem like help came.
Things got so bad that the capital city of Hattusa had to be evacuated. Historians believe that Suppiluliuma gave that order, which resulted in the end of the Hittite empire. However, his actual fate in this remains a mystery. Some historians believe he perished during the sack of Hattusa while others say he simply vanished. Whatever the case may be, everything he once ruled came crumbling down.
This is the situation that Total War: Pharaoh players will find themselves in if they choose to play as Suppiluliuma. While the Hittite empire may look sturdy, enemies are already out for blood as players must instantly fend off Kaska raiders. If they are not careful, they may soon find themselves face-to-face with even more civilizations wishing to destroy them. And when the Sea People arrive, it could very well be game over for them. If they do not prepare accordingly, then their fate may be the same as Suppiluliuma's thousands of years ago.
Total War: Pharaoh will be available on PC on October 11.