A new Total War TROY is the first entry in the award-winning series to focus on the legendary 20-year conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece, now known as the Trojan War, set against the striking backdrop of the Bronze Age Mediterranean.

Storyline 

The story of the siege of Total War TROY is of course not only concerned with the Trojan horse. Before that happens, the city will be under constant attack for ten years. However, all of our knowledge is based more often on the traditional epics of the poet Homer than on historical facts. So most of what we know about this story comes from the imagination.

One of 0https://myesportsglobe.com/games/smite/smite-lokis greatest strengths, however, lies in the extremely atmospheric implementation of Illias and other Homeric works. Those familiar with ancient texts can recognize small references at every corner. That is why we do not recruit any general in the role of Odysseus for one of our first armies, but Antiphos. A hero from Homer’s Odyssey, who belongs to Odysseus’ team after the Trojan War and accompanies him on his wandering until he is finally eaten by a Cyclops. We just found it a shame that these Homeric heroes, apart from the faction leaders, are visually no different from normal heroes. This has Three Kingdoms still done better.

Gameplay

As in Three Kingdoms, there are heroes in Total War TROY who can have a decisive effect on the battle by casting buffs or simply shining through their sheer strength. In the Iliad, the heroes and their great achievements are at the center of the narrative.

Unlike in Three Kingdoms, however, these heroes are not quite as powerful and wander into Hades in no time at all if you are not careful – they are not divine, but human. More on that later. Due to their respective passive and active skills , which you can select and improve with each level up, the heroes offer a fascinating tactical component that can be decisive in the battle.

The battles proceed according to the well-known “Total War TROY” principle: You bring your troops into position and move the respective unit blocks, as it brings you the greatest possible advantage. You make use of the topography and the different terrain of the battlefield to lure the enemy into the trap and play to your own strengths. With tall grass (some units can hide) and muddy ground (heavy units are slowed down and increasingly exhausted), two new surfaces have been integrated that can be used very well tactically.

Although the battles are great fun, the balancing between the various units does not seem to be fully developed yet . Ranged units appeared to be far too powerful in our test and could seldom be countered due to the mostly lack of cavalry. This was certainly not the intention.

The battles remain tactical as usual and challenge your brains. However, the game still struggles with some balancing issues.

Even if there is a multitude of different units, we always used the same combination when things got tight. If possible, you should start again here in order to bring greater variance into play. The basics are definitely there.

According to the eight different campaigns, there are just as many playable heroes, each with their own advantages and abilities. Menelaus, as King of Sparta and horned husband who ultimately started the war, can call men to arms , even if he is not on home soil, while the prudent Hector has a particularly positive effect through friendship with other factions . When choosing a campaign, you should think carefully about how you want to play.

It is important to think carefully about which hero you want to play, as their abilities will significantly influence the way you play. You should also always carefully consider how you use your heroes. This applies to both the movement of troops on the map and during the battle.

If one of your armies is attacked by a superior force, for example, you can still benefit from the inevitable defeat by killing the enemy hero and permanently weakening the enemy’s troops and their skills repertoire. The reverse is also true, of course.

The heroes and their selectable abilities have an effect on the individual battles and the war in general that should not be underestimated.

Like others, strategy is the key

In Total War TROY’s battles, flanking or attacking in the rear is in fact much more important than in other games: to create interesting gameplay situations, the developers have taken the characteristics of the various infantry classifications to extremes . Medium and heavy troops are really difficult to defeat in a head-on fight, while light fighters are extremely weak in prolonged fights, but have speed and flanking bonuses that can be used in place of cavalry.

For a historical player this can initially be a source of confusion, but Creative Assembly has tried to make the situation clearer by differentiating the types of units from the game interface .

At the command of the deployments are then the Heroes , single units with active skills that can be used both as support for troops and as breakthrough forces to be thrown into the fray. Achilles belongs to the category of “Fighters”, heroic figures who excel in hand-to-hand combat, while Hector is a “Defender”, less skilled than Achilles in battle, but able to absorb blows and heal troops.

In addition to these two classes there will then be the “Archer”, with a talent for quickly taking down enemy heroes, and the “Condottiero”, who much prefers support to frontline combat. The four main classes are then divided into eleven other subclasses , each of them customizable in the skills and type of equipment available (customization should be similar to that present in Three Kingdoms).

