It's just a new name for something that they've already been doing.īritannia is set during that wonderful time when the puny Anglo Saxons were getting raided mercilessly (and, no doubt, excruciatingly embarrassingly) by the mean old Vikings. But wait, I hear you think (I can do that, you know)! If this is what they've been doing for ages anyway, how is this a new series? Well yes. What that means is that like Napoleon, or Attila, or Charlemagne, or Fall of the Samurai, they're focused more on certain moments in history rather than the sweeping epochs of the likes of Rome and Medieval. well, now it is beginning to feel like it's run its course a bit.īritannia is the first in a new series of games under the Total War banner to be called Total War Sagas. Then, almost as an afterthought, Warhammer - which the nerdier among us had been slightly-too-loudly-for-polite-company declaring would be a good idea since Shogun. The inquisition getting out of control and burning all of your peasants. The papacy's interfering with local politics and launching map-spanning crusades. Nowadays that seems par for the course in a strategy game, but back then it was revolutionary. Then, Medieval Total War made your generals feel like real people, with a string of fascinating personal traits as long as your arm. it had everything, and was way, way ahead of its time, both in terms of vision and delivery. Armies of samurai clashing on the battlefield, dramatic cavalry charges, sneaky ninjas and (horribly broken) geisha creeping around offing enemy lords. Troy’s experimental mechanics and narrative approach make it noteworthy, though its deeds fall short of excellence.I remember my excitement when Shogun: Total War came out. In Troy, where the AI is more helpful and you have more ways to exploit your allies, joy is swinging your Achaean vassals like a mace at the Anatolian shore. The definitive pleasure of Total War is the sense of mastery as you increase your mass. Nonetheless, those imaginative concepts result in a memorable and formida-ble addition to the Total War armoury. This is a shame, when Troy’s innovations might have delivered a more elegant experience. The im-pression of depth fades, while a sprawling web of units, resources, and treaties can render the warpath a convoluted slog. The campaign experience maintains a fair balance between empowerment and obstacle. Like other aspects, it’s easy but a bit of a chore. On the campaign map, heroes act as generals and can be special-ised, while their loyalty can fluctuate. Dramatic maps and bulked-up heroes add colour, yet with no myth units or artillery, you’ll largely be fielding assorted spearmen. Creative Assembly have compensated for an infantry-heavy roster by making light units act like cavalry and introducing muddy terrain. The battles themselves are a bit flat, sieges particularly so. Each faction’s prerogatives are compelling invitations to re-peat the campaign, though they’re inessential. And Hector and Paris, the sons of Troy, can compete for their father’s favour to acquire his power. Menelaus of Sparta can recruit from his allies’ rosters and settle ruined cities. The Lion’s Share mechanic lets Aga-memnon demand tribute, though risks upsetting vassals. Troy’s most interesting mechanics are informed by Homer. Not much fun, but it’s a nice trick to maintain development. Bartering replaces generic relationships, which means you can ensure supplies of one kind if you have an-other in abundance. Resource management is similarly intuitive. The gods here are not inscrutable: you get what you pay for. Food should be carefully governed until you’re well in ascendance, because in Troy it’s also traded for divine buffs.Īll factions can pray to Aphrodite for growth or to Poseidon to smooth the seas. Following Thrones of Britannia, the availability of food is the chief moderator on your martial power. Small changes to the levers you pull to keep your armies moving are enjoyable getting to grips with. Total War makes hay from your hubris: hid-den armies and countervailing mechanics are always waiting in the tall grass. The Homeric setting of covet-ous men at odds with one another feels appropriate. Across a campaign map embracing the Aegean Sea, there are deals to broker, cities to build, and heroes to assuage. Commanding one of eight Greek or Trojan powers, you must unite your friends before deploying your thousand ships to capture Troy or defend it.
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