It seems incredible that it’s been more than 20 years since I first played Age of Mythology back in 2002. I always fondly remembered the cute looks and voices of the Nordic dwarf villagers and the excellent soundtrack that fit so well with the mythological theme. Fast forward to 2024 and I’ve been playing a remastered version called Age of Mythology: Retold for a week. As the RTS genre continues to evolve, this remake begs the question: is it just nostalgia fun or can a game from the early 2000s hold its own in today’s market?
Age of Mythology was re-released in 2014 with Age of Mythology: Extended Edition. Even that version is 10 years old today, so there’s plenty of room for further improvement, and one of the most obvious improvements to Retold is the visual overhaul. I really appreciate the new graphics, especially when I zoom in to see the details of the units and environments. The colors are vibrant and the unit animations are smooth. I find it particularly exciting to see divine forces like forest fires, tornadoes, and meteor showers. I also enjoy battles with Titans, as their powerful blows send large numbers of units flying in all directions in comical ways.
The attention to detail extends to the most common units too: beautifully rendered war elephants, foot soldiers, heroes and mythical creatures bring the world of mythology to life. The way buildings are damaged also adds to the immersion. Buildings crumble beautifully when attacked, with parts gradually collapsing and fires breaking out as they take more damage.
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From a gameplay perspective, Age of Mythology: Retold retains the classic gameplay of the Age of Empires series, but introduces a number of improvements. At its core, the game revolves around building and managing your civilization, progressing through different ages, and choosing gods and lesser gods that grant you powerful powers. Players must gather resources, construct buildings, and train a mix of human and mythical units. Success in battle depends on the use of heroes, mythical units, and devastating divine powers to turn the tide of battle.
For newcomers, Retold offers a list of interesting units with unique mechanics. All human units, such as spearmen, cavalry, and archers, have a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, but mythical and hero units and divine powers add additional layers of complexity. Some of my favorite units so far include the Egyptian mummies, which curse enemy units and spawn mummy servants when they die, or the giant Greek crabs, which swim beautifully and excel at attacking ships. Each mythical unit brings something special to the battlefield, making each encounter dynamic and unpredictable.
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The introduction of reusable god powers is another great addition to the game. One of my favorite aspects of the Age of Empires series has always been the ebb and flow of battles, and these reusable god powers add another layer to that dynamic. With the ability to turn an enemy attack into a catastrophic failure, these powers can be game-changing when used correctly. For example, the divine power of Zeus’ lightning is perfect for instantly eliminating a high-value target, while a combination of Egyptian divine powers can ensnare an enemy army with snakes and mummies that emerge from the ground, allowing you to crush them with powerful meteorites.
While other parts of the game have seen a significant improvement, the campaigns seem to be a direct copy of the original game’s missions. For those who have played Age of Mythology: Extended Edition more recently, this might be a bit disappointing if you’re more interested in the single-player content. Looking at them side by side, the missions are exactly the same as before. Additionally, the new voices seem to be worse than the originals. I noticed that the original voices had a comedic slant, while the new ones are very serious and not funny at all, giving the impression of a downgrade.
I also have mixed feelings about the controls and interface. For one, there’s a great new automated villager harvesting system. Instead of managing villagers in minute detail, you can choose a pre-determined goal for them to focus on, like gathering resources to advance to the next age. While it’s very unlike Age of Empires in some ways, with its intricately timed build orders, it’s a nice addition for new players who are still figuring out which units to build and counter. However, I’m not sure if it will be available online.
On the other hand, I don’t like little things, for example I can’t order my army to attack by clicking on an area on the minimap. This is an unnecessary extra step when I’m both coordinating an attack and managing my base. In addition, I think a future update should adopt Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition’s automatic suggestion for placing new farms, as they currently still have to be placed manually.
Another critical note concerns pathfinding, as it doesn’t always work optimally. For example, there were times when villagers couldn’t find the construction location of my wonder when coming straight from the city center. I also saw some units get stuck when colliding with chickens. Pathfinding issues were a big problem in Age of Empires, and it looks like more work needs to be done to fix it in this game as well.
Despite these minor annoyances, I’m very positive about Age of Mythology: Retold. I’m happy that the new Norse god Freyr has been added to the game to give it more variety, and I’m happy that more civilizations and gods have been added, and it’s already been confirmed that the Chinese will be the first DLC to be included in the Premium Edition of the game. I also like how the game’s music has been revamped, as it’s wonderful to listen to. In addition, the new fifth “Wonderful Age” is supposed to make longer multiplayer games more exciting, and offer discounts on god powers and reusable Titan Gates, which require a large investment.
Coming back to the question of whether this game can compete with today’s strategy games, I’m pretty sure that even new players will appreciate Age of Mythology: Retold’s solid gameplay. There’s a great combination of visual effects, interesting setting, and classic gameplay. While divine powers and titans can shake up a match, I don’t think they’ll quickly feel unfair. I also appreciate the lack of landmarks like in Age of Empires IV, as losing a base here doesn’t mean it’s game over.
In summary, I really enjoyed the skirmishes and look forward to playing more when the multiplayer servers open. For those who loved the original, Age of Mythology: Retold is a must-play. It features improved graphics, innovative reuse of the gods’ powers, and subtle gameplay tweaks that enhance the overall experience. And even for completely new players, this will be one of the most fun and well-designed strategy games you can play right now. Unfortunately, the “retold” part of the title doesn’t mean a new version of the game’s campaigns, as these are exactly the same as they were in 2002 and 2014.