The next title in the Total War series will allow fans to replay the Trojan War. Called A Total War Saga: Troy, developer The Creative Assembly say the game will be an historical look at one of the most legendary conflicts in the history of Western literature. A new teaser trailer was released today on YouTube, and is embedded above.
“Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, Troy will let you forge a heroic legacy in the late Bronze Age, the furthest back in time the critically acclaimed franchise has ever travelled,” developers said today in a press release. “The fate of Aegean civilisation 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. Experience history as it may have happened or shape the legend for yourself in this unique chapter of Total War.”
Trouble is that no one knows for certain if the Trojan War actually happened. The classic Homeric tales were themselves rendered down into a written format only after generations as an oral tradition. Creative Assembly implies that it will be up to players to push the mythological narrative in the direction of their choosing with the help of some interesting new features.
The game will run on a barter economy, the developer said. It will also require players to “curry the very favour of the Gods themselves.” Deities like Aphrodite and her father, Zeus, play a key role in Homer’s narrative, but they’re not present in today’s CGI trailer. That leaves us to speculate that the game will veer more toward the recent hero-powered strategy game Total War: Three Kingdoms, and less toward the high-fantasy of Total War: Warhammer 2.
A Total War Saga: Troy is expected some time in 2020 for Windows PC via Steam.