Total War Saga: Troy Announced For 2020 Release
The Total War series will tackle the Iliad in its next installment, Total War Saga: Troy.
Total War Saga games center on specific events rather than taking on full historical eras. Much like Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia focused on the invasion of the British Isles by the Vikings, Total War Saga: Troy seeks to capture the blood and rage of the twenty year conflict known as the Trojan War.
The announcement trailer opens with the first line from Homer's Iliad: "Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed." Drawing on the epic poem, Troy allows you to experience the war from both the Greek and Trojan perspective, providing eight iconic heroes like Achilles and Hector for you to play as.
"TROY will challenge you to uncover the truth behind Homer's Iliad. An epic tale mixing legend with history, you will peel back the layers of fable, of gods and monsters, to reveal the truths that might have inspired them," said developer Creative Assembly in a blog post. "In TROY, the fate of Aegean civilization will be in your hands – each choice you make will shape the lands from the mythical heights of Mount Olympus to the arid deserts of Lemnos."
According to the game FAQ, Troy offers hundreds of hours of gameplay potential thanks to its combination of factions, heroes, settlements, and mechanics. Creative Assembly drew on mythological, after-period sources and primary sources such as archaeological recordings to recreate the Bronze Age Mediterranean. Not much is known about this time period, leading the developer to focus on the truth behind the legends inspired by Homer's Iliad.
Though it doesn't appear in the announcement trailer, the new Gods and Favor system will play a large role in Troy. The Greek gods exist in the game as spiritual representations; rather than intervening directly, it is the faction's belief in the gods that grants them strength. This belief results in god-specific bonuses and benefits. Creative Assembly also revealed that players will encounter mythical creatures on the battlefield "as realistic representations of what their true form may have been."
Total War Saga: Troy launches on Steam in 2020.