If you’re even the tiniest bit interested in strategy games, you’ve almost certainly heard of Age of Mythology, or one of its many sequels, or just the franchise it spun from, Age of Empires. Even I played it for a bit when I was a kid, and the original title and I are close to the same age. That’s just 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. While I tend to be a tad pessimistic about remakes and remasters, it’s a well-deserved and well-executed attempt, and to be honest, one I had some fun with.
In classic real-time strategy fashion, the game involves controlling villagers to collect resources and erect new buildings before you train troops, improve your settlement, advance to new ages and face off against your opponents who are doing similar things. It has a delicious ancient flavouring, where you are given the initial choice of a god at the beginning of the game, and as you proceed, you can select secondary gods. Each has its upgrades, abilities and mythical allies for you to use, from divine lightning strikes to legendary heroes.
It’s a time-honoured formula that has made Age of Mythology an iconic game – and a well-loved series – for so long, and this remake allows new generations to see what makes it so special.
From Another Era
It is, of course, impossible to talk about this remake for very long without comparing it to the 2002 version. When a game is remade, that’s all everyone wants to know – how does it hold up to the original?
It certainly feels like a huge upgrade. The game looks great compared to the crunchy 2002 version, with updated higher-res models and character portraits, sleek and modern UI, and a remix and remaster of the iconic soundtrack (with a few new additions). But despite the shiny new coat of paint, it is the same game underneath, almost a shot-for-shot remake of the original. Despite the updated visuals, it very much feels like playing an older strategy game, especially during the campaigns. And it’s great, even at times charming.
I didn’t even play that much of the original Age of Mythology, but a few notes of music playing as I piloted a pegasus brought me right back to when I did. Anyone who’s played the original is sure to get a solid blast of nostalgia, and for those who haven’t? It’s a solid real-time strategy game, with all the aspects that made the original beloved plus some modern conveniences.
Changes are fairly minor, with only one major addition to the original base game – a ‘new’ Atlantean pantheon (actually originally featured elsewhere in the Age of Mythology series) alongside the pantheons from the original. There’s also a ‘new’ campaign (also sourced from a different game in the series) featuring gameplay with the Atlanteans.
It’s integrated seamlessly enough that new players likely won’t even realise they weren’t in the original – though it does make it a little odd that the ‘Atlantean’ hero featured in the first campaign uses a Greek pantheon. Other new additions include a villager priority system, so you can automatically assign villagers to tasks, and a new late-stage age. There are also plenty of accessibility features, which is always appreciated.
It’s no incredible reimagining of the game which will transform how you perceive it and the characters, or anything like that, but it is an excellent and extremely faithful remake for anyone looking to reexperience this game – or try it out for the first time.
That said, it is worth noting that for the truly nostalgic, you can bring back the old portraits from 2002…by purchasing a paid DLC. It’s a little disappointing the publishers took this route rather than having them available for free from the beginning, but the rest of the remake is executed well enough that it’s hard to count this too hard against it.
Now that the game’s remake status is out of the way, let’s get into the game itself.
Campaigning for Change
For those who are interested in a long-term experience (and are up for a challenge), Age of Mythology: Retold offers 3 campaigns, two of which can be found in the original Age of Mythology (Fall of the Trident and The Golden Gift), and one from Age of Mythology: The Titans (The New Atlantis). Those who are new to the series may think 3 campaigns are a small number, but they total a lengthy playtime, with 50 individual mission scenarios. If campaigns are what you’re here for, you can sink your teeth into them.
The campaigns are, for the most part, a tidied-up version of the ones from the original games. Long-time players can enjoy a shot of high-res nostalgia (with all of the charmingly slightly stiff cutscenes you’d expect from the old version), while new players can see what made the original so beloved – with a few of the rough edges shaved off.
Because the campaigns are enjoyable, even by today’s standards, the acting and story aren’t exactly the best thing in the world, but it’s serviceable, and the most important part – the gameplay – is excellent. Each scenario leads on from the rest nicely, and for new players, it strikes that balance between being complex enough to hold your interest but simple enough to be able to learn it fairly easily. There’s also a decent amount of variety in each scenario, and they’re short enough that if you fail one stage, starting again is no big deal. Plus, there are plenty of difficulty selections, which is great for both replayers and those newcomers who aren’t completely confident in their abilities yet.
Wish for a Skirmish
The campaigns might be an iconic part of the game, but the skirmishes (single or online multi-player scenarios) cannot be forgotten. Not least because they’re done excellently.
Gameplay is about what you’d expect – build a village, set your villagers to gather resources, build an army, and attack the other players. It sounds basic, but there’s a huge variety in those simple steps. To start with, there are four different pantheons to choose from, which each have nuances that make them different to play, and that’s before you get into the different gods in each pantheon and the different mythological creatures, skills and abilities each gifts the player. Being able to choose something different every time makes each skirmish feel a little different.
And the pantheons aren’t the only things you can choose between, either. Those who prefer a single-player experience will relish the customisation that this game offers – you can choose your number of opponents, the god they follow, whether they’re more offensive or defensive, the win/lose objectives (with a surprising number of options), the map, and the difficulty, alongside smaller and more granular tweaks. Though it’s not as though each one is radically different, there’s enough variety to keep it feeling fresh, at least for a while, and the in-depth customisation is always welcome.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the hallowed halls of iconic remakes, I’m going to be honest – Age of Mythology: Retold probably won’t be up there. It simply doesn’t do anything interesting with the formula, or add enough new content. But it’s still a good game, and it’s worth the price of admission if what you want is a solid, well-made real-time strategy with a modern look.
If that sounds like you, I’d recommend checking this one out.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Great gameplay; Plenty of campaign content; Good customisation options
Lowlights: No new content
Developer: World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on Windows PC, with a code provided by the publisher.
