Creative Assembly brings the late Bronze Age to life with the earliest setting to date

On August 13, Creative Assembly, creators of the Total War franchise, released their latest entry A Total War Saga: Troy for free exclusively on the Epic Games Store.

Creative Assembly is no stranger to history. As evident by the long list of historically-inspired settings like ancient Rome, feudal Japan, the Napoleanic Wars, and even the Chinese Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They’ve also dabbled in fantasy, having released two successful games in Games Workshop's Warhammer setting.

Most well known for their real-time-strategy games centered around commanding large armies in pitch-battles, Creative Assembly brings players to the height of the Bronze Age by allowing them to lead and fight among the legends first popularized to life by Homer.

Taking place between 1260 and 1180 BC, the Trojan War is a dramatic legend of classical antiquity that inspired a myriad of work like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey – dreaded summer reading requirements for those about to enter 9th grade.

But now players will get to experience the romanticism and bloodshed first hand instead of being forced to read about it – including Paris’ escape with Helen of Sparta, Hector and Achille’s duel, and of course the Greek infiltration of Troy with the infamous ‘Trojan Horse.’

Players can decide for themselves if they want to watch history play out as it did all those years ago, or instead "take the fate of the Aegean civilization” in their own hands. The Total War franchise is known for its tactical real-time-battles and strategic, managerial gameplay – both of which will return in strides.

Aside from sending scores of men to fight and die amongst now -ancient battlefields, players will also have to remain diplomatic and shrewd if they want any hope of juggling a barter economy while also waging war against the legends of antiquity.

Speaking of economy, A Total War Saga: Troy will not feature a standardized currency - much like the game's historical setting. Instead, players barter resources that fluctuate in value depending on factions they trade with and overall supply and demand during a campaign.

Valuable metals like gold and bronze are also available for trade, but only in the most exceptional circumstances. Both these metals are critical for arming elite troops, upgrading buildings, and are slow to acquire – especially gold since it is a finite resource.

Just as those alive during the Bronze Age both feared and worshipped the Hellenistic Gods, so too can players gain favor and divine advantages. Players are free to worship any god as much as they want, but must be careful should another jealous god smite them for their lack of piety.

Worshipping also includes the joining, maintenance, and spread of cults. Players can recruit priestesses to conduct rituals, build temples to appease gods, and offer gifts to secure good-will from those on Mount Olympus.

A Total War Saga: Troy is available for free on Epic Games Store until 9 AM EST on August 14, where it will remain exclusively until August 2021.