Creative Assembly's next strategy game is A Total War Saga: Troy. To that end, Creative Assembly has released several new videos focusing on the unique campaign mechanics of playing as a hero on both the Greek and Trojan sides. The key elements that differentiate each faction in this small theater of intensive total wargaming are the heroes. They give flavor to their armies, have unique mechanics, and determine what units they can recruit.

The Greeks:

Achilles is all about fighting other heroes to prove he is the greatest warrior of all time (which he is) and never loses a duel. Agamemnon gathers vassals and tribute and claims Greek kingship. Odysseus is able to recruit even when he is in enemy territory because he can establish outposts in enemy territory, and he is strong in coastal settlements. Finally, Menelaus, who famously lost his wife and started the Trojan War, can recruit units from any of the allied factions and can take advantage of other factions' technology trees and uniques.

And the Trojans:

Hector and Paris share a special rule: they fight over who is the better son of his father Priam, king of Troy, and the winner gets territory as booty. Hector also gets a bonus based on how much territory his allies own, not on the territory he directly owns. Paris has a mechanic that makes his kidnapped wife Helen happy by frequently visiting her and having her attend interesting feasts. His cousin Aeneas, on the other hand, is able to make omens to please various gods and to commune with the dead by spiritually traveling to the underworld to obtain the advice of the dead. Finally, our Trojan ally Sarpedon is a consummate trader, gaining influence and power by trading with other factions in search of unique resources that only he can gather.

We experienced a few of these characters earlier this year. We said at the time, "Finding a way to make every Hellenistic and Trojan faction look unique was one of the toughest challenges the team faced, and we settled on the hero." 'Because every faction is based on a major hero, Achilles' Achaean army is full of fast, aggressive units that excel at rushing. Hector's Trojan army, on the other hand, is heavily armored and, like the princes, focuses on defense." A preview of how heroes will affect combat and the game's changes to the "Total War" formula can be read here.

For more on Total War: Troy, you can read our comprehensive review or analyze individual articles here.