In short, heroic units are a fundamental component of the army, and exploiting their active abilities carefully is perhaps the only way to overcome the most challenging scenarios. In addition, as the heroes fight, they also accumulate anger and can activate an ability called “Aristia”, which enhances their fighting spirit and makes them immune to any breakdown in morale.

Ability

Each hero has several special abilities and unique units. The developers do an excellent job of working out the characteristics of the respective heroes. Since we already had the most fun with the scheming Cao Cao at Three Kingdoms , we decided this time with Odysseus for the smartest schemer. A cunning (if somewhat disoriented) hero and inventor of the Trojan horse.

Here, however, it quickly becomes apparent that not every unique faction ability is as much fun as the next . Odysseus can build accommodation in foreign cities and thus recruit his own units in hostile areas, but we rarely had to make real use of it. After all, we almost never stood before the enemy city with a half-full army. In contrast, the struggle for rule by the brothers Paris and Hector, or Menelaus’ option to remotely colonize destroyed settlements, seemed much more accessible.

Since Total War TROY tries to appear realistic despite the mythological template, the heroes are strong but never overpowering. It is very similar with the gods. We can campaign for the favor of a total of seven gods and receive specific bonuses for this. An option that we always like to take advantage of. Because every god offers sufficient advantages that the invested resources usually pay off. At the highest level, for example, particularly powerful agents such as gorgons, satyrs or a seer. In our eyes, Total War TROY even has one of the most rewarding religious systems of all Total Wars.

Economy and Diplomacy

If you don’t want to get involved in battles in the first place, you should be on good terms with your neighbors. Of course, Total War TROY insists on continuing the excellent diplomacy system of Three Kingdoms. Or rather,Total War TROY tries.

As in Three Kingdoms, we can now use a number to see exactly when our counterpart will agree to a deal. Depending on whether our nose fits him or what position his kingdom is in, our offers have different degrees of influence on this value. This is how haggling is usually fun and, above all, very understandable. But then the big but comes up against it.

While we were still allowed to negotiate everything possible in Three Kingdoms, and thus also cede objects or even family members, the selection in Troy is very much reduced. Arms or armor are no longer for sale. Due to the scenario, there is no family tree anyway. You can no longer make other realms your vassals, unless your faction leader is Agamemnon.

Your most important commodity is instead the total of five resources: food, bronze, wood, stone and gold. A new system from which the developers have high expectations. And yes, there is great potential in that for the future of Total War. In Total War TROY, however, resource management still feels far too immature because the balance just doesn’t work.

Who should buy

• “Total War Troy” fans who are additionally rewarded with some interesting innovations.
• Lovers of complex strategy games who are also looking for challenges away from the battlefield.
• Readers of the Iliad, who are rewarded in Troy with a respectful implementation of the myths and many nice allusions, such as idioms and hidden events.
• Players interested in the Bronze Age who would also like to see a differentiated, albeit somewhat overstylized image of this epoch apart from Hollywood.

Who should Not buy

• Absolute “Total War Troy” newbies who can quickly become overwhelmed and frustrated due to the complexity of the game.
• Players who long for fast action and a lot of variety. The game is leisurely and at times quite monotonous at first glance.
• Players who were hoping for great gods and monsters action. This is not offered in Troy.

Conclusion

Troy in a completely fair way is not that easy. The game makes a few blunders, but I appreciate what the developers have tried to do here. Combining mythology with real history is a dance on a millimeter thick wire rope, and it was predictable that you wouldn’t really please any player with it. However, the developers have earned my respect for the attempt. Troy also gives some really good impulses, at least on the campaign map.

The god system works wonderfully, and the five resources offer great potential. However, it feels a bit like the release was rushed in the end. The balance of the economic system gets more and more out of hand with each round, and the fact that the multiplayer only follows months later sounds like an entrepreneurial compromise. Ultimately, Troy is doing a bit like the last saga offshoot Thrones of Britannia, but luckily without its exorbitant AI errors. If you want to dust Troy for free on the day of release, you won’t go wrong with it, but can certainly spend a few weekends in atmospheric Greece and promote your own hero myth.

In the end, however, it remains to be said that A Total War TROY is perhaps one of the best offshoots of the entire “Total War TROY” series and that is saying something. I’m curious how well the game will be received. Hopefully, the “Epic Games” controversy will not tarnish response to the game and rate the game for itself. Since it’s available for free on the Epic Games Store for the first 24 hours, every strategy fan should grab it.

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