Warriors: Legends of Troy

Overview

Warriors: Legends of Troy is an entry in Koei's Musou franchise for the PS3 and Xbox 360.  It is also the first entry in the franchise to be developed by Koei Canada, rather than Omega Force.  Similar to Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, the game is unusual for the franchise due to its graphic depiction of blood and M rating.  It is also the first entry in the franchise to use a western historical setting; the Trojan War between Troy and Greece.
 

Story

Warriors: Legends of Troy is set during the decade-long Trojan War, triggered when the Trojan Prince Paris leaves Sparta  with Helen, the Trojan bride of Menelaus.  Invoking an oath to protect Helen and her marriage, Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon, set sail from Greece with a thousand ships of armed soldiers.  Thus begins the Trojan War.
 
Over the course of the story, the player takes the role of numerous figures from both the Greek and Trojan side of the conflict, including Achilles, Odysseus, Ajax, Hektor, and Paris.  The Greek pantheon of gods also comes into play, as they influence and at times directly intervene in the events of the war.

Gameplay

Similar to other Musou titles, the story mode features multiple playable characters in battles set against the backdrop of the Trojan War.  Unlike earlier titles, however, the differing characters all share one narrative, and the player the character controls is determined by the chapter played.
 
Beyond the story mode, there are also 3 challenge modes present in the game: Arena, Rampage, and Bloodlust. These are completely separate, self-contained challenges which the player can earn currency from, as well as unlocking unique items to purchase for character progression.
 
Arena mode is a series of progressively harder one-on-one duels. Rampage mode tasks you with killing endless streams of enemies; the catch is that once you start, you cannot be hit or go more than a few seconds without successfully striking an enemy, or the challenge will end. Finally, Bloodlust mode causes your health to slowly drain, and you must refill it by defeating groups of enemies that are spread out throughout the map.

Combat

The combat in Legends of Troy is also revised from earlier Musou titles.  Elements common to the franchise, such as mounted combat and jumping have been removed.  Instead, the characters have the ability to perform stun attacks, along with the standard normal and force attacks.  Stun attacks do no damage, but they can knock back enemies and potentially leave them open.
 
In place of the standard Musou Attack, each character has a Fury Meter.  When the player invokes the fury state, any enemies within close range of the player will become startled and open to attack.  The player also deals more damage and can cut through defenses with ease.
 
All playable characters have shields that may be used to parry and defend against attacks.  They are also highly effective against archers, and the player can move while guarding against attacks.  However, it is also possible to be stunned out of the defense stance.
 
By holding down a shoulder button, the player can lock on to an enemy and keep him in focus; a technique that is especially useful during the numerous one-on-one duels with enemy officers and other opponents.  The player can also perform a dodge roll to evade enemy attacks.  It is also possible to pick up the dropped weapons of some defeated enemies and hurl them.
 

Character Progression

The characters of Legends of Troy are powered up through equipping items that raise stats and grant special combat abilities.  Items can be purchased and equipped in between levels.  Performing well in battle and completing secondary objectives will also unlock new equipment for purchase.  
 
All gear is bought by using Kleos earned in combat; Kleos is earned by attacking and killing enemies, and you can maintain your Kleos by striking enemies in quick succession while also making sure to avoid enemy attacks. Additional Kleos is earned by perfectly timing the presses of attack buttons. Each level also has 3-6 "blessings" hidden around the map which will only appear to the player when they are right next to them, thus encouraging the player to explore all the nooks and crannies of the area. These blessings grant the player additional Kleos to spend on items.
 
Equipping items is a matter of selecting an item and fitting it into a character's inventory grid, similar to the item management in a game like Diablo or Resident Evil 4.  The player may also purchase a total of 4 equipment grid expansions throughout the course of the game that allow for more gear to be equipped.  Each character has their own equipment grid, but the contents of one character's grid can easily be copied into another.