A Mythic Return to Strategy
Age of Mythology is a game that was first unleashed on an unsuspecting world way back in 2002, and gained plaudits at the time for its new take on mythology and strategy gameplay.
Fast forward 23 years and it has now appeared on the Xbox in the shape of Age of Mythology: Retold, which has been brought to life by (deep breath) World’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, Virtuous, CaptureAge and Xbox Game Studios.
Can a game that was first released more than two decades ago still cut it in today’s crowded market, or are we better off going for the newer Age of Empires games instead?
Age of Mythology Retold’s Enduring Appeal
Age of Mythology: Retold is very typical of the real time strategy genre, being viewed from a top down, isometric perspective. The sprites for our units, the enemies units and even the vehicles we can build are all tiny, but luckily the camera has a bit of a party trick: you can zoom almost into the left nostril of a villager, if that is your bag, and this way we can always see what is going on.
Of course, being zoomed in tight as a battle plays out will mean missing what is happening on the wider battlefield, so I found a happy medium was the best way to go.
Building new structures all looks great, as the villagers put up a wooden frame before completing the building. The animation of the characters is also very good, whilst the various backdrops and landscapes that we find ourselves fighting in are extremely impressive, detailed and full of resources to exploit.
I’ve been really impressed with the way that the game presents itself, and while the voice acting is a tad on the wooden side, the rest of the sound is very good. The little fanfare that sounds every time a military unit is trained, the clang of swords as we try to persuade other people round to our point of view by hitting them with pointy lumps of metal, aids with the immersion.
Myths and Mayhem
The narrative very much depends on which of the campaigns you choose to follow, with the battle for Troy being where I started. Following a hero of Atlantis as he gets involved in the Trojan war really draws you in, and as each campaign is split into a series of chapters, all with their own discrete objectives, there is a massive amount of content to go at. So, pick your story, pick your hero and have a lot of fun!
Command & Conquer with Gods
In terms of gameplay and Age of Mythology: Retold really, really reminds of Command & Conquer; at least once you look past the hydras and Gods and so on and so forth. There’s not a tank in sight either, and yet the tank rush tactic has stood me in good stead throughout my time with the game.
In fact, every mission that I have played has had a similar kind of setup, where we are tasked with building up a base, then an economy and to advance our civilisation to the relevant stage. Once advancements have taken place, access to new gods and new god powers comes forth, and these can turn the tide in the campaign.
The gameplay is pretty simple, at its core.
You’ll start with a town and a few villagers, and from there comes the need to collect various materials: food, wood and gold are all required to make things bigger. It’s the wood that is vital in building houses, and this sets the upper limit of how many units we can have at any one time: whether that be a villager or a highly trained soldier, they need to have a bed.
Training soldiers (foot, cavalry or archers) requires a certain amount of food, and so whether we build farms or go hunting, food is needed. And finally, gold is needed to buy things in the market, so having a good mixture of all these things coming in will help you advance. From there, building new structures to train soldiers, new temples to worship the gods and so on will enable us to come out on top.
Arena of the Gods and Skirmish Battles
Of course Age of Mythology: Retold isn’t only about the PvE experience, as there are other ways to play. In a new update, the Arena of the Gods, we are tasked with taking on 35 different scenarios, either alone or with some co-op help. There are also skirmish modes that can be either played cooperatively or head to head, and there is no shortage of players out there ready to give you a good kicking. I’ve had no issue finding matches, and the net code has all been pretty smooth throughout. Once you have finished the main campaigns, these are a good way of testing your skills.
A Mythic Masterpiece Reborn
So, can a game from two decades ago still be as engrossing and fun today? Well, let me put it this way – the number of times I’ve looked up from a particularly involving battle and discovered that it is midnight is beyond a joke!
Age of Mythology: Retold is great fun to play, complete with a real “just five more minutes” vibe. It helps that it comes with plenty of ways to play, as well as a wide range of units. The big news is that it is just as good today as it always was, requiring some play immediately.
Stop reading, start playing!
Your Links
Epic Battles and Legendary Heroes: Age of Mythology: Retold Launches – https://www.thexboxhub.com/epic-battles-and-legendary-heroes-age-of-mythology-retold-launches/
Download Age of Mythology: Retold on Xbox (through Game Pass if you like) – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/age-of-mythology-retold/9NPKGVXPFRSX/0010
Or Get the Premium Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/age-of-mythology-retold-premium-edition/9NN144QSW0T0/0010
