A pleasant surprise on multiple fronts.
Legends of Troy is set during the Trojan War and features a number of characters from Homer's beloved epics. It switches perspectives back and forth between the Greeks and the Trojans, explaining what happened to start the war between them a little at a time. Despite the odd order of the cut scenes, each chapter moves in sequence with the actual events of the story. The characters are predetermined and all items carry over between chapters. Unlike other entries in Koei's Warriors series, there is no Free Mode. The player may choose to play the main story, replay cleared chapters or try out several challenges with unlocked characters. There is also an Extras section where unlocked concept art, music and cut scenes are stored.
Now, for the game play. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your average hack-and-slash. Blindly pressing the same attack button is the quickest way to get yourself killed. Some enemies require you to stun them, parry their attacks or roll and attack from behind in order to do any damage. Boss battles against the gods require whole new strategies to defeat them, and all of them have multiple forms that can be a challenge to anyone who isn't cautious.
The controls present a little bit of a challenge as well. The camera locks itself in awkward places at times. The finishing moves, while insanely cool, often have a small window in which to perform them, and even then the attacks don't always connect because you're not facing the right direction needed. Stun attacks are tricky to pull off until upgrades can be purchased and don't work on bosses or heroes. Fury looks cool and speeds you up for maximum damage, but you can still take damage while in this mode and you cannot stop it once it's started. This game could also really use a jump button.
There are a few saving graces with the controls, however. Most enemy weapons can be picked up and used, and throwing them at enemies will almost always take them down. This can be a lifesaver when up against more powerful goons (like the Brute or the Guardian) because you can take them out in one hit as opposed to thirty. Each character has unique finishing moves that can knock nearby enemies over, allowing for more instant kills. There are also items that can be equipped to make attacks stronger or last longer.
Another, major positive point goes to the character designs. There are very few chiseled and beautiful men here. Even the handsome ones have flaws to make them seem less like game characters and more like real people. Achilles suffers from greasy hair and constant stubble. Paris looks like a wet noodle when standing next to heroes like Hektor. Even Penthesilea has facial expressions that would turn Medusa to stone. The cast as a whole, however, looks stunning and sounds amazing. Achilles and Ajax in particular have great voices that fit their looks and their personalities. The graphics in general have a cell-shaded feel to them at times. Still, the levels look beautiful and oddly realistic. Only a few design flaws really popped out and all of those were present in a couple of cut scenes.
While there is no leveling up in Legends of Troy, there are several Challenges where players can try to earn Kleos (the game's currency), which is used to purchase more inventory space and a wide variety of items. Completing objectives during the challenges will also unlock unique items. The challenges themselves are difficult but fun and should provide hours of entertainment in between chapters.
A special mention should also go to the Trophy names for this game. Some memorable ones include "I'm Too Old For This Shi…P," "They See Me Rollin', The Hatin'," "Zombie Homicider," and my personal favorite, "It's Over 9000!!!"
Overall, this is a solid action game backed by an excellent story and a strong cast of characters. Fans of Koei's other Warriors games will certainly enjoy this addition. For those who are still unsure about the sometimes-clumsy controls and the occasional quick-time events, it's at least worth a rental.