Age of Mythology: Retold

Xbox Game Studios continues the Age of Empires re-release series with a new take on Age of Mythology - almost 22 years after the original and ten years after the Extended Edition. A reimagining of the classic RTS.

After the Definitive Editions of Age of Empires 1, 2 and 3, the spin-off Age of Mythology is now getting a new Definitive Edition, albeit with the name extension Retold. Essentially, the game is a revised and improved version of Age of Mythology (2002), which already received an Extended Edition in 2014. The content of the expansion The Titans is also included.

However, the development studios, namely World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge and Virtuos Games, have also made some changes to the gameplay. God powers can be reused multiple times with increasing favour costs, rather than being one-time abilities in the original. Population and favour caps have been removed. A villager priority system has been introduced to simplify resource management, allowing players to focus all villagers on different areas of resource gathering with the press of a button. In addition, the Wonder Age introduces a new age of building wonders, while god powers become cheaper.

“One change that is huge for me is the increased population cap, so you can have absolutely massive armies. These armies can be made up of lots of different types of units. Some armies can just be monsters, and that’s just not something that the original game could handle. Even if you don’t win, it’s extremely satisfying to watch.” - Kristen Pirillo, Senior Game Designer at World’s Edge @ Xbox Wire

In total, the RTS offers four pantheons (Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Atlantean) and three campaigns with 50 missions. Other game modes and features include skirmish, co-op multiplayer, PvP and mod support. Two expansions are on the way, the first an all new Chinese Pantheon expansion and the second a further Pantheon expansion. Both are included in the Premium Edition.

Age of Mythology: Retold launches digitally on 4 September and will be available via Xbox Game Pass or for purchase on PC (Microsoft Store & Steam) or Xbox Series X|S. Owners of the Premium Edition will be able to access the game via Early Access on 28 August. It is the first title in the franchise's history to launch on both PC and console on the same day.

Conclusion

With major enhancements and a wealth of PvE and PvP content, Age of Mythology is finally getting the Definitive Edition treatment.

Features

• Improved gameplay and look
• Plenty of PvE and PvP content
• Improved accessibility and user-friendliness

Hit potential

AAA