Ludography
60/100
Players4 ratings
71/100
Metacritic4 critic reviews
More scores
Metacritic usersuser score
65/100
GameFAQsUnforgiving
3.71/5
Player reviews
77% positive248 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows, Mac, Linux
Price
US$14.99

Where to get it

Pharaonic cover

2016 · Milkstone Studios · Action role-playing · Fighting

Pharaonic

Pharaonic is an unforgiving sidescrolling Action-RPG set in Ancient Egypt. Explore a vast kingdom full of dangers and brutal enemies while you find the truth behind Ahmosis I, the Red Pharaoh.

Released
28 April 2016
Platforms
LinuxPlayStation 4WindowsXbox OnemacOS
Genres
Action role-playingFightingHistoricalIndieRole-playing
Developers
Milkstone Studios
Publishers
Milkstone Studios
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionFantasyHistorical
Country
Spain
Age ratings
PEGI 16ACB MESRB T
Languages
English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Spain)
Time to beat
11hmain story14hcompletionist

About

Pharaonic is an action role-playing game developed and published by Milkstone Studios. It was first released on April 28, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, and later for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, and Nintendo Switch.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Inspired by Prince of Persia and Dark Souls series, Pharaonic features a real-time combat in a side-scrolling format, with 2.5D stylized graphics. The combat relies on a stamina bar and features light and heavy attacks, blocking, and dodging mechanics. A wide variety of combat styles are available, alongside a character progression system.

The level design is non-linear, featuring interconnected areas, unlockable shortcuts, and hidden secrets to encourage exploration. The story is primarily conveyed through texts, items, and interactions with non-playable characters.

Story

The game is set in a fictional and mythological version of Ancient Egypt, where a nameless prisoner escapes captivity and embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the Red Pharaoh, a demigod tyrant who has plunged the land into darkness.

Development

The game was developed by Milkstone Studios, also known for Ziggurat. The team aimed to create a "Dark Souls in Egypt", translating the Soulslike formula into a mythological setting with 2D gameplay. The development was self-funded. It was built using the Unity engine, which enabled a multi-platform release. Unlike other soulslike games that typically use a medieval dark fantasy tone, Pharaonic adopted a vibrant visual style based on Ancient Egyptian art and iconography.

Reception

Pharaonic received "mixed or average" reviews for the Xbox One version, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. It was praised for its art direction, original setting, and faithful adaptation of Soulslike combat, although some reviewers noted a steep difficulty curve and enemy repetition.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
macOS28 April 2016North America · Worldwide 28 April 2016
Linux28 April 2016Worldwide
PlayStation 428 April 2016Worldwide
Windows28 April 2016North America
Xbox One13 July 2016North America

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Genres

  • Historical gamesGames set in Antiquity and Classical antiquity (10,000 BC – 500 AD)

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.