Age of Mythology: Extended Edition – by Selthor
Genre: Strategy Sim
Developer: SkyBox Labs, Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: May 08, 2014
The original Age of Mythology was released by Ensemble Studios on October 30, 2002 and was published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game is set during the period of Greek mythology, also borrowing from Norse and Egyptian mythology. The story of the campaign has you controlling the Atlantean admiral Arkantos, on a quest to recover Poseidon’s Trident from a thief. As the story progresses, he must work to prevent the release of the Titans from the prison Tartarus, working alongside the Egyptians and the Norse as he travels the world to stop his foes from opening different gates to Tartarus. The Titans Expansion followed on September 30, 2003 after the original game went platinum in only 4 months, and sold over 1 million copies in 2003. The Titans Expansion added in the Atlantean civilization as a fourth playable faction, as well as a new campaign featuring Arkantos’ son, Kastor, on his attempt to bring the Atlantean people to a new home. Age of Mythology: Extended Edition was released by Skybox Labs (the same company doing the Age of Empires 2: Extended Edition) for Windows on Steam on May 8, 2014, containing both the base game and the Titans Expansion, as well as a graphical upgrade.
The game plays much like the games of it’s sister series Age of Empires (referred to as AoE from here forward), this game being from the same studio that made those games, this game having released between AoE2 and AoE3. You start a typical game with a city, a military unit, and some villagers, and from there gather resources, build structures and units, and attempt to overwhelm your opponent. Where Age of Mythology stands out among the Age games is through its Deity system. Each civilization has three base deities that fit with their own unique mythology, each having it’s own unique upgrades and myth units (such as Pegasus from Zeus). As you advance through the four ages of the the game ( three total age advances possible) you are given a choice between two minor Deities, once again with their own unique upgrades and myth units. Each Deity also grants you a one time ability that can range from being offensive, such as Zeus’ lightning bolt, to economic such as Hephaestus’ Vault of Plenty (which give you an infinite trickle of all resources). This system actually allows a unique way to customize how you play each game.
The game has an excellent multiplayer system for its time period, it does not have a ladder system but has 7 different game modes and a large map pool. It allows you to create a custom game or quickly join an existing game. The multiplayer is a great experience, the Deity system allows you to play in a way where you can choose a Deity to counter a Deity chosen by your opponent, or just play your style your own way in hopes you can outplay your opponent. However, due to the release of new games such as Starcraft 2 that give you a more active role in combat with unit abilities, the game does feel a little dated, even after the revamp.
All together the game still plays great and has a huge nostalgic feel. It sells for $29.99 on Steam, or you can get it and the Tale of the Dragon Expansion (which I will be releasing my review of shortly following this one) for $34.99. If you are a fan of the Age of Empires series and have not played the game, it is definitely worth this price to pick up. If you have played it and loved the multiplayer, it is still worth picking up for this price. If you only want to get it for the nostalgia of the campaigns I would consider waiting for a Steam sale, but it is still a good 30 hrs of gameplay from just that so it is your call on the price you’re willing to pay.
Overall I give the game an 8 out of 10, it only really loses points for being dated but it is still a great game and highly playable.
Selthor gives Age of Mythology: Extended Edition a Drastik Measure 8 out of 10 (80).
Pros:
- Great story
- Fun
- Choices of Deity impact how you play
- Great campaign
- Updated look
- Revitalized multiplayer
- Nostalgia
Cons
- Feels dated compared to newer RTS games such as Starcraft 2
Recommendation: Buy
Steam Link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/266840/
See our review of the expansion Age of Mythology: Extended Edition – Tale of the Dragon DLC.
