If you have any interest in strategy games, you’ve almost certainly heard of Age of Mythology, one of its many sequels, or the franchise it spun off from, Age of Empires. I played a little bit when I was a kid, but the original title and I are about the same age. That’s how big it is.
As you can probably guess from the name, Age of Mythology: Retold is a shiny new coat of paint on this classic game. I tend to be a bit pessimistic about remakes and remasters, but this was an understandable, well-executed endeavor, and to be honest, I did enjoy it to some extent.
In classic real-time strategy style, the game lets you control villagers to collect resources, build new buildings, then train your army, improve your settlement, advance to a new era, and more. Confront the enemy. It has a delicious ancient flavour, with you being given a choice of an initial god at the start of the game and being able to choose secondary gods as the game progresses. Each has upgrades, abilities, and mythical companions to use, from divine lightning bolts to legendary heroes.
It’s the time-honoured formula that made Age of Mythology an iconic game and a long-loved series, and this remake allows a new generation to see what makes it so special.
from another era
Of course, it’s impossible to talk at length about this remake without comparing it to the 2002 version. When a game is remade, that’s all everyone wants to know – how does it match the original?
It certainly feels like a significant upgrade. The game looks great compared to the crispy 2002 version, with updated high-resolution models and character portraits, a sleek and modern UI, and remixes and remasters of iconic soundtracks (several (including new additions). But despite the shiny new paint, underneath it’s the same game, a near-shot-for-shot remake of the original. Despite the updated visuals, it still feels like you’re playing an old strategy game, especially during the campaign. And it’s wonderful, even charming at times.
I didn’t play the original Age of Mythology all that much, but just hearing a few notes of the music playing while piloting Pegasus brought me back to my old days. Anyone who played the original version will definitely feel nostalgic. For those who haven’t played it yet, it’s a solid real-time strategy game that takes all the elements of the original popular game, plus modern conveniences.
The changes are fairly minor, with only one major addition to the original base game. It’s the “new” Atlantean Pantheon (which was actually originally featured elsewhere in the Age of Mythology series) alongside the original Pantheon. There’s also a “new” campaign (also taken from another game in the series) featuring gameplay with the Atlanteans.
It’s so seamlessly integrated that new players won’t even know it wasn’t there in the original version. However, it is a little strange that the “Atlantis” hero from the first campaign uses a Greek temple. Other new features include a villager priority system that allows you to automatically assign villagers to tasks, and new later stage ages. There are also plenty of accessibility features, which are always appreciated.
This isn’t an amazing reimagining of the game that will change the way you look at the game or the characters, but it’s a great, very faithful remake for those who want to re-experience the game, or try it for the first time.
That said, it’s worth noting that for those who are really nostalgic, you can bring back your old portrait from 2002 by purchasing paid DLC. It’s a bit of a shame that the publisher went this route instead of making it available for free in the first place, but the rest of the remake is executed well enough that I don’t want to count this too harshly. is difficult.
Now that we’ve covered the game’s remake status, let’s get into the game itself.
Campaign for change
For those interested in a long-term experience (and up for a challenge), Age of Mythology: Retold offers three campaigns, two of which are based on the original Age of Mythology (Trident’s Can be found in Decay and the Golden Gift). ) and one from Age of Mythology: The Titans (The New Atlantis). Those new to the series may think three campaigns aren’t many, but there are a total of 50 individual mission scenarios, which add up to a long play time. If the campaign is your goal, please join the campaign.
Most of the campaigns are cleaned-up versions of the original game’s campaigns. Longtime players can enjoy high-definition nostalgia (including all the charming, slightly stiff cutscenes you’d expect from older versions). Meanwhile, new players can see why the original is so beloved, including some of its rough edges. With the edges shaved off.
The campaign is fun, the acting and story aren’t necessarily the best in the world, even by today’s standards, but they’re serviceable and the most important part, the gameplay, is good. Each scenario progresses well from the rest and, for beginners, strikes a good balance between being complex enough to be interesting, yet simple enough to be fairly easy to learn. There’s also a fair amount of variety in each scenario, and the scenarios are short enough that if you fail one stage, it’s no big deal to start over. Additionally, the wide selection of difficulty levels makes it perfect for both replay players and beginners who aren’t completely confident in their abilities yet.
hoping for a skirmish
The campaign may be an iconic part of the game, but we can’t forget the skirmishes (single or online multiplayer scenarios). Especially because they are wonderfully finished.
Gameplay is pretty much what you’d expect – build a village, have villagers collect resources, create an army, and attack other players. Sounds basic, but there’s so much variety in these simple steps. First, there are four different pantheons to choose from. Each has different nuances of play. That’s before we get into the different gods in each pantheon and the different mythical creatures, skills, and abilities each grants players. You can choose something different each time, so each skirmish feels a little different.
And Pantheon isn’t the only option. Those who prefer a single-player experience will enjoy the customization this game offers. You can choose the number of opponents, the gods they follow, whether they’re offensive or defensive, and the goals you want to win or lose (in a surprising number of games). options), maps, and difficulty, plus more fine-grained adjustments. While each isn’t radically different, there’s enough variety to keep things fresh, at least for a while, and deep customization is always welcome.
final thoughts
When it comes to the hallowed halls of iconic remakes, let’s be honest: Age of Mythology: Retold probably won’t be there. This formula doesn’t do anything interesting and doesn’t add enough new content. But it’s still a good game, and worth the price of admission if you want a solid, well-crafted real-time strategy with a modern look.
If this sounds like you, I recommend checking this out.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Great gameplay. There is also a wide range of campaign content. Great customization options
Highlights: No new content
Developer: World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC
Available: Currently
The review was conducted on a Windows PC using code provided by the publisher.
