A Total War Saga: Troy Blends Myth With Reality

Like the Iliad, the Total War series has had a long and storied tradition. A Total War Saga: TROY expects to continue that tradition with the earliest historical timeline entry in the franchise. For this one, expect it to play heavily off the ancient history and mythology surrounding the Trojan War. During our digital event hosted by the fine folks at Creative Assembly, we were able to play a bit of the upcoming Total War title and learn about some of the interesting new features you can look forward to in A Total War Saga: TROY.

Mythology Meets History

Similar to Total War: Three Kingdoms, Troy is aiming to blend a mix of realism and mythology in its gameplay. For example, our hands-on preview showcased the ability to take control of a mighty minotaur for your army’s use in battle. Don’t expect to see the level of fantasy you would from a game like Total War: Warhammer, but the ability to use these mythological creatures as powerful allies in your war effort seemed didn’t break immersion and we’re immensely enjoyable to crush your opponents with.

Although myths and legends will play a large role in A Total War Saga: TROY, the team at Creative Assembly still plans to maintain a semblance of realism throughout with the addition of more realistic unit types that were used during this time period. Players can look forward to seeing mainly infantry on the frontlines, with the rare inclusion of other unit types like chariots taking on the role of cavalry. Don’t worry about things getting stale with the heavy focus on infantry units though, as Total War Saga: Troy offers more varied types of infantry.

Where Legends are Born

In my time with a preview build of A Total War Saga: TROY, I was able to take on the role of Achilles and Hector. Hector uses heavier and medium infantry, which are slower but absolute tanks in the front line of your massive battles. Conversely, Achilles' army is comprised more of lighter and medium units, as well as the rare chariots. I loved how varied these different infantry types helped the battle feel drastically different depending on which side you chose. I ended up winning on both sides of my playthrough by adhering to these different styles. For the defensive Hector, we stood fast and carefully guarded the flanks with medium infantry. For Achilles, I played aggressively by flanking and use the terrain to my advantage with my lighter and more agile troops.

These heroes look to play an even bigger part of the Total War experience in Troy. Heroes fall into categories now, including Fighters, Defenders, Warlords, and Archers. Each promises its own benefit to add more variety and individualism for each hero. For example, Warlords provide powerful buffs to nearby soldiers, whereas Defenders give defensive bonuses to your troops. Matching an army to fit their hero’s skillset should lend a wealth of variety and new playstyles to the Total War series.

And New to the Series...

Additional refinements are fantastic but expect to see new mechanics and features touching other aspects as well. Creative Assembly mentioned new changes to the economy, which should impact your campaign playthrough with the addition of new resources, totaling up to five, for you to spend on various parts of the game. Additional resources should add more strategy to the campaign map as you will need to pick and choose which resources to focus on to benefit the needs of your army and nation.

Additionally, the battlefield should change significantly with additions to the terrain system. One example from the gameplay preview was the addition of mud and tall grass. Heavy soldiers get bogged down by the mud, whereas light soldiers take no negative status effect from moving through the mud. It may seem like a minor change, but these changes led me to make more impactful positioning and tactical decisions when fighting out our battle of Greeks versus Trojans.

A Total War Saga: TROY Preview | Final Thoughts

As a long time player of the Total War series, I’m excited to see how these new changes will impact playing A Total War Saga: TROY. My gameplay experience was enjoyable, with the varied infantry and mythological creatures adding more to a more varied playing experience than some of the older titles in the series. The addition of myth and RPG elements seem to be pushing the Total War series more in a direction that focuses on fun combat than strict realism, which started with Total War: Three Kingdoms, and seems to be adding value to a long-standing strategy franchise.

TechRaptor previewed A Total War Saga: Troy at a virtual preview event hosted by Creative Assembly and SEGA.