The best spin-off of Age of Empires (actually, it’s the only one) returns in an improved version. There are no big changes on the horizon, but the pure joy of battling minotaurs, dragons, and titans, making meteorites fall, sending swarms of locusts, or ringing the Ragnarok remains intact. Age of Mythology Retold promises a divine nostalgic journey. Nothing more, nothing less.
It’s 2002, and after years of historical strategy games where Age of Empires and Empire Earth competed, we suddenly find ourselves with Warcraft III and Age of Mythology. This fresh approach breathed new life into the world of mainstream RTS games, and both games built a strong community that made full use of the creative mode to create memorable scenarios. The spin-off of Age of Empires introduced Greek, Egyptian, and Scandinavian gods with their powers and mythological creatures, and it was an instant hit. For those who prefer prostagma over wololo, this Age of Mythology seems like a gift from the gods.
The Old Peplum
“And you see, there’s Age of Mythology coming out soon.” With these words, my brother started discussion, while I was in the middle of review. Not being big talkers by nature, taking the time to remember the moments spent together on AoM and promising to play it again with Retold increased the nostalgia I feel for this game tenfold. After this chat, it earned a special place in my heart, going beyond mere nostalgia. If you still doubt that reviews have a subjective element, you’ve been warned.
If we won’t get the legendary intro cinematic updated, the campaign mode hasn’t changed. We still play as Arkantos, an Atlantean general traveling across Greece and beyond to fight according to the will of the gods. No major changes are expected, aside from new game mechanics we’ll discuss later. While the characters have been given a graphic facelift and new illustrations, the new voice acting is a bit disappointing.
The diction lacks energy, and one wonders why they didn’t rework the original tracks if they were only going to offer the same thing in a different form. The cutscenes could have been modernized instead of just being updated shot for shot. It’s doubtful that someone who has never played Age of Mythology would be more engaged with the campaign’s plot given the poor staging. Raytracing is nice for admiring the completely renovated environments, but it’s not enough.
“No Limits to My Power!”
As in the 2002 game, this campaign can be seen as a very long and enjoyable tutorial that helps us understand the game mechanics of each civilization, including the Atlanteans with the expansion The Titans. Beyond the nostalgia, it’s a great way to learn about the new features, which are numerous and often quite subtle. The most important addition is a fifth age that replaces the Age of the Titans from the expansion, which was used only to build a door and summon a titan. This new age provides significant boosts to mythological units and generates more favor, a resource specific to Age of Mythology, collected differently for each civilization.
This is important because Retold changes a key aspect of Age of Mythology’s gameplay: the use of divine powers. In the original game, these powers could only be used once per game, so players had to choose their moments carefully. Now, powers can be reused in exchange for divine favor, which can completely change a game. On the management side, we appreciate the addition of villager collection priorities and automatic scout exploration, which helps automate otherwise tedious tasks.
There are many balancing changes, with few new units but lots of adjustments. Playing with the unique gameplay features of each civilization is still a real pleasure. Retold also increases the scale of battles since the population limit has been removed. While this is good news, it can lead to longer battles in extended matches. A blessing in disguise, so to speak.
The Gods of The Internship
Once the campaign is over, it’s time to dive into the Skirmish mode. There are no major changes here, with a perfectly respectable AI. Retold does a great job of customizing matches, allowing us to exclude content from the expansion The Titans if we want a vanilla experience. We can even ban certain gods if seeing Zeus bothers you. World’s Edge also adds 12 new maps, and while my heart will always belong to Nomad, there are good finds like Boisombre or Muspellheim.
But the real driving force behind the multiplayer mode, which will keep Retold alive in the long term, will be the community. About twenty mods are already available, including new scenarios and interface changes. The editor mode also returns with slightly easier-to-use tools. While AoM didn’t create the MOBA genre like the Warcraft editor did, it remains the source of many game modes that kept my brother and me busy for a long time. The chance to replay a game of Cat and Mouse, where one player with a huge army must hunt down others with minimal resources, is an exciting prospect, and the community’s creations will be crucial.
Conclusion
For those nostalgic for Age of Mythology, this Retold version is a must-have. It offers impactful gameplay changes without upsetting the core foundations. The pleasure of mastering the unique aspects of each civilization is still present, though the campaign mode lacks modernization. Unless you have a special nostalgic attachment to Arkantos’s adventures, skipping the cutscenes will quickly become automatic. We will rely heavily on the community to keep this beloved RTS updated and alive in the long run.